Weekly Meeting - Tara's Angels

29 October 2020 Zoom Meeting – Tara’s Angels – Nikki Brindley MBE

Following Club’s recent support of a fund raising event for Tara’s Angels and Shelter in Bingham’s Buttercross on the 8^th of October, Nikki agreed to talk to Club at our Zoom meeting.

She explained that her ‘day job’ is working for DWP at the Job Centre, which she has done for the last 21 years. Six years ago she met a lady with two children just before Christmas in a refuge from Domestic violence.  So she started fund raising with friends and anyone she could to try and buy some Christmas presents for the children.

The Tara Newbold was killed 4 years ago by her partner and their three children witnessed the attack and consequently ‘Tara’s Angels’ was formed to raise awareness of Domestic violence. Tara lived in West Bridgford and many of the people there and in Rushcliffe generally think Domestic Violence is an ‘Inner City’ problem…it is NOT.

The funds are used to provide basic essentials for those in the 6 refuges across Nottingham and such things as CCTV Doorbells for those who decide to stay in their homes.

Nikki the handled a number of questions from Rotarians, varying from “what increases has there been since Covid and lockdown?”… she estimates 167% increase!

How does she interface with Social Services? She has had ‘Safeguarding training with them and lots of cooperation, which now means dealing with Domestic violence is her full time job now.

What about numbers in each refuge? She gave an example with 6 ladies and 13 children, but on a positive not she suggested it was a “house of fun”!...where one child didn’t want to leave when he and his Mum could return home.  Probably about 85 children across the whole of Nottingham.

Are the sufferers from Nottingham? No generally from outside the region for the safety of the families, with an average stay of 6 or 7 months.  She gave an example of a lady who was found with her 6 children in the cellar of a property.

What about the children’s education? Nikki could not praise the local schools enough in their cooperation, although some do go for ‘home schooling’

Maggie gave Nikki a heart-warming vote of thanks for her presentation and the work she does and assured her that The Vale of Belvoir Rotary Club would try and support her in the coming months.