I attended a White Ribbon day Survivors' lunch at the Civic Centre Uxbridge yesterday. It was a good time of coming together as survivors and NGO supporters, police, a family judge and the London Borough of Hillingdon councillors and support workers. We have hope that all we have shared will be actioned in to a better pathway of support. The Middlesex Suite was set out with beautiful flowers on the tables for the meeting. This I really appreciated the thought in this as all the colours of the flowers were healing colours and calming.. Some of us have been given them to come home with... Along with some pamper gifts.... The meeting was well planned with good speakers and I am very impressed with the SmartWorks charity that helps re-style women to have confidence in job interviews and helps them to look good when they have the job till those pay cheques start coming in... Good project and helps women to connect with themselves again. You can read and see more on my blog http://womensvoicestobeheard.blogspot.co.uk/ There was a lot of pain and trauma history in that room yesterday from all that attended and they are only a small % of women with histories of DV in the LBH - others were unable to come or did not know about the day. Listening and sharing with women survivors we are all saying the same - WE NEED A STRONG AND STABLE PATHWAY OF SUPPORT on our journey of healing, detoxing from the ugliness of violence upon us and our life rebuild... We have all had problems with the DWP ..... We have to challenge this to get a better support that does not put us at risk... I made the council workers aware of the said £20 million that gov has available for help with women and none knew of this or how to access this to help us. No one knows where that money is going or how used.. We need accountability for all said funds that are supposed to be there in the pot to help women rebuild their lives.... No woman after all she has gone through should be faced with system generated debts, struggling to feed herself and family, struggling with bills, threaten with loss of safe home or bailiffs hassling her ... it is perverse and NOT the country I expect from my motherland UK..... we need compassion and care like we experience yesterday on the White Ribbon Survivors Lunch. WE need our voices heard.....