Latest news with #womensupport
CTV News
6 days ago
- CTV News
Algonquin students raising money for harmony house
Ottawa Watch Meet the Algonquin College Students working to support Harmony House's vital mission to break the cycle of violence for women and children.
BBC News
06-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Haxby walking group is a lifeline for women, says founder
An early morning walking group aimed at helping women with their mental health has become a "lifeline" for members, its founder Collinge, from Haxby, started walking to clear her head after her mum was diagnosed with lung was joined by friends at first before launching Rant & Ramble, which now has 100 said local GPs had recommended the group to patients, adding: "It's not just about people coming here that are in crisis, it's about coming and having fun." "It came about because my mum got poorly. Until then, I never really did lots of walking," said Leesa, 43."Walking was the only thing that I could do to clear my head."Leesa's mum was diagnosed with cancer in February 2023 and was told she could live for up to 18 months with treatment. "She was so ill, so I just thought I needed to get my head sorted. I need to be here for my mum," Leesa November 2023, her mum died and Leesa started to grow her group of walking friends, which improved her mental health. On a Thursday, the women start walking from Haxby at 06:30, completing 10,000 steps before their children wake up."It really is early but no one regrets coming on the walk. Everyone feels amazing after," Leesa said."We literally talk about everything and anything and we have such a laugh along the way." 'Saving angels' However, Rant & Ramble came to the rescue for one member who found it by chance. "Our very first walk, it was like my mum was watching down that day because we went to Yearsley Woods and there was a lady sat in the car," Leesa explained."She had her head in her hands and we asked if she was here for Rant & Ramble."The woman said no but the group encouraged her to join in."She used to come to Yearsley Woods twice a day and cry once on a morning at 10:00 and then once in the afternoon at 15:00 again on her own with a dog," the organiser said."She said that we were her saving angels that day. "She'd lost a job, she'd gone through a massive mental breakdown, it was horrendous."Leesa said the member was now doing much better, with a new job and a sense of hope. "If we can do that for one person, how many people can we help that are struggling in York?" Leesa said. "There must be hundreds that are just struggling in silence and that's what we want to change."More members have joined the walking group, after being directed to it by their GP surgery. According to Leesa, Haxby Group Practice said it would put information about Rant & Ramble in its newsletter."What started as a simple walking group has become a lifeline," she added. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
SBS Australia
02-07-2025
- Sport
- SBS Australia
'I've given her a voice': Why Fran ran 3,800km across Australia in 60 days
This article contains references to domestic violence. When Fran Hurndall faced gruelling challenges on her 3,800-kilometre journey across Australia, she would think about her cause — and her sister. Last year, the 33-year-old former footballer turned long-distance runner found out her sister had been suffering in a domestic violence relationship. "Given the crisis that's happening in Australia at the moment, I really just wanted to go out and advocate against domestic violence, carry the stories across the country, advocate for my sister," she told SBS News. "I think the most beautiful thing is that I've given her a voice and allowed her journey to start." 'Breaking the silence' Hurndall has lived in Australia for 10 years, arriving from the United Kingdom, where she represented England and Arsenal at an academy level during her teenage years. During the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2023, she decided to take on her first challenge: dribbling a football almost 1,000km from the Gold Coast to Sydney over 34 days. Hurndall raised money for not-for-profit organisation Women Sport Australia. "That was a journey, and I suppose the start of these challenges, pushing myself outside my comfort zone," she said. In May, she started on her biggest journey yet: taking on the Reach Out Speak Up Challenge by running 3,800km from Perth to Sydney — attempting to complete it in a record time of 34 days. "A woman had never attempted to do Perth to Sydney before, in under 40 days," Hurndall said. "I'm a massive advocate for women in sport, and being able to hold the female flag high and just be like, 'We're capable of doing anything that we put our minds to'. "But most importantly was running for my sister. I always say it's about running distance and breaking the silence. It was such a beautiful opportunity to carry stories across the country, and to make women feel seen and heard, too." 'We didn't know how to talk about it' Hurndall said hearing about her sister's experience of domestic violence "shocked us all as a family". "We didn't really know how to talk about it," she said. "I really wanted to start encouraging people to reach out, and speak up about it. It's not easy for people to come forward, but we can start asking those questions — instead of saying, 'Why don't you leave?' it's 'Are you okay, and do you have somewhere to go?'" Hurndall spoke with her sister about sharing her story publicly, saying she is now safe. 'There was no way I could give up' Hurndall's journey, which started at Cottesloe Beach in Perth, took 60 days. From day one, she experienced setbacks — from an Achilles injury on day three to a blister "the size of [her] heel". "Everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong," she said. "The demons came out on day one … I'm so imperfect, and I stumbled my way through this, but the cause was so much more personal to me, and that's what kept me going through." Hurndall completed an average of 65 to 70 km each day. Source: Supplied On average, Hurndall ran around 65 to 70km each day, with her biggest day stretching to 90km. "I trained for this for 10 months, and it was a challenge since day one, right up until day 60. But again, the cause meant so much to me. There was just no way I could give up." Hurndall crossed the finish line in Sydney on Sunday, setting a new women's speed record for running across Australia. 'So many beautiful moments' Throughout her journey, Hurndall says she encountered "so many beautiful moments" as other women shared their own stories. "I can't put into words the amount of people that stopped, pulled over in their cars," she said. "I had a lady who pulled over on the side of the road to ask me what I was doing running on the gravel road, and I told her what I was doing. Then she drove away, came back an hour later … with some cash to donate. "It brought me to tears every time." Fran Hurndall had supporters rallying behind her throughout her journey. Source: Supplied At time of writing, Hurndall has raised almost $60,000 for RizeUp Australia — a community-driven organisation that supports families affected by domestic and family violence. "I feel so fortunate to be able to go out there and carry these stories … just to give back is probably the most rewarding thing." Speaking to her mother and sister in the UK following the run, she said there were "a lot of tears". "My sister, especially, was so proud of me," she said. "She's grown as a person, and she's been able to speak more about what she's gone through, which has allowed her to heal. "It has definitely bonded us more, and we've gotten stronger as a family." If you or someone you know is impacted by family and domestic violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732, or visit . In an emergency, call 000.
BBC News
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
'Our mission is to make the UK less lonely for women'
When Stephanie Barney moved to Liverpool from France in 2020 to study at the University of Liverpool, she could never have imagined that a life-changing sexual assault would lead her to set up an award-winning organisation to support 23-year-old was recognised for her work by being crowned Merseyside's Woman of the Year for 2025 at a ceremony in Liverpool on Girls On The Go social enterprise, which Ms Barney set up two years ago with her partner Martin Mach and friend Caitlin Lewing, helps women make said: "Our mission is to make the UK a less lonely place for women and we do that by organising weekly events of all kinds - like social, creative, fitness - that women can come along to by themselves and make new friends."We just didn't want anyone to feel lonely and it's very hard to make friends as an adult."We wanted to help make that process a bit easier." 'Making her proud' It's a subject very close to Ms Barney's she moved to Liverpool in 2020 she said she struggled to make friends as a university student during the Covid-19 about what motivated her to set up Girls On The Go, she said Britain's "drinking culture was quite a shock to me - I didn't really connect with it very well".Ms Barney added: "Then when I did make a friend he sexually assaulted me and it was just a very, very isolating and lonely time for me."I did have endless support from my parents while I was going through everything, but I lived so far away from home, so it was really difficult. "So that's kind of what drives me on - 19-year-old Steph was really depressed and lonely and I just want to make sure that no-one ever feels that way."I hope I'm making her proud."Since Girls On The Go started in Liverpool in 2023 it has expanded to Manchester and Birmingham. And Ms Barney is not content to stop there."We're hoping to expand into all major cities in the UK," she said, stressing that "in our online community we have about 200,000 [women] and I think we've had around 20,000 come to our events..."Additionally, she said the Girls On The Go platform had so far raised £65,000 for women's charities. The annual Merseyside Women of the Year Awards celebrate the achievements of women from across the region, acknowledging and rewarding those who are changing and giving extra meaning to the lives of people from the region and beyond. Speaking about becoming the award's youngest recipient, Ms Barney said: "I feel incredible - the competition was so insane and I didn't even prepare a speech!"There were so many incredible women and I'm just in shock... I don't think I've fully digested it yet, but I'm very, very proud and honoured."She said the award was "not just for me - it's for Martin and Caitlin as well and our whole community".The Merseyside Women of the Year awards' founding director Ellie Kerr said: "What Stephanie has built in such a short time and at such a young age is nothing short of remarkable."Not only has she built a safe, inclusive and diverse community of women and girls that is actively tackling the issue of loneliness and isolation, she has made it financially sustainable [while], delivering social impact."She is demonstrating how social activism and business leadership can go hand-in-hand, and how we can make an enormous difference through collaboration and co-working. "Girls On The Go is only at the start of its journey, and it has enormous potential."We're so excited to see – and support – what comes next." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
CTV News
19-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
‘Fills a critical need': YWCA Lethbridge opens new long-term transitional housing program
Officials at the YWCA Lethbridge and District hope a new program can help support women and children who are looking to move beyond crisis but still face safety and stability barriers. The YWCA launched its Hope program Wednesday afternoon. 'It's that medium phase, it's that second stage where individuals that are fleeing domestic violence or have experienced gender-based violence are able to move into more stable and grounding spaces where they can truly recover,' said CEO Jill Young. The program is the first-of-its-kind in Lethbridge and will offer life skills supports and case management to women and children fleeing domestic violence. The YWCA renovated one of its floors to include individual spaces and a communal kitchen -- doubling the number of beds available. Young says the length of stay in the program will be between six to 18 months, compared to the 21 to 30-day stay at the Harbour House Emergency Shelter. 'When you've already experienced a lot of various barriers in your life – including going through a very traumatic experience – being able to jump straight into market housing can be extremely difficult, so this really fills that gap,' Young explained. 'We are able to provide that long-term stability and allow that recovery to happen.' She says once individuals join the program, space within the Harbour House will become available, allowing for more women and children to access resources and emergency supports. YWCA Lethbridge and District YWCA Lethbridge and District. The City of Lethbridge provided nearly $600,000 in capital and operational funding for the program through the federal government's Reaching Home program. 'This project represents a critical housing need in our community with transitional beds,' said Andrew Malcolm, City of Lethbridge community social development general manager. The Hope program will be able to support between 12 to 18 women and children at a time, according to Young. In 2024, the YWCA Lethbridge and District provided more than 20,000 services and supports to women and children. The YWCA will begin to accept intake referrals for the program, with capacity expected to be reached within a month. 'This is not a women problem, this is not a gender problem, this is a people problem, and we need to continue to address and face what is happening in our community and across Canada,' said Young.
