Coventry Haven Women’s Aid Partners with Artist Roberta De Caro and Coventry Cathedral for Powerful Survivor-Led Glass Art Project

We are proud to announce a deeply meaningful collaboration between Coventry Haven Women’s Aid, artist Roberta De Caro, and Coventry Cathedral as part of the next phase of From the Fragment to the Whole, a socially engaged art project exploring healing, resilience and transformation after domestic abuse.

This project invites women with lived experience to take part in a one-to-one workshop with Roberta, creating a personal glass artwork that reflects their own journey of strength and repair.
No artistic experience is needed — each session is gentle, guided and completely survivor-led, with privacy and emotional safety at the centre.

Your artwork will become part of a public exhibition

Every piece created will join a collective exhibition at Coventry Cathedral, aiming for February 2026.
Participants will be invited to attend, but attendance is optional, your involvement can remain private if you prefer.

Workshops offer:

• One-to-one, confidential sessions

• A calm, supportive space

• Full guidance from the artist

• An opportunity to process and express your journey

• A creative experience suitable for all skill levels

This collaboration reflects the heart of our work: honouring survivor voices, recognising the courage it takes to rebuild, and offering meaningful ways to reclaim identity and narrative.

Women interested in taking part can safely and confidentially contact the artist directly:

📧 roberta@robertadecaro.com

To learn more about the style and inspiration behind the project, you can explore:
🔗 Project overview: https://robertadecaro.com/socially-engaged-art-projects/from-the-fragment-to-the-whole/
🔗 Short film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fow16DzkJPo

We are honoured to support this partnership and look forward to seeing the powerful, moving work created by women whose strength continues to inspire us every day.

Please Can You Help....?

“What would you buy if you had £10 to try to rebuild Christmas for your child?” “What if your whole life fitted into one carrier bag?”

For many of the women and children living in our refuge this month, that’s the reality.

No tree from the loft.
No presents hidden in wardrobes.
No matching Christmas pj's.
No cupboards full of festive food.
No stockings waiting at the end of the bed.

Just safety.
Four walls.
And the enormous task of starting again.

This Christmas, a simple gift voucher can give a woman or child choice, something many haven’t had in years.

A voucher means:

🧸 A child choosing their first toy in a place where they finally feel safe
🎁 A mum picking a present she couldn’t afford
🍽️ A family sharing a meal in safety
💛 A tiny piece of normal Christmas magic

If you can, please help us bring warmth and dignity to families who have left everything behind to escape abuse.

Gift cards from: Tesco • Sainsbury’s • Aldi • Asda • Primark • Amazon • Morrisons

Every voucher - £5, £10, £15 - becomes something beautiful.
Because you’re not just giving a gift, you’re giving Christmas back.

👉 Donate a gift card via email: jsrichards@coventryhaven.co.uk
👉 Or send/drop-off a gift voucher to: Coventry Haven Women’s Aid, 22 Marlborough Road, Coventry CV2 4EP (drop-off Monday-Friday 9am-5pm)

hashtag#CoventryHaven hashtag#Coventry hashtag#ChristmasAppeal hashtag#GiftVouchers hashtag#EndDomesticAbuse hashtag#GiveTheGiftOfChoice

#16Days - Day 16

#16Days - Day 16: Our Team – The Heart of Coventry Haven

On the final day of #16Days, we want to celebrate the people who make Coventry Haven Women’s Aid what it is, our staff team, volunteers and trustees.

Every single one brings something special:

Strength

Compassion

Determination

Fierce advocacy

A belief that every woman and child deserves safety and dignity

From our fabulous refuge staff to our IDVAs, our Early Intervention to our Outreach, Helpline, Admin, Finance, Governance and Funding, each person is part of a team that shows up every single day with passion and purpose.

They answer refuge emergency calls at 3am

They sit with women in court

They comfort children who are frightened and anxious

They celebrate tiny wins and huge milestones

They keep survivors safe, and keep their hope alive

To our team: thank you for your courage, your care and your unwavering commitment. You are amazing, and Coventry is safer because of you!

If you or someone you know, is affected by #DomesticAbuse, please call the #SafeToTalk #Helpline 08001114998 or 02476444077

www.coventryhaven.co.uk

#16Days #TeamHaven #VAWG #EndDomesticAbuse #ThankYou #CoventryHavenWomensAid #Coventry

#16Days - Day 15

#16Days - Day 15: The Voices of Children & Young People

Today we’re sharing more words of children and young people who’ve come through our services, from refuge stays to day trips, drop-ins, and support through school, college or university.

Their voices say more than we ever could:

“I liked the day trip because it was the first time in ages I saw Mum laugh”

“In refuge I finally slept through the night. I didn’t know how tired I was until it stopped”

“My college didn’t know what was happening but Haven did. They helped me feel safe enough to finish my course”

“I thought it was my fault Dad shouted all the time. Haven told me it wasn’t”

“I made a friend here. We both know what it feels like”

“I never had a birthday cake before refuge. Now I have, and you should’ve seen how many Easter eggs I got!”

Every child deserves safety, joy and the chance to heal. Every young person deserves support, stability and hope for the future. We’re honoured to walk alongside them.

If you or someone you know, is affected by #DomesticAbuse, please call the #SafeToTalk #Helpline 08001114998 or 02476444077

If you’re able to donate, to keep our doors open, please do: https://www.paypal.com/GB/fundraiser/charity/2720802

www.coventryhaven.co.uk

#16Days #ChildSurvivors #YouthVoices #CoventryHaven #Coventry #EveryChildDeservesSafety

#16Days - Day 14

#16Days - Day 14: Standing Strong in Court – Our IDVA & Court IDVA Team

Today we’re highlighting the incredible work of our IDVA team, including our specialist Court IDVA, who stand beside survivors during some of the most intimidating and vulnerable moments of their journey.

From police reports to MARAC, from emergency safety planning to navigating the Family Court, our IDVAs are there to ensure survivors are understood, believed and protected.

“I couldn’t have walked into that courtroom without her. She explained everything, sat with me, and made me feel like I wasn’t facing him alone.”

Our IDVA team provides:

Support during hearings and legal processes

Guidance around rights, safety and options

Clear explanations in a system that can feel overwhelming

Emotional support when survivors are afraid or retraumatised

A calm, steady presence when everything else feels uncertain

To our entire IDVA team: your strength, compassion and expertise save lives every single day. Thank you for being the voice, shield and advocate our survivors deserve, especially when the court process can be one of the scariest things they've ever had to face.

If you or someone you know, is affected by #DomesticAbuse, please call the #SafeToTalk #Helpline 08001114998 or 02476444077

www.coventryhaven.co.uk

#16Days #CoventryHaven #IDVA #CourtIDVA #VAWG #EndingDomesticAbuse #SupportWhenItMatters #Coventry

#16DAYS -Day 13

#16Days - Day 13: ‘One Step Forward’ DA Course

Today we’re sharing the words of a survivor who attended our One Step Forward programme, a course designed to help women understand abuse, rebuild confidence and take back control of their lives.

“Before the course, I didn’t realise how much I’d normalised the abuse. Each week helped me piece myself back together. I left feeling stronger, clearer, and like I finally had my voice back.”

For many survivors, taking that first step into a group can feel daunting. But once they’re there, they find connection, understanding, and a community of women who simply “get it”.

One Step Forward offers:

A safe space to learn and reflect

Tools to recognise unhealthy behaviours

Confidence-building and emotional support

A chance to meet others on the same journey

A reminder that healing is possible

It's also delivered in multi-languages and at different times of the day.

Every week, we see women rediscover their strength, sometimes the strength they didn’t know they still had.

We are here to support any woman taking her first step… or her next one.

For advice on how to take part in the course, and when the next one is being held, please call 02476444077.

#16Days #CoventryHaven #OneStepForward #VAWG #EndDomesticAbuse #BelieveSurvivors #YouAreNotAlone #Coventry

#16Days - Day 12

#16Days - Day 12: Our Helpline Saves Lives

Today we’re shining a light on one of the most vital parts of our service, the #SafeToTalk #Helpline.

For many survivors, that first phone call is the moment everything changes:

The moment someone finally believes them

The moment the fear feels shareable

The moment they hear, “You’re not alone. We can help”

Our helpline offers:

Emotional support during crisis

Safety planning for women and children

Support for professionals

Advice on housing, legal options and rights

Access to our safe refuge, outreach and early intervention

A non-judgemental space to talk when the world feels unsafe

Advice for you if you’re trying to support someone you know affected by Domestic Abuse

Some women call us quietly from the bathroom. Some have never said the words “I’m being abused” before.

Every call matters. Every voice is heard. Every survivor deserves to feel safe.

If you or someone you know needs support, the helpline is here: 08001114998 or 02476444077

Or email info@coventryhaven.co.uk

www.coventryhaven.co.uk

.

Always confidential. Always compassionate.

#16Days #DomesticAbuseAwareness #CoventryHaven #Coventry #VAWG #EndDomesticAbuse #YouAreNotAlone #HelplineSupport #DomesticAbuse

#16Days - Day 11

#16Days - Day 11: Support in the First 24 Hours

Today we’re highlighting the life-changing work of our Early Intervention Team, who are co-located directly within Coventry’s police station.

When police remove an abuser from the home, the next 24 hours can feel overwhelming, frightening and full of uncertainty. This is where our team steps in.

They offer immediate, trauma-informed support to victim-survivors at one of the hardest moments of their lives, when the shock is raw and the questions feel endless.

Our independent Early Intervention Team can help with:

Safety planning for the hours and days ahead

Emotional support after the initial incident

Practical advice on housing, money, children and legal options

Linking survivors into ongoing Haven support, refuge or outreach

Reassurance, belief and calm in a moment that feels anything but calm

For many victim-survivors, this is their very first point of contact with specialist Domestic Abuse support, and it’s the moment they realise they do not have to go through this alone.

Early intervention saves lives. And in Coventry, survivors have the Early Intervention Team.

If you or someone you know, is affected by #DomesticAbuse, please call the #SafeToTalk #Helpline on 08001114998 or 02476444077

#16Days - Day 10

#16Days - Day 10: Reaching Out, Being Heard

Today we’re sharing the words of a survivor who found Coventry Haven Women’s Aid through a GP via the IRISi programme:

“I only went to the doctor for anxiety. I didn’t even know what ‘abuse’ was. My GP asked one gentle question and suddenly everything came out. They gave me Haven’s number… and that phone call changed my life”

Not every survivor walks through our door first. Some speak to their GP.

Some call our helpline: 08001114998.

Some come to a drop-in because they “just want a chat”.

Every route is valid. Every story matters.

Across Coventry, our teams are here to listen, believe and support, wherever that first step happens.

#16Days - Day 9

#16Days – Day 9: A Child’s Voice

Today we’re sharing the words of a child who has stayed in our refuge:

“I like it here because we can sleep all night. At my old house I used to stay awake to check if Mum was ok”

No child should ever know that kind of fear.

No child should feel responsible for keeping a parent safe.

Every child deserves rest, safety and the chance to simply be a child.

At Coventry Haven Women’s Aid, we do everything we can to give children fleeing Domestic Abuse warmth, stability, space to play, and a place where they can finally breathe.

Can you please help keep our services in place, for every child living with violence?

Please donate here: https://www.paypal.com/GB/fundraiser/charity/2720802

www.coventryhaven.co.uk