Who set up Honour Thy Woman? 

Honour Thy Woman Group was founded by Keasha Kellam. During the first lockdown Keasha noticed that the rates of domestic abuse were really rising and really wanted to do something to help these women. So, March 2021 she was working hard to get things in place and making a business plan. In April 2022 Honour Thy Woman Group was launched and in November 2022 it became a Registered Charity.

Where is the organisation based?

We have our very first space in Coleford, but we cover Forest of Dean, Stroud, Gloucester, Tewkesbury and Cheltenham.

What are your main aims and how do you achieve them?

• Our main aim is to help move women forward after experiencing domestic abuse.

• We work on a 1-1 support with them, and we are always led by the client. So, we can meet up in person via email, Zoom or phone. We can go for lunch or a coffee or a lovely walk, depending on what our clients are comfortable with. We help with food and clothes, we advocate for them so this could be going to court proceedings or employment issues, we help with visas, and we help get furniture for their new home, go to any appointments with them, and get court orders. 

• We have free courses for them to join, and we can give them a SIM card that has 6 months of free minutes and texts.

• We also offer wellbeing activities because we want to care for their mental health and give them somewhere safe to go and meet other women and just have a few hours for themselves and have some fun. We are very lucky to be funded by the OPCC.

Who are your staff / volunteers? 

We have wonderful people in our organisation; our team consists of: 

• 5 board members, 2 of whom are not Gloucestershire based: 1 is based in Somerset and 1 is based in the Birmingham area. I am on the board as well to give the voice of our clients, so any concerns I might find on the frontline, I report back to the board members. 

• We also have the sub committee; this consists of ambassadors which we are seeking to help promote our organisation and we also have a Wellbeing Officer she supports the peer mentors around our wellbeing because we are all survivors and we do have some complex clients.

• We have a team of 6 superwomen, including Keasha, and they are the peer mentors.

• We cover Forest of Dean, Stroud, Gloucester, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury.

• We work collectively with other key organisations who help with supporting our clients and as well as us peer mentors.

• We have Social Prescribers who signpost clients to us.

• Info buzz with entry level courses.

• DigiTrusts support clients with building confidence with online forms. 

• Essential Space CIC - a group of Counsellors who offer affordable counselling. 

• WSP Solicitors support our clients with Family Law. 

• Gloucester City Council, Tewkesbury District Council and Stroud Council Housing Teams work with us to support our clients with housing and applications.

• Tewkesbury Borough Council Family Support is now working with us.

• Priors Park Neighbour Project has offered us to use its space and has helped build meaningful connections.

• Julie Daring, Director and Wealth Specialist, is training us to help clients with budgeting and she’s looking to support our clients if needed. 

• We have a whole range of facilitators who do the wellbeing activities for our clients.

What kind of fundraising and events do you do? 

We have Gloucester Lottery where anyone can play and support us. Charitable giving in through the corporates with CIMPA and St James’s Place for charity funding. We have raised funds by promoting our services in ASDA to raise awareness. In the new year we are looking to do more fundraising and getting the community involved

Do you think there are women who could do with this kind of support but are shy or scared to come forward? 

Most definitely, this could be because they are still with the person who harms and don't feel safe enough to seek help. There is a lot of self-blame, shame and embarrassment.

• Prior negative experience of seeking help. 

• It could be a cultural thing because in some cultures it is seen as the husband's right to treat his wife as he likes, so if the victim came forward she could be shunned from the community and this is very scary for these women. 

• They might feel they won't be believed and if it is reported to the police some women have said it never went to court and the ordeal just wasn't worth it.

• Fear of the consequences of disclosure.

We need to change the way victims are seen to make sure they are heard and believed and to make the whole process of coming forward a lot better.

Is it fulfilling work? 

When we first meet I can see the trauma in the women’s faces and even in their body language. Some are timid or anxious because this could be the first time they have spoken about it. After spending time together they start to trust me and we build a relationship. They start to flourish; they feel heard and believed. They start feeling empowered - some have had a new hairstyle or got their nails done and they stand taller. This really inspires me and makes my heart sing because I've helped these women grow and build their confidence back up.

Where do you see Honour Thy Woman in, say, 5 years' time? 

We are just going to continue to grow; we have our own space in Coleford. We are partnering to offer a community hub In Tewkesbury. We are looking for a community hub in Stroud and Cheltenham where families can come for support such as 1-2-1 support, toiletries and clothes. 

Which famous women (past or present) do you find inspiring? 

This is a hard one because I am inspired by Keasha - she is a force to be reckoned with. Her passion to support women of domestic abuse is just amazing. Keasha has set this charity up so that there are no barriers for victims and survivors. She has taken her own experience and made Honour Thy Woman Group into what she needed back when she was needing support. Keasha just puts herself into their shoes and knows what works and what doesn’t. She goes above and beyond for the charity and has always wanted us to be diverse... and we really are. Keasha has the biggest heart and I’ve never met a woman who can get things done as quickly as she can. When she has an idea she makes it into a reality and she never stops. Keasha is such a caring soul; I wish I had a Keasha when I was going through my trauma years ago. 

Pink (the singer) I love her and how vocal she is with everything that she truly believes in. Pink supports so many different charites. She has been through tough times in her life and she puts that pain into writing and singing just awesome songs that I can relate to. I’ve seen Pink in concert and it was just out of this world.

What is the most empowering song you can think of which is a good anthem for women? 

Another hard one... 

Who Runs the World by Beyonce

Stronger by Kelly Clarkson

Brave by Sarah Bareilles

I will stop there because I could go on and on! 

Thank you for answering our questions! xx