VOLUNTEERS from a Stourbridge domestic abuse support group were bag packing in the town’s Tesco store recently to raise funds and awareness for the cause.
Sam Billingham, founder of Survivors of Domestic Abuse (SODA), was joined by patron and celebrity Dee Kelly – otherwise known as White Dee off of Benefits Street – at the supermarket event where they were spreading the word about the project.
The duo were in the town collecting funds to help promote the campaign, which aims to help victims of domestic violence across Stourbridge and Dudley.
Sam, of Quarry Bank, who set up SODA after being in a physically and psychologically abusive relationship, currently offers online support to help reduce isolation and rebuild the confidence of victims voluntarily.
But with her ultimate aim of becoming a registered charity, Sam needs to raise £5,000, so has organised a number of fundraising events to achieve her goal.
She said: “We have got a few coffee mornings coming up, as well as a fashion show which will hopefully take place on May 6, but at the moment we are doing all we can to raise funds and awareness.
“We have received £300 from Galaxy Hot Chocolate Fund, which is brilliant, as that will pay for a training course to enable me to gain the required qualification to offer professional workshops.
“We are still a voluntary organisation, but to provide the care to a wider audience we need to become a charitable organisation.
“It’s a long process, but we will still be doing all we can to increase awareness for the work we do with SODA in the meantime.”
To help promote SODA, Sam first contacted national celebrity Dee Kelly via social media and explained to her the difference she was trying to make with the campaign.
Dee Kelly (White Dee) bag packs in aid of Survivors of Domestic Abuse (SODA) at Stourbridge’s Tesco store, with customer Jana Morgan
Now the group’s patron, Dee said: “It’s about time victims of domestic abuse actually became survivors.
“Sam is doing some wonderful work, but she needs people to know about what she does, what help they can receive and where they can go to find her.
“She also needs funds to promote and finance the project, and hopefully with more events like this we can do that.”
For more information about SODA, or to contact Sam about being part of the campaign, visit www.sodahq.org
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