Stories from survivors

Our Survivors’ Network sits at the heart of all we do. It keeps us in touch with the real experiences and needs of women who have been subjected to abuse and it provides a crucial safe space to find support within a community that understands and that will cheer them on as they enter a new season of hope.

It’s a privilege to journey with some amazing, brave ladies that are on a journey to recovery. The Network has been growing for the last five years, managed by volunteers, but in the last year, due in part to the pressures of lockdown, that growth has exploded. The Network grew by 89% in just twelve months.

We believe it’s time to appoint a permanent member of staff to manage our team, develop the Network, and provide the resources and support that are so appreciated by the women in our community. At this significant moment for Restored, we’ve been really encouraged by the words women in the Network have shared with us.

Being able to share thoughts and worries with other women who had experienced the same thing was so empowering. I was no longer strange, I was no longer alone and these women understood and accepted me.

— Survivor —

I wept with relief and hope when I found a Christian charity who care about this issue, want to support survivors as they navigate the difficult road to full healing and recovery and who seek to educate and motivate the church to support survivors and tackle this issue in a way that brings change and hope for the future.

— Survivor —

Restored has helped me — and continues to help — three decades after I left an abusive relationship. It is a long struggle, but Restored's online posts, published resources and ‘ear to listen’, have helped so much in the last two years. I see more clearly, I understand what happened and how to rebuild. Self-blame is the simmering, dragging, relentless aftermath of escape, so there is a lot of rebuilding to do, but I am no longer alone. And while I heal, I see churches, society (and societies worldwide) recognising the roots of abuse and identifying patterns and perpetrators to make a difference for women. Women are carrying ‘half the sky’; and I think we can stand taller and stronger with our load into the future. Restored is making a difference and fulfilling the blessing of our Saviour, ‘The Ultimate Non-toxic Man’.

— Survivor —

Reading things on the Survivors' Network has been like going outside and feeling the fresh breeze after years of being stuck inside. It has given me strength when I didn't know how to go on. And the courage to continue making a new life for my children and I. Free and safe.

— Survivor —

We need your help. We're looking to raise £10,000 to keep our Survivors' Network running and we need your support to help this community thrive. Could you donate to help us welcome more women into the Network? Whether you’re able to give £1 or £100, you can show a survivor that they are not alone. That you care, and that there is someone to turn to.

You can show a survivor she's not alone

Your donation will enable us to change the story for women women subjected to abuse.

Support our Survivors' Network today