Meet the Team

Hi I am Mandy and I am the CEO at Peterborough Women’s Aid. I have spent my entire career working in the domestic abuse sector. I began working with perpetrators of domestic abuse facilitating rehabilitative programmes in prison and in the community for the Probation Service.

I stayed at the Probation Service for 14 years in a variety of roles, all working towards ending violence against women and girls. In 2017 I moved into the charity sector and I am delighted to now be the CEO at PWA. My role includes overseeing all our services, establishing and maintaining partnership work, applying for new funding streams and much much more!

Why do I work for PWA? Every day I see the impact violence against women and girls has on families. We work with women who have been in fear of their lives daily. No one should have to live like that. I am passionate about providing families with a safe environment to recover. I am committed to working towards a society where violence against women and girls is not tolerated, where women are equal and live without fear.

Hi – My name is Jo, I have over 35 years’ experience in Business Administration, mainly within the Private Healthcare Sector, it has never been just about shuffling papers!
Paying the bills is important, People however are more important! I assist the team with the day to day admin and often take the initial calls made to the advice line from women who are reaching out for help, every day I am amazed at the courage of these women, and endeavour to encourage and support them at the beginning of their journey to set themselves free.

Hi, I am the Senior Refuge Worker at Peterborough Women’s Aid. I have been employed by them for the last 20 years. During my time at PWA I have supported Women and children who have fled abusive relationships – sadly too many to count. My role includes safety planning and risk assessing for families to come to the refuge. Providing emotional and practical support, including helping them to gain access to benefits and empowering them to move to a safe home of their own when they are ready. Guiding and helping them through the family courts if applicable. Most of all working with a trauma informed approach to help them to heal and to feel safe.
 
I am passionate about the work done by Peterborough Women’s Aid. I have seen first hand the amazing progress and growth our women make during their time in the refuge. I feel privileged to be part of their journey to freedom.

Freedom from violence is our right and I want to continue to work to help survivors live in a world free from abuse.

Labas, esu lietuviškai kalbanti darbuotoja, kuri gali patarti ir padėti Peterborough miesto gyventojoms, patiriančioms  šeimyninį smurtą ir (arba) seksualinę prievartą. Esu Lietuvos pilietė, tačiau daug metų gyvenu Jungtinėje Karalystėje. Suprantu, kad daugeliui Peterborough mieste gyvenančių lietuvių, anglų kalba, kaip antroji kalba gali būti viena iš pagrindinių kliūčių gauti ir suprasti informaciją bei reikiamą pagalbą. Dauguma merginų ir moterų kenčia nuo smurto artimoje aplinkoje, kuris daro didelį neigiamą poveikį jų bendrai gerovei ir trukdo joms visapusiškai dalyvauti kasdieniame gyvenime ir visuomenėje. Labai norėčiau, kad smurto artimoje aplinkoje neliktų ir tolerancija jam sumažėtų. Todėl noriu padėti smurtą artimoje aplinkoje patyrusioms lietuvėms vėl pasijusti nepriklausomoms ir pačioms priimti sprendimus, nesijaudinant dėl ​​kalbos barjero. Suprantu, kad smurtiniouse santykiuose atsidūrusiam žmogui nėra paprasta išeiti iš susidūrusios situacijos, todėl palaikymas ir pagalba yra labai svarbi. Dažnai moterys, norinčios nutraukti smurtinius santykius, susiduria su įvairiomis kliūtimis – nerimauja dėl savo ar vaikų saugumo, bijo prarasti teisę juos auginti ar nesijaučia financiškai pajėgios pasirūpinti šeima. Tačiau išeitis visada yra. Prašau kreipkities, suteiksiu nemokamą, emocinę ir praktinę pagalbą, patarsiu įvairiais klausimais ir atvyksiu į susitikimus, jums saugioje aplinkoje.

Hello, I am a Lithuanian Domestic Abuse & Sexual Violence Community Engagement worker. I am a Lithuanian national who has lived in the UK for many years.

I understand that for many Peterborough Lithuanians, English being as a second language can be one of the main barriers accessing and understanding information and getting required support. Many girls and women are affected by domestic violence which has a huge negative impact on their general well-being and prevents them from fully participating in their daily lives and in society. Domestic abuse against women also impacts their families and loved ones.

I think that women should be empowered and entitled to a good quality of life and should be able to live free from violence. Therefore, I want to help Lithuanian domestic abuse survivors to feel independent again and make their own decisions about their own life, without being worried about having to overcome the language barrier. My role includes providing direct emotional and practical support, advice and advocacy, this includes telephone support and/or safe face to face meetings within the community.

Go to our Lithuanian Services page.

Hi my role is to ensure that the house is safe for the families to live in. I conduct health and safety checks and make sure the rooms are ready to welcome new residents. I respond to requests from families and make sure they have all they need during their stay at the refuge

I have a background in Education, working with children and young people with SEN. I have worked extensively with those with social, emotional and mental health difficulties and adopt a trauma informed approach to help them understand and manage their emotions and behaviour.

During this time I found that childhood trauma, particularly domestic abuse, can have a detrimental and long-term impact on children and young people and I chose to move to the sector to enable me to continue to work with children experiencing trauma and to help them to understand and manage their emotions, feel safe and to develop better emotional stability. Seeing the change in confidence, self-esteem and stability of the children from when they first engage with our service to when they move on encourages me to strive to continue to educate and stop violence against women and children.

Go to our Children’s Services page.

I’m a specialist children’s worker and I began my career working with children as soon as I left school, with this I obtained a level 3 diploma working with children and young people. After working with young children for 5 years I decided I wanted a change to work with a wider aged range of children and I have always had a passion for helping people.

I developed my skills by becoming trained in children and young people’s mental health and widening my understanding of children with additional needs. My role involves providing a safe and calm environment for children to express themselves through play. I am passionate about supporting children in rebuilding positive relationships with their families and in the community free from domestic abuse.

I love working with PWA because, I enjoy seeing families at the end of their journey with us who can live their lives free from domestic abuse. I am passionate about giving children opportunities to be children, express themselves through play and demonstrate to them a safe environment.

Go to our Children’s Services page.

Cześć, jestem pracownikiem społecznym zajmującym się przemocą domową w Peterborough Women’s Aid. Mam doświadczenie w szkolnictwie wyższym i pracy we wspieraniu dorosłych i dzieci w społeczności. Zamierzam wykorzystać swoje umiejętności, aby pomóc jednostkom przezwyciężyć ich wyzwania i być głosem tych, którzy cierpią w milczeniu lub boją się mówić innym o swojej sytuacji.

 Jestem obywatelką polską, która od 15 lat mieszka w Wielkiej Brytanii. Zdaję sobie sprawę, że posiadanie angielskiego jako drugiego języka może być jedną z najważniejszych barier w dostępie i zrozumieniu informacji, a także w uzyskaniu niezbędnej pomocy. Przemoc domowa dotyka wiele dziewcząt i kobiet, wywierając ogromny szkodliwy wpływ na ich ogólne samopoczucie i uniemożliwienie im pełneego zaangażowania w codziennym życiu.

 Uważam, że kobiety powinny być wzmocnione i mieć prawo do dobrej jakości życia wolnego od przemocy. W związku z tym chcę pomóc ofiarom przemocy domowej w odzyskaniu niezależności i podejmowaniu własnych decyzji życiowych bez obaw o pokonanie bariery językowej. Moje stanowisko obejmuje udzielanie bezpośredniego emocjonalnego i praktycznego wsparcia, porad i rzecznictwa przez telefon i/lub bezpieczne spotkania twarzą w twarz w społeczności.

Hi, I am a Domestic Abuse Community Engagement Worker at Peterborough Women’s Aid. I have a background in higher education and working in supporting adults and children in the community. I aim to use my skills to help individuals overcome their challenges and to be a voice for those who suffer in silence or are too afraid to speak to others about their situation.

I am a Polish national who has resided in the United Kingdom for the past 15 years. I recognise that having English as a second language might be one of the most significant barriers to accessing and comprehending information as well as getting necessary assistance. Domestic violence affects many girls and women, having a tremendous detrimental influence on their general well-being and preventing them from fully engaging in their everyday lives.

I believe that women should be empowered and have the right to a good quality of life free of violence. As a result, I want to assist domestic violence survivors in regaining their independence and making their own life decisions without having to worry about overcoming a language barrier. My position includes giving direct emotional and practical support, advice, and advocacy via phone and/or safe face-to-face encounters in the community.

Hello, I am the Male Victim Community Worker. I have worked with victims of Domestic abuse in the charity sector for over 5 years.

I am passionate about the work I do, and I am excited to raise awareness of Male victims and ensuring they can access the supporting they are entitled too. I started my journey supporting victims of Domestic abuse 5 years ago working in another charity, mainly working with women. I feel very passionate about Male victims being able to access support they need; my aim is to ensure Male victims feel empowered and feel confident enough to take back control of their lives and futures. One of my main objectives is to raise awareness of Domestic abuse whereby the victim is Male, I understand that many male victims feel unheard or invisible, so I am dedicated to change this and to ensure all victims feel heard.

Over the last few years I have supported several male victims, many of which were unaware of the support available and often felt isolated. My aim is to ensure I can be the best advocate for Male victims to ensure the community is aware of the invaluable and sometimes life- saving support there is available.

السلام علیکم ميں ہوں آپ کی جنوبی ايشيائي کميونٹی ماہر کارکن         

عورتوں اور بچوں کو مستقل کرنا اور ان کی شخصی سفر میں ان کی حمایت کرنا میرا شوق اور مقصد رہا ہے، جب سے میں یاد کر سکتی ہوں تب سے. مجھے تنوع، شاملیت سے محبت ہوتی ہے اور عورتوں کو اکٹھے لانا میرا دلچسپی کا موضوع ہے، تاکہ وہ اپنی زندگیاں خوش تر، محفوظ تر اور بہتر مقام بنا سکیں

میں ایک ایسی جماعت میں بڑھی ہوئی ہوں جہاں تنوع ہمیشہ موجود رہا ہے، لیکن جنوبی ایشیائی جماعتوں کی خواتین کے سامنے آنے والے گھریلو زیادتی کی مشکلات اور کرایسز کو بھول نہیں سکتی. دوسروں کی مدد کرنا اور انہیں موثر فیصلوں پر مدد کرنا میری بنیادی تشریف ہے. میرا تعلق ایسے پس منظر سے ہے جہاں میں تقریباً ہمیشہ تعاونی کردار ادا کرتی رہی ہوں

فیملی ایکشن میں فیملی لیزن آفیسر ہونے سے لے کر بارنارڈوز کی فیملی سپورٹ ورکر بننے تک، میں نے قیمتی علم حاصل کیا ہے تاکہ ہماری خواتین کی حمایت کرنے کے قابل ہوں. میں بھی گھریلو زیادتی، زبردستی کرایہ شدہ شادی سے متاثرہ ہونے والی ميں سے ہوں اور تقریباً تمام رکاوٹوں کو سمجھ سکتی ہوں جن کا سامنا ہماری جماعت کی خواتین کو حمایت تک رسائی میں آتا ہے

ميں YMCA سے آئی ہوں جہاں ميں نوجوانوں اور ان کے خاندانوں کے ساتھ کام کرتی رہی ہوں تاکہ وہ “بچھے سے والدين تشدد” کا سامنا کرسکے مختلف تريقوں اور عااجی اقدامات کا استعمال کرتے ہوے- ميں آپکو يقين دلاؤں گی کے يہاں PWA پر ميں اپنی خواتين کو پورا سپورٹ پلين دونگی- کوئی بھی عورت کو کبھی خوف يا خاموشی ميں سفر نہيں کرنا چاہئے اور ميں ان رکاوٹوں کو توڑنے اور پار کرنے ميں مدد کروں گی-

Empowering women and children and supporting them through their personal journey’s has been my passion and my goal, ever since I can recall.  I love diversity, inclusion, and love to bring the women together, so they can make their lives happier, safer and a better place to live in.  I have grown up in a community where diversity has always been present, but not forgetting the struggles and crisis’s the Women in the South Asian Communities face, when it comes to domestic violence.  Helping others and helping them to make effective decisions is my grass roots.  I come from a background where I have almost always been in a supporting role.

From being a Family Liaison officer at Family Action to a Family Support Worker at Barnardo’s, I have gained valuable knowledge to be able to support our women. I too am a survivor of domestic violence, forced marriage and can understand almost all barriers that our women in our community face, when it comes to accessing support.

 I have come over from YMCA, where I was working with young people and their families to tackle ‘child to parent violence’, using a range of approaches and therapeutic interventions. I will ensure that here at PWA, I provide our women with the best possible support plan.

No woman should ever suffer in fear or in silence, and I will help to break and overcome these barriers.

سلام میرا نام ارم ہے – میں جنوبی ایشیا  کمیونٹی اسپیشلسٹ ورکر ہوں – میں نے یونیورسٹی میں کریمنولوجی کی تعلیم حاصل کی ہے- میرے مقالہ کا مضمون ‘عزت کی بنیاد پر تشدد ‘ تھا – میری پیدائش یونائیٹڈ کنگڈم میں ہوئی تھی  اور میرے دادا اور دادی پاکستان سے ہیں- میں اردو کے علاوہ انگریزی اور میرپوری میں بھی بول سکتی ہوں- یہاں کام کرنے سے پہلے میں کسی اور  کمپنی کے ساتھ اسی سے ملتا جلتا کام کرتی تھی جہاں کمزورعورتوں کی مدد کی جاتی ہے  –

گھریلو تشدد   اور بدسلوکی بہت ہی عام ہیں لیکن اکثر ایسی باتیں ایتھنک مائنارٹیز میں نظر انداز کر دی جاتی ہیں – میرا تعلق بھی جنوبیایشیا سے ہے اور میں ان رکاوٹوں سی بحوبی   باھبر ہوں جو کے عورتوں  کو    مدد حاصل کرنے  میں پیش آتی ہیں – ان میں ایک رکاوٹ زبان ہے کیونکے بہت سے لوگوں کے لئے انگریزی ان کی مادری زبان نہیں ہیں اور اردو ان کی پہلی زبان ہے – میں عورتوں کی مدد کرنا چاہتی ہوں تاکہ وہ اپنی زندگی کو اپنی مرضی سے جی سکیں = وہ اپنی مرضی کے کپڑے پہن سکیں – اپنی مرضی سے اپنی زندگی کے اہم  فیصلے کر سکیں جیسے کے شادی کیریئرز بچے اور کہاں جانا چاہتی ہیں  –

تشدد کبھی قابل قبول نہیں ہے – میں کسی کی زندگی میں تبدیلی لانا چاہتا ہوں.اور  ان لوگوں کے لئے ایک آواز بننا چاہتی ہوں  جو بے آواز ہیں۔

Hi, my name is Irram and I am a South Asian Community Specialist Worker. I studied criminology at university and my dissertation was based on Honour based Violence and abuse. Although I was born in the UK, my grandparents are from Pakistan.  I speak in English, Urdu and Mirpuri. Before this role I have experience of working with vulnerable adults and supporting women through a different charity organisation.

Domestic Violence and abuse are a major concern which is often brushed under the carpet in many ethnic minorities. Being from a South Asian community myself, I understand there are many barriers which can stop women accessing the necessary support and assistance they need. I also understand language is also a barrier as for majority of the south Asian community English is a second language. I am passionate about this role as I believe all women should be able to live a life, make their own decisions from what they want to wear, to where they want to go, careers, marriage and children. Violence is never acceptable. I want to be able to make a change in someone’s life. A voice for those who are voiceless.