Domestic violence survivor sets up Coventry social group

Lianne and Rebecca are in fits of giggles as they compare their paintings to the one they are copying, created by the artist leading their sip and paint event.

From the outside they look like any normal group of friends. But as little as six months ago, some of these women were in situations they felt they might never escape.

Everyone at this event shares a lived experience of domestic violence.

“I didn’t know it was possible to feel as low as I felt in my darkest times and there’s so many people that are feeling like that all the time,” said organiser and fellow survivor Grace.

Her experiences led her to set up Held by Grace, a social networking group designed to help victims combat loneliness and isolation.

Having been helped in the past by Coventry Haven Women’s Aid, Grace said she was grateful for the crisis support she was given but soon realised there was something missing as survivors like her looked to rebuild their lives.

“You’ve had that period of support when you’re in a group and you’ve gone from being incredibly isolated to then being supported,” she said.

“After that support drops off I don’t want people to be isolated again, when they’ve already been through a situation that is incredibly isolating.”

Despite only starting in May the group has already organised events like Pilates, therapy sessions and a yoga class, and Grace has recently registered it as a charity.