Hey Guys,

This month I would like to introduce you to a truly inspiring and important charity WALL (Women’s Aid Leicestershire Limited).

These guys work with women who have suffered or are suffering from domestic abuse- they give them the support, and often their children and families who need it just as much, to find a better life where they can feel safe and secure without fear of abuse.

We all know how important that just the simple feeling of being safe it vital to our well being, and these guys really know how to get women and children out of these terrible situations and build their lives up again.

Please read on and find out more about what they do and how you can help.

Thanks my lovelies and keep safe!

Love you

Auntie Gok xxxx

Valentine’s Day is traditionally a time for romance and love but for many it is yet another day in a regular cycle of domestic violence and abuse. The fear and suffering of victims, often including children, does not stop just because it is Valentine’s Day.

Without the refuge I would be dead

These are the chilling words of Anne, a survivor of domestic abuse who now runs a successful business. Anne came into our refuge with her daughters and found the space and strength to re-build her life.

A Bit About Us

Women’s Aid Leicestershire Limited (WALL) was established in Gok’s home town of Leicester in 1974 when we opened the first refuge to support women and children fleeing domestic abuse. Since then WALL has continued to provide vital assistance to all victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence and our work continues to be as important now as it was when we first began.

Domestic abuse can happen to anyone and here at WALL our aim is to continue to provide free, confidential specialist support and an advocacy service to empower victims to take control of their lives.

 

The Fly and The Spider’s Web – A poem by a former Refuge resident

It’s like being a fly

that flies straight into a spider’s web,

a sticky web that she finds hard to even see.

She tries to escape and struggles and fights,

and against all odds,

she wriggles free and escapes.

But she flies so fast,

so busy looking over her shoulder

that she doesn’t look at where and what direction she’s flying

and flies straight into

another invisible spider’s web.

The Facts

Statistics show that 29.4% of women & 15.8% of men in the UK aged between sixteen and fifty nine have been victims of domestic violence and women are six to seven times more likely to experience serious physical injuries as a result.

The rates of children witnessing at least one incidence of domestic violence during childhood were 12% for children under eleven years, 18.4% for young people aged between eleven and seventeen and 24.8% for eighteen to twenty four year olds.

These statistics make disturbing reading and with cuts in government budgets we do not know what the impact will be in the future

Our Work

Through a dedicated programme of education and intervention we develop the resilience, strength and skills required to break the cycle of abuse enabling survivors to start to heal and move on in safety.

Our dedicated support for children and young people exposed either directly or indirectly to domestic abuse teaches them how to express their feelings, to rationalise their experiences and to be absolved from any sense of responsibility for the behaviours of those caring for them.

Exposure to domestic abuse can result in young people, especially young men, replicating the behaviours they have witnessed and moving from a victim to a perpetrator of domestic abuse.

How you can help

Donations provide us with a vital source of income which enables us to continue to provide a lifeline to any victim of domestic abuse or sexual violence.

Victims often come to us with nothing having left their home and possessions to escape violence.

Any funds we receive will help us continue our work in our refuges and in the community and will really make a difference to the lives of victims who come to us for support when they have nowhere else to turn.

If you can help us support victims of domestic abuse then please send a cheque payable to Women’s Aid Leicestershire Limited to PO Box 7067, Leicester LE1 7WB. If you prefer you may donate by BACS to:

Sort code 56 00 55
Account number 62837117

Thank you for your support.

http://www.wa-leicester.org.uk/

 

New Destinies – by a refuge resident

I awoke knowing today was the day I moved to a safe place.

Sickness, fear and the unknown overwhelmed me as I fought back the tears.

I packed my few belongings. “Stay strong, stay strong” I told myself over and over again.

“You can do this, you can” I said.

As I reached down for my bags and case I thought “Is this it? Is this all I have left?”

But I soon reminded myself. “Thank God I’m alive and soon will be safe”

The taxi arrived. A man whispered “Refuge” “Oh yes” I replied. “Get in” he answered.

Looking through the window, now knowing what lay ahead I began to imagine all sorts of things.

Who will be there? What will it be like? What will I be able to do? How can I survive?

Suddenly the car stopped, I got out, I reached my destination of change.

An old house, a friendly face greeted me at the door

As I slumped down my few belongings. I cried a cry of fear of the unknown, relief of the past and somewhat a cry of “Please someone help me!”

A cup of tea was handed to me, a smile. “It’s going to be OK” came from a friendly face.

I’ve arrived, I’ve finally changed my destiny.

As I tried to sleep, tears filled my pillow, knowing nothing of tomorrow. Friends phoned me out of concern. “I’m OK, I‘ll be OK” I told them. “Just keep in contact”.

Day after day, waves of emotion filled me, more downs than ups at times, but every day in my life I start with a clean page.

Yesterday’s gone, today a new day. I don’t need to worry about tomorrow.

With support and prayers from my friends, I know I can make it through.

Through the dark days, I see a ray of hope, a ray of light leading forward to my new destiny.

With an impressive five sell-out collections for TU at Sainsbury’s under his studded belt, flamboyant fashion expert Gok Wan is back with a sixth stylish offering.

It is clear that the stylist knows a thing or two when it comes to women’s fashion – last season one of his red wrap dress sold every 24 seconds and the thigh-slimming black jodhpurs in his third capsule collection sold one every minute – but his latest line shows a lot more cool than the previous designs for the supermarket brand.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2271132/FIRST-LOOK-Gok-Wans-new-laidback-luxe-spring-collection-TU-Sainsburys.html#ixzz2JZZtl43I

There are Banger Boosters, Slicker Knickers and Pull Me In pants. There’s the Bombshell Plunge, the Curve Controller and the Divine Outline.

This colourfully named list of shapewear is the latest collection from Gok Wan for Simply Be – and it’s winning rave reviews already.

Banning boring beige and bringing in glam colours, lace and retro Fifties styling, Gok is tearing up the rule book and bringing sexy shapewear to the masses.

His new range, which he describes as ‘glam 50s’, is functional shapewear with all the crucial elements there – high waisted pants with tummy control panels, multiway bras, slips that hold in all the lumps and bumps – but it comes in bright, candy store colours and sweetly retro prints.

There is bow detailing, contrast stitching and trim and pretty lace detailing that makes it possible to actually reveal it in the boudoir – rather than sneaking off, Bridget Jones style, to swap your granny knickers for something a little more slinky.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2268165/Gok-Wan-reveals-sexy-new-range-Banger-Boosters-shapewear-

Gok Wan, the fashion stylist and television presenter, adores Paris for its art, culture, food and the Galeries Lafayette department store.

Why Paris?

I adore the shopping, the art and culture, and, of course, the food. I love the idea of going somewhere that is so different from England, but is only a train ride away. And I think Parisians’ reputation for being rude is unfounded: I’ve always found them welcoming without being over the top. They just allow you to do your thing.

Anything special I should pack?

Sunglasses, regardless of the time of year. Paris is effortlessly chic and the moment you put on a pair of shades, you become just that bit more stylish. I love watching Parisians going about their business, invariably wearing a pair of sunglasses.

Read the complete article here

As soon as we saw the trailer for Gok Wan’s new show, Gok’s Style Secrets, we knew it would be a hit. But y’know what, it wasn’t just entertaining, it was downright educational

On the first episode of Gok’s Style Secrets, we saw super-stylist Gok Wan meet 33-year-old Zoe Burgess – a nursery nurse who lived at home with her mum and has never had a long-term relationship. We watched as Gok transformed the single lady into a bonafide babe – but it wasn’t easy.

 

He’s an expert style and how to boost your confidence by wearing the right clothes and make-up but now Gok Wan is on a mission to help women feel good ‘from within’.

The TV presenter believes people should make 2013 the year to ‘feel good’ – and they can do this without spending a fortune by making a number of simple lifestyle changes.

‘It’s all very well doing your hair and make-up, but if you really want to be at your best, and feeling really good, you have to start by looking after yourself on the inside,’ he said. ‘If you get that right then everything else falls in to place. You know what I’m talking about – that extra bit of fabulousness!’

Read more…

Gok Wan is known for making us look good on the outside, but now he’s encouraging us to take care of ourselves on the inside too. He talks to us about diet, fitness and New Year’s Resolutions

Tell us about your new campaign that’s launched this New Year with Activia.
It’s the brand new campaign for 2013 and it’s all about feeling good from within, the campaign is completely on point with everything I’ve been doing for the last 10 years on television. It’s about getting women to feel good about themselves and not succumbing to the pressures of yo-yo dieting, hard-core campaigns or the plastic surgery side, it’s all about treating yourself and making sure that you’re ok and looking after yourself and everything else will fall into place.

Why’s it important that women take time for themselves and make themselves feel good on the inside?
I think that women are under more pressure than they have ever been under, and that’s down to lots of things like the economy, work, keeping up with your lifestyle, families and so forth and I’ve found that a lot of the women that I’ve worked with over the years the person who comes last in their lives is themselves because they spend so much time caring about other people. That is brilliant and that is great, I do believe in looking after the people around you but at the same time, health and wellbeing is about looking after yourself. It isn’t about having expensive massages or going to weekend spas it’s about you looking after your standard of living and your health is a massive part of that. As everybody knows I don’t promote diets, I don’t tell people that they should lose weight, what I do do is I tell women that they have to look after themselves, whether that’s a manicure once a month or eating the right food which gives them a level of energy to get on with their lives or being kind to themselves and putting themselves first for once.

Read the complete interview here

Fabulous flirter Gok Wan makes it look so easy – whether he’s talking to a man or a woman, he manages to say and do just the right thing to make them feel good. “And that’s really what flirting is all about – giving the other person’s confidence a boost,” says sexpert Dr Pam Spurr. But to do that, you first need to get their attention. Then you need to make sure your flirting comes across as genuine. And to do that, you need to follow certain rules.

Do love your body. Gok Wan tells his viewers to look at themselves in the mirror and say, “I’m fabulous and deserve to look this good.” We’d suggest taking it one step further. “Make a list of your best physical traits,” says sex therapist Dr Ian Kerner. “Write out the top three in each. Then”, says Kerner, “use those in your morning mantra. So you have something like, ‘I’m fabulous because I’ve got beautiful lips, smooth skin and glossy hair.’ That way, when you talk to a man you’ll be oozing confidence.”

Read the complete article here