Archers plot raises £25k from fans for domestic abuse fund

IT IS one of the most disturbing storylines in Ambridge in recent years.

But one ardent fan of The Archers has turned shock among the soap’s 4.8million listeners about how Rob Titchener trapped his wife Helen in an abusive relationship towards more positive ends.

Paul Trueman, 41, from Devon, s t arted an appeal f or t he domestic abuse charity Refuge – and in only three days it has raised more than £25,000.

He launched the Helen Titchener (nee Archer) Rescue Fund on the JustGiving website with the message: ‘We’re raising money for Refuge because for every fictional Helen, there are real ones.’

More than 1,500 donations have been made since, with some moving comments from those giving.

One anonymous donor wrote: ‘I remember how it feels to be frightened all the time – doesn’t have t o be physical t o be scary. I’m fine now. This is a brilliant idea.’ Another simply wrote: ‘Because

‘An amazing achievement’

I survived. And I want others to survive too.’

Chief executive of Refuge, Sandra Horley CBE, said: ‘Refuge is incredibly grateful to everyone who has donated to the Helen Titchener Rescue Fund.

‘We pay tribute to those who have used this fictional character to help real-life women fleeing domestic violence. Raising this amount for Refuge is an amazing achievement.’

This week’s episodes of the Radio 4 series have seen Rob flying into a fury after finding that Helen was planning on driving, something he had banned her from doing, along with eating certain foods and wearing certain clothes.

Fans reacted angrily last year after speculation that Rob had drugged and raped Helen. In an earlier episode he had put the date rape drug Rohypnol in Kenton Archer’s drink on his stag night.

Despite the controversial plot lines, the Archers announced this week that it has had 100,000 more listeners this quarter than last, and draws an average weekly audience of 4.84 million.