Colleague shares harrowing experience of domestic abuse to encourage others to speak out

“Things that are not okay are not okay, no matter how you try and justify them – reach out and speak to someone.”

Those are the words of one Longhurst Group colleague, who has spoken about her experiences of domestic abuse in the hope that it will encourage others to seek help.

As an organisation, we are proud to be among a growing list of housing associations to have joined the Chartered Institute of Housing’s Make A Stand campaign, which aims to tackle domestic abuse.

Recalling her own experiences, she said: “We met in 2007. We had lots of the same friends. He was lovely and very funny and everything was wonderful.

“But literally everything went wrong, everything changed. It started off with little things, strange changes that I didn’t even see, until it was too late and then I couldn’t escape it.

“It’s really important to get that help because I didn’t, I just walked away because I couldn’t face up to it. I left it for way too long and it screwed me up.

“I hope, by speaking out, it’ll make people listen and help them to be more aware of domestic abuse.

“Perhaps, for someone listening who is going through a similar experience, it might even help them to spot the signs and encourage them to reach out for help.”

This colleague is now part of the team behind our work as a support of the Make A Stand campaign.

She added: “I lived in a house from another housing association at the time all of it was happening. To know that someone is there, wanting to help, like Longhurst Group is doing as part of the Make A Stand campaign, could make a massive difference.

“If my housing officer at the time had turned up and seen the state that I was in, they would have known that I wasn’t ok and that could have changed everything.

“I’m proud to be working for an organisation that has signed the Make A Stand pledge and is playing its part in tackling the issue of domestic abuse.”