A YOUNG woman from Marchwood has launched a campaign encouraging victims of domestic violence to break free of it.

Natalie Gresham, 22, understands why victims are afraid to seek the help they need having known people who have suffered from domestic abuse.

With the support of Family Mosaic, Natalie teamed up with Fixers – a charity that works with young people aged 16-25 to tackle an array of health and social issues that matter to them – to create a short film to use as part of her campaign.

“I’m aware of people who have been in abusive relationships and I want others to know they’re not alone,” she says. “Maybe they believe it’s normal to have a controlling partner, or they’re too in love to see that the way they are being treated is wrong.”

Natalie’s film depicts a woman with a bungee cord around her waist. Each time she tries to move forward, she is pulled back, representing the challenges she faces in breaking free from an unhealthy relationship.

She wants the film to be shown to teenagers from the age of 14, explaining: “I want young people to realise what abuse is. They should know that it is not normal to be in a relationship that doesn’t make them happy.”

This project was funded by Family Mosaic – one of the largest housing and support providers in London and the south east.

“Projects like Natalie’s help us to understand issues which are important to young people today,”

says Tracey Thompson, Family Mosaic’s social inclusion manager.

“Our innovative partnership with Fixers offers exciting opportunities for our young customers in Hampshire to have a voice.

“It also means they are learning new skills and building important relationships with their peers and policy makers.”

To see Natalie’s film, visit fixers.org.uk/news/11086- 11208/acting-on-abuse.

  • FIXERS works with young people across the UK and each ‘Fixer’ is supported to create the resources they need to make their chosen project a success, with creative help from media professionals to make their own promotional material, such as films, websites or print work.

Fixers has already supported more than 15,000 young people, enabling them to have an authentic voice in their community and campaign on issues as diverse as cyberbullying, self-harm, suicide and the need for more random acts of kindness.

Fixers aims to work with over 70,000 young people aged 16 to 25 by 2020 to help them to take action and tackle the issues they feel strongly about.

Visit: fixers.org.uk for more information.