Charity challenge aims to help children affected by abuse

A FINCHAMPSTEAD charity is pulling out all the stops to get people talking in April.

To support National Child Abuse Prevention Month, Kaleidoscopic UK has launched a new ‘one in five’ fundraising initiative.

It wants residents to take on a challenge which could be anything from doing five hours of keepy uppies, a five-hour sponsored silence, or a five-mile swim.

The charity, which supports survivors of domestic abuse with legal support and group sessions was launched by Vickie Robertson after she experienced domestic abuse, both as an adult and a child.

Now, she wants to raise vital funds to help children living with domestic abuse today.

Ms Robertson says that one in five youngsters in England and Wales are currently without support.

“We created the one in five challenge because it is something that children can get involved in,” she said. “We want to help open up the conversation about child abuse, in an age appropriate way.

“People can take part as families, giving them an opportunity to raise awareness and re-engage with their kids.”

Ms Robertson said it is vital parents make an effort to talk to their children about abuse, following the Government’s new Domestic Abuse Bill which will see children recognised as victims in their own right for the first time.

“We need to get comfortable with the uncomfortable,” she said. “As a victim myself, I was never involved in conversations about domestic abuse, but children who suffer abuse live it, breath it, and normalise it.

“We can’t help them heal if we don’t engage with them.”

Ms Robertson is now hoping to raise £500 through the one in five challenge, which will help fund a range of new children’s projects at Kaleidoscopic UK.

So far, the charity has raised nearly £100.

“We want to develop our ‘prevention programme’ and improve how we implement support services around children in the area,” she explained. “We want to help educate people working around kids to be able to support and deliver help.”

She said the charity also wants to develop a ‘toolkit’ to help children recover from trauma.

And the founder said this will be vital in the coming months, as she expects incidences of child abuse to rise post-lockdown.

“Perpetrators and victims have spent so much time at home together and abusive behaviour is upping,” Ms Robertson explained.

“If adults who are in abusive relationships have children, those children will also be massively impacted.

“We need to make sure people have the knowledge and support to help these children now and in the future.

“If we don’t implement healing and ongoing support, we are not doing enough.”

And she said while trauma has a lasting impact, with the right support there is life after abuse.

“Your child abuse does not have to define you,” Ms Robertson added. “It’s not something you can ever take away, and the memories and triggers will be there, but support will help and you can live a healthy and amazing life.

“We want to best support people by helping them turn the lens and find their colours.” For more information on the one in five challenge and to download the sponsorship form, visit: www. gofundme.com/f/childrens-supportafter-domestic-abuse

To find more about Kaleidoscopic UK, log onto: www.kaleidoscopic.uk