I heard from back from the women’s refuge in jersey and although there isn’t enough time to actually produce images from it, I still wanted to go and talk to someone about the work that goes on within this organisation.

These are some notes I made throughout my discussion with the chairman (Pat) of the organisation:

• it’s run by a management comity
• 11-12 people volunteer
• this organisation started about 30 years ago by a women who is still apart of this organisation today – Rosie Sutherland. Inspired by a group of women who decided that something should be done to aid women. That something should be done in order for there to be a place were women can  go and feel safe.
• 1 out of 4 women will be in an abusive relationship
•  the fact that getting over an abusive relationship is a long process that women go through  , and in some cases , they go back to the abusive relationship they were in… for many reasons, but mainly because of money problems, housing ect.
• this organisation allows the victim to be in control of their own lives and control the things they do and why.
• police are highly involved within this organisation.
• this refuge is highly confidential and their goal is to make this safe house a home and give women (and children) a safe and happy environment to live in.
• the organisation employs staff in order to help with day to day care and jobs, these people can look after the staff needs as well as the women’s needs.
• Volunteers can be anyone from lawyers to accountants and so on, the profession you are in isn’t important, what’s important is having a volunteer who is genuinely passionate about this cause and wants to help.
• over 1000 people reach out to this organisation every year
• conducting a training program is vital for each volunteer/staff member and it is all conducted here in Jersey by funding from the states and donations.
• this safe house contains 7 bedrooms , 2 sitting rooms which are occasionally transitioned into bedrooms if needed, amongst other rooms like laundry rooms, a kitchen ect.
• there are women who come back after a few years, or people that have previously been in a abusive relationship and want to talk about their past experiences.
• this organisation is available 24 hours a day (via landline) , having someone that is available during an emergency is vital within the  philosophy of the organisation.
• they accept anyone and everyone (from any nationality)
• this organisation / volunteers encourage women to create and form good relationship

-The chairman I met with was a lovely lady named Pat who had been within this organisation for around ten years and she actually became aware of this position because of a friend who had to leave the organisation, thus she took on this Job. She says she had always been involved in some sort of charitable organisation but settled within the women’s refuge in Jersey and is still there today.

-Pat was telling me about her daughters friend who was unfortunately involved in a domestic situation and she would always say she wanted to go back , her sadness was because of the fact that she made a house into a home, all of her memories were there, in that house, and that is is something really sad.”For any woman to leave the house she’s made a home , that is heartbreaking.”- Pat

-I was interested and asked her whether the organisation had ever thought about branching out (because of the fact that there is currently one safe house in jersey). To which she responded that because of our population, something would have to be very wrong for there to be so many people that feel as if they are not safe and need a place to go in order to feel safe. Therefore she doesn’t see it happening anytime to and hopes it doesn’t have to come to that.

-I talked about how the internet is a big part in supporting victims throughout these apps and when I asked about her opinion on this she commented on the fact that it all really depends on the stage that someone is at. In some cases, it may benefit the person in some way or another but from her point of view, she looks at the advantage of having someone there face to face, someone who can empathize and be there in person , and she says that it is a huge difference in comparison to a text or email.

-Because this organisation focuses more on women suffering in a domestic violence situation and less on other issues such as rape, it was interesting to hear that a collaboration of organisations is a possibility for the future.

Overall, this meeting was very insightful and Pat was so kind as to give me a back which held information booklets that they give out at talks and much more that discusses the organisation. She also made me aware of their website online and gave me her contact card if I had anything else to inquire about. Although it is too late to produce images and possible final outcomes, I am really pleased with the amount of information I was given just with one meeting.