Zoe's story
Trigger warning: Zoe’s story contains references to emotional abuse, problem drinking, poverty and suicidal thoughts which some readers may find upsetting.
Cheshire East: 0300 123 5101 / other areas: 01270 250390
When you hear the words ‘refuge accommodation’, what springs to mind?
Most people imagine a dark, dingy and uninviting place. It’s a common misconception and many of our clients will worry about what awaits them in refuge until they see our accommodation for themselves.
We’re proud of our refuges. Our houses and apartments are clean, peaceful and safe. We put thought into each piece of furniture and the décor. We ask ourselves “Would we be happy for our family and friends to live here?” and hold ourselves to that standard for each space.
Refuges can be life-changing – and life-saving – for the people who use them. They are sanctuaries that offer the chance to reflect, reassess and recover. Our client Zoe* tell us about her experience…
“When you’ve been abused and let down by so many people, you don’t think good things will ever happen to you.”
This is Zoe’s* story…
“I’d been living in hostels in mixed accommodation. You have a room but there’s no lock on your door. I was permanently walking around with things that were important to me in case someone stole them. Living in mixed accommodation, with men, is not where you want to be when you’ve been through so much, when you’ve just come out of an abusive relationship with a man. I was desperate. It was the worst I’ve ever felt in my life. I drank myself to sleep.
“I never had any peace in the hostel. If you put any food in the cupboards, it’d be taken. Some days I had nothing to eat and no one would help. I remember one of the My CWA team telling me ‘Zoe, we’ll find you somewhere. You’ve spent a year in hostel. We’re going to get you out of there.’ I told her ‘I have nothing’ but My CWA just took care of everything.
“When I stepped through the door of the My CWA refuge, I felt overwhelming relief and peace. It was like walking from hell into heaven. I had no money, nothing. Just my clothes in suitcases. I slept for eight hours that first night and I hadn’t done that in a year.
“It’s the little things – like being able to have a bath. I could have fallen asleep when I took that first bath. I love reading and I could read in peace. It was so quiet in the apartment, so peaceful. Having food in the cupboards in the My CWA refuge, that I knew no one would take, that just felt amazing. I thought ‘this is too good to be true’ but it was real. When you’ve been abused and let down by so many people, you don’t think good things will ever happen to you. You think you’re cursed, that this is your life forever. At my darkest times, I thought ‘death would be better than this’. When I walked into refuge, I felt like it was my light at the end of the tunnel.
“When you’re at rock bottom, you can see the worst and best of people. The kindness and understanding of My CWA made me feel like I mattered and I had a voice – that I’d be listened to. They cared and made me cry a few times through sheer happiness. I used to drink to blot everything out. I don’t now – I haven’t had a drink in six months. My life is full of light now and I’m hopeful.”
(*Name changed for anonymity)
If you’ve been affected by domestic abuse and need support, contact My CWA today. You’re not alone.