On Sunday 21st April my husband, James, and I will be taking part in this year’s London Marathon as part of Team Refuge – eek!! (I would say we’re running the marathon – but let’s be honest, I’m not a runner and there’s no way I will be running the whole 26.2 miles. So lets say taking part and completing instead!)
For those of you who don’t already know my story, I am a survivor of Domestic Abuse. (Read more about my story here) When I left my ex I wrote a little bucket list of things I could do, and doing the London Marathon was one of them! In May 2013 I completed the Moonwalk and thought that was me doing my marathon and ticked it off the list!
James has always wanted to do the London Marathon too, so when we saw Refuge were looking for people to join their team I knew immediately that I hadn’t ticked the marathon off my list and this just felt perfect. We both get to tick off a bucket list dream, and support a charity close to our hearts. Read more about Refuge and the amazing work they do below!
At PPF we currently donate monthly to the Buddy Bag Foundation (another great charity helping those fleeing domestic abuse – read more here) however for the 4 months leading up to the marathon we’ll be donating to the Refuge fundraising instead.
I am very grateful to have received some sponsorship from 4 businesses in return for their logo on my running vest. I’d like to say a huge thank you to:
Xero – I’ve been a Xero partner from very early on in my business owner journey, and I have to say partnering with them has been a game changer in more than one way! Not only have we been able to bring the leading accounting software to our clients to help them save time and stress with their bookkeeping, but as a business, the opportunities they have given me have changed my life and helped me to build the business PPF is and the person I am today!
Dext – Partnering with Dext took data entry to a whole new level – no more typing in invoice details, and paper receipts. Using Dext wtih our clients was the point we were able to start delivering daily bookkeeping, meaning all of our clients had up to date information at their fingertips. Using Dext really shaped our bookkeeping service into what it is today – and has streamlined our processes.
GoProposal – Partnering with GoProposal was the start of my journey to valuing what we do at PPF and really charging our worth. They also helped us to streamline the onboarding experience and give our clients a wow! Today I am a proud Ambassador and am grateful for the confidence they give us with both pricing and the paperwork around onboarding.
Matthew Olivers – Matthew Olivers brings a fresh approach to recruitment that is greatly needed and are our partner of choice for clients when recruiting. Their consultative, caring approach aligns perfectly with our people-first values at Pink Pig. I’m confident this partnership will lead to many successful placements and fulfilled careers. Read more about Matthew Olivers and our partnership here.
We have a huge target to reach and would absolutely love your support, if you are able to donate and help us reach our fundraising goal we would be so grateful. Thank you 🫶🏼
About Refuge
Refuge is the country’s largest provider of services for women and children experiencing domestic abuse. Through the 24-Hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline, emergency refuge accommodation and specialist services encompassing economic abuse, technological abuse, modern slavery, human trafficking, and so-called ‘honour’ based violence, Refuge empowers women to rebuild their lives.
Demand for Refuge’s services continues to be high: something they sadly don’t anticipate will change. Between 2022-2023 we supported 26,095 women and their children. Helpline advisers held 51,952 responses to women experiencing domestic abuse, 75% of which were with survivors.
Thanks to Refuge’s vital support: 96% of women left their services feeling safer, 94% reported that their quality of life had improved, and 99% of women felt confident knowing how to access help.
Your donation is vital in helping Refuge expand the quality, scale and reach of their existing services such, as the National Domestic Abuse Helpline and their refuges. Survivors are the most important voices in the organisation, and they continue to keep them at the forefront of their work. Listening to, learning from and supporting survivors is fundamental to driving positive change for all women and girls.
This year Refuge will further focus on developing its services to better support children and young people, raising the scale and range of emergency accommodation they can offer survivors, continuing to pioneer its sector-leading tech and economic abuse services, and amplifying the voices of survivors to advocate for changes to policy and the law.
For further information, you can visit this section on Refuge’s website which will have more details: About Refuge – Refuge
