Safe in Sussex’s Finance Manager to Run in the Brighton Marathon

Linda will virtually do 20 miles and then finish the remaining 6.2 miles on Hove lawns on Sunday 11th October.

Linda has been running for approximately 5 years, but only just last year completed in the Gatwick Half Marathon as a challenge to herself. Having enjoyed this, when the space came up for her to run for the charity where she works, she felt she had to give it a go!

Since January, Linda has been training running up to 4 times a week, including her long run at the weekend of 18 miles! She has continued to brave the elements through lock down. She has been going out in all kinds of weathers over the last 8 months in preparation for the Brighton Marathon even when she couldn’t see an end date confirmed for the big event.

Linda said “I decided to run for Safe in Sussex because I’ve seen first-hand what a difference it makes to those affected by domestic abuse. Safe in Sussex is a small charity which relies on donations as it gets very limited government funding. One in four women and one in six men will suffer domestic abuse in their lifetime. Please support their fantastic work!”

To support Linda please visit her Virgin Giving page and give what you can:

Safe in Sussex is the trading name of Worthing Women’s Aid a domestic abuse charity established in 1977.

Safe in Sussex provides a range of services across West Sussex to help those experiencing or at risk of domestic abuse, with the overarching aim of ending domestic abuse through freedom and education.  The charity has confidential refuge provision and a community refuge in Littlehampton.

The refuges are for women and children who flee domestic violence, providing a place of safety and both practical and emotional support to enable families to recover from the trauma of domestic abuse.  On average 70 women and 60 children a year access the refuge.

Safe in Sussex deliver a range of support groups for women in the community, this includes the Freedom Programme a 11-week rolling programme which is free and open to any woman to attend. The Freedom Programme looks at the different types of domestic abuse and the tactics used by the abuser.  Following on from this programme women can attend the Domestic Abuse Recovery Toolkit which helps them to overcome the psychological trauma of domestic abuse.  Every year the charity supports over 450 women countywide through their group support. 

Although the Safe in Sussex predominately provides services to women, it recognises that men also experience domestic abuse (1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime with an average of  2 women a week are killed by a current or former partner in the UK) and is able to support them through a Countywide Domestic Abuse Outreach Support Service which is open to any adult to access. 

To break the cycle of domestic abuse the charity delivers healthy relationships educational programmes into primary and secondary schools, providing lessons and assemblies. The lessons are age appropriate, interactive and tailored to the needs of the schools with over 7000 children and young people benefitting every year.