Kingston-based domestic abuse charity, Voices of Hope, will mark its 5th anniversary on Friday 31 January at Kings Gate Church between 3.30pm and 5.30pm.

Voices of Hope works alongside Kingston's Women Hub and Refuge to offer crisis support, systemic change, childcare and individual support for women.

Jiska Stieler, the Kingston Women's Hub Coordinator, said: "At the end of the day abuse is abuse. All we do is we empower the ladies. We work with them, so they grow from being at risk to thriving.

"What abuse does, it silences your voice, it takes away your courage to speak up and it tells you that something is wrong with you but actually it isn't the woman who is wrong."

Voices of Hope was founded by Sarah Clay in 2019, with creativity and music as the basis for the charity to help connect people.

There are 16 community choirs across west London and Surrey, organised in care homes and day centres and in churches like Kings Gate Church.

The charity helps women who face disadvantages like physical isolation, challenges with the criminal justice system, neurodiversity or women who are single mothers.

The women have access to the sisterhood choir and the sanctuary, where well-being sessions and cooking classes are organised to teach them about healthy nutrition.

According to Voices of Hope, 85% of the women who attended the community sessions in 2024 were able to build strong relationships with others.

Of those women, 61.5% saw an improvement in their anxiety levels.

One survivor from Voices of Hope who wished to be anonymous said: "I left on my own and stood up to my carer."

Another woman said: "I am stronger than before and confident to do new activities and skills"

With the help of Kingston Council, the Voices of Hope survivor's forum is another initiative for domestic abuse survivors to have their voices heard.

The women in the survivor's forum co-produced the Kingston Violence Against Women Strategy 2024-2029 which will be released in March 2025.

To book your free tickets to the event or to donate to Voices of Hope click here.

If you need support call Refuge's Kingston Helpline or call the National Domestic Abuse Helpline available 24/7 here.