Wolverhampton refuge breaks the silence around domestic abuse

People from across the city packed into The Haven's Wolverhampton base to raise awareness of the life-changing impact of domestic abuse.

It came as part of the charity's Break the Silence campaign, urging people to tackle myths and taboos by starting conversations with their friends, co-workers and loved ones.

Megan Reece, star of BBC’s The Voice, joined the special coffee morning to encourage others to speak up.

The Wolverhampton mother-of-five, who is an ambassador of The Haven, said: "It's so important to speak out, not just so victims break their own silence, but just to make people aware.

"It needs to be normalised, so that we are all more open to receiving a distressed person or to recognising the signs of someone who needs help.

"Everyone needs to know how wrong it is because we are not living in a time where it is acceptable to be abused."

The Haven invited supporters into its Wolverhampton base to enjoy a rainbow of cakes and a warming cuppa on Thursday, raising £150.

Its week-long Break the Silence campaign encouraged fundraisers to talk about domestic abuse during an informal cake and coffee chat.

Ms Reece, who left her abusive relationship six years ago and later found fame on 2016’s singing contest The Voice, said she feared conversations around domestic abuse "would never be enough".

The singer added: "I really think that if I had just a lesson at school in signs and traits of abuse, I would have recognised them so much sooner that I did, and it would have saved me a lot of personal heartache.

"It's important to remember, it's not always violent - people think of domestic abuse as a punch and it's not always that way."

The Haven has been supporting women and children at risk of homelessness, violence and abuse since launching in 1973.

This includes fellow ambassador Sam Billingham, who was supported by the "fantastic" team after leaving her partner 13 years ago.

She recalled only realising she was a victim of domestic abuse after ending the relationship and said a conversation about the abusive relationship may have given her the courage to leave sooner.

The mother-of-one added: "If people had spoken about it before, I probably would have left sooner. It is one of those subjects people are frightened to talk about.

"But it's an important topic that we have to talk about. I think victims find it hard to talk about because of the stigmas attached to abuse.

"Domestic abuse changes you completely. I was bubbly and outgoing, and then you have that all taken away from you."