Raised so far - £394 JustGiving - £472 Go Fund me* Paypal Direct** £100 direct to charity Thank you
Hotel accomodation paid for by Howarth Street Solutions Ltd
* we are aware of Gofund me refunding everyone in Error, we are working to address this with them. Please use Justgiving where possible for now.
**Paypal Direct is not available until 1st October 2025
Let me explain why each item was choosen and what they mean.
Raising awareness about domestic abuse requires more than statistics — it needs symbols, actions, and visual cues that provoke thought, empathy, and understanding. Each part of your event has been carefully chosen to represent an aspect of the domestic abuse experience. Here’s how each connects:
The central act of walking symbolizes the lonely path many victims of domestic abuse must walk, often in isolation. Many survivors describe the emotional journey of abuse as deeply lonely — feeling unseen, unheard, and unsupported. While physically surrounded by people, victims often feel they walk a hidden path, battling fear, shame, and uncertainty. This symbolic walk represents the miles they walk — to shelters, away from home, through courtrooms, or even just emotionally — all often done without anyone visibly standing beside them. By participating in the walk, I want to make this invisible journey visible and remind the world that no one should have to walk it alone.
By by not wearing a coat symbolizes the sudden, urgent, and unsafe escape many victims face, often leaving without personal belongings. Many survivors leave dangerous situations with nothing but the clothes on their backs — no time to gather warm coats, important documents, or sentimental items. The absence of a coat reflects both material loss and emotional vulnerability. It forces myself to confront the discomfort, even just symbolically, that survivors endure when they must prioritize safety over comfort, often into an uncertain and cold world.
Lights are a universal symbol of hope and visibility. Here, they represent shining a light on domestic abuse, making visible what is too often hidden in the dark. Abuse thrives in secrecy and silence; awareness campaigns like this aim to pierce that darkness. Every candle, every string of lights, every illumination along the way during the the walk symbolizes stories being brought out of the shadows — survivors reclaiming their voices, communities taking a stand, and the broader society refusing to let abuse remain invisible.
The dress is a powerful symbol because it confronts how victims are often judged, blamed, or punished for their appearance. In abusive relationships, what a victim wears can become a point of control, criticism, or even violence. Abusers may accuse victims of dressing “too provocatively” or “inviting attention,” using clothing choices as a justification for their control or anger. Others may force their partners to wear certain clothing as way to punish or make them feel vunerable. By elevating the dress as a symbol, in my event draws attention to the toxic blaming culture that forces victims to modify themselves to avoid harm, when the responsibility should always rest on the abuser.
Socks symbolize the often-silent sections of society — particularly men — who walk alongside domestic abuse but do not speak up. Many people, especially men, are bystanders who may sense something is wrong but don’t intervene, perhaps due to cultural expectations, fear, or lack of knowledge. The socks serve as a quiet but persistent reminder that walking silently past domestic abuse is part of the problem. By focusing attention on this symbol, the walk I hope challenges these sections of society to break their silence and walk with survivors, not past them.
Makeup is a deeply personal and telling symbol in the context of domestic abuse because it represents the lengths victims go to hide their suffering. Bruises, scars, swelling — makeup is often used not for beauty, but for concealment. It becomes both a shield and a mask. Highlighting makeup in your event raises awareness of the hidden nature of abuse: the carefully curated appearance, the desperate attempts to avoid questions, and the heartbreaking need to cover wounds, both physical and emotional, just to survive another day.
Pigtails, often associated with youth and innocence, will represent the childlike vulnerability that abusers exploit. In many abusive relationships, victims are deliberately infantilized — treated as if they are incapable, weak, or dependent. This symbolic hairstyle underscores how abusers strip away autonomy and maturity, reducing victims to a powerless, childlike state. Additionally, pigtails will symbolize the impact of domestic abuse on children, who are often the unseen, unheard secondary victims in abusive households. Highlighting pigtails in my event helps raise awareness that domestic abuse is not only about adult partners — it devastates entire families, especially the youngest members.
Heels are to symbolize the painful balancing act victims must perform to survive. Walking in heels requires careful, constant adjustment. I am not expecting the walk to be easy or pain free — They are a perfect metaphor for the hyper-vigilance and self-monitoring victims live under. Every step can feel precarious, every moment demands caution, because one wrong move might trigger anger or violence. Heels also represent societal pressures on victims, especially women, to “keep up appearances” — to look put-together, confident, sexy, or successful — even when their private lives are crumbling. Incorporating heels into the event acknowledges both the literal and symbolic discomfort victims endure, and the external pressures that make escaping abuse even harder.
I also ask you to metaphorically put your self in someone elses shoe's as I will physically. Sometime's that's all it needs to see what we can't normally see.
I have chosen Blackpool to symbolize how far many victims may have to flee to escape their abuser. Just as victims often have to travel long distances, leaving behind their hometowns, friends, jobs, and support systems, my journey to Blackpool reflects that same struggle and displacement. It is a powerful reminder that escaping abuse is rarely simple — it can mean crossing counties, starting over, and facing new uncertainties.
The act of dressing up from Essex also carries symbolic weight. It represents the long struggles victims face to reclaim themselves, to feel strong and worthy again after abuse. Preparing, dressing up, and traveling all highlight the emotional and physical journey survivors undergo — the resilience it takes to rise, even when the weight of the past tries to pull them back.
I have chosen a structured fund raiser symbolize the Control aspect of Domestic abuse. By giving you the power to raise funds and decde what items I wear, I want to show how controlling abusers can be.
However this is only a symbol of the control, I actually want you to donate big. By giving you the power, you can help me raise awareness. Your money will help victims of Domestic abuse the their Children. Providing clothing and toys for people in the refuge here in Essex.
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