"To be able to help others in their situation helped me to move forward with my own"

Meet Roxie, a Volunteer for SADA Survivors Against Domestic Abuse. Roxie Volunteers at the Drop In Service and as DA Forum Vice Chair.

Survivors Against Domestic Abuse (SADA) is a service that provides advice, guidance and support to individuals and their families who are or have experienced domestic abuse. The service encourages and empowers victims and survivors to make decisions that are right for them offering crisis intervention, together with client-led support and signposting to other agencies suited to the individual and their own situation

Please tell us a little more about yourself and your volunteering work?

I began supporting the SADA service as a volunteer creating a Domestic Abuse Drop In Service as well as a Domestic Abuse Forum service for victims and Survivors in the area. This was very well attended and was a life line to many families and single people in Stevenage. It was from this that the service grew and we were able to expand on the support available. It meant a lot to me to see this expansion and growth as I am a Survivor myself and this was important to my journey.

What made you decide to start volunteering?

Because I am a Survivor and I wanted to make a change.

Why would you recommend volunteering to others?

It gives you a lot more rewards than you realise. To be able to help others in their situation helped me to move forward with my own. It allowed me an opportunity to grow and to gain all of the skills I have in my job role today.