Sarah Summers wins Single Sex provision for r*pe support in Brighton & Hove

[Lolapusht]

https://x.com/sarahsurviving/status/1949828457518473361?s=61&t=_cKTNp_TyAyzDViEOCJDFQ]]

https://sarahsurviving.substack.com/p/sarah-surviving-and-survivors-network sarahsurviving.substack.com/p/sarah-surviving-and-survivors-network]]]]

Hahaha @Boiledbeetlethis is amazing! Please can we share on the sisters heal social media? 🙏

This is beautiful! 🥰

What's mine is yours Sarah x

Awesome Sarah!! Well done and thank you so so much!!

I hadn’t expected yoga and trips to Greece to feature.

You know that saying 'if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all'?
That's where I'm at.

Though I will say I'm sorry for what Sarah has experienced, and I thank her for challenging Survivors Network and getting them to provide single sex services for women.

This new 'service'? 🤐🤐

If anyone deserves a break it’s you Tinsel. There are still some part-funded places available for the Greece retreat if you’re interested.

Thank you for the kind words and nobody is obliged to use sisters heal. It’s a single sex option for women survivors of sexual violence if they would like an affordable women only retreat or women’s group therapy.

It’s a bit middle class for me, thanks.

Definitely not middle class. It’s priced to be accessible to all. It’s not for profit, any surplus made from selling retreats and courses goes towards providing funded and part- funded places to women who need it.

We’re very lucky to have a group of volunteers who are running sisters heal for free. Trauma informed spaces for survivors are so important.

Well, if subsidised prices starting at £575 (excluding flights) for four nights in a shared room doesn't say 'middle class' or at least 'middle income' to you, I don't know what to say, Sarah.

Let alone the studio room price starting at £2,400.

I think you are kidding yourself if you think this isn't for a very small subset of survivors.

Of course, these women deserve to have support and services, of course. But let's not pretend this is for everyone.

I genuinely hope the women that are able to access your services find the support and healing they need, and you too, Sarah.

Have you thought of using the Horton Women’s Centre, @IamSarah? It could be a great venue for UK retreats.

£575 for four nights accommodation in a stunning, private, women only mini village near a gorgeous beach with sea views, all meals AND an entire therapeutic programme led by experienced psychotherapists isn’t a good deal? To put it into context 4 nights at Butlins this October half term costs £599 and that doesn’t include food.

But yes the Greece retreat may not be for everyone which is why SH is also running UK retreats including a glamping retreat in Crowhust (£450) and offering an 8-week therapy course in Hove for £35 per week with concessions available.

Survivors Network is the only sexual violence charity in Sussex and currently gets all the funding. Sisters Heal is run by volunteers. It currently has no funding, but perhaps if women support the initiative rather than slate it there could be a lot more to offer survivors in the future.

Oh wow I haven’t heard of this place. It sounds ideal! Thank you so much for sharing.

We have retreats planned in the South and in Wales but nothing planned up north yet so this looks like a great option.

All credit to to you for setting this up Sarah! As I said, I hope the women that can access your retreats and courses find the help and healing they need.

I'm simply pointing out that you saying it's not middle class is a bit unrealistic.

None of the women I have met who have experienced sexual violence would be able to afford even the subsidised places, and in fact, I suspect a number would be put off by the talk of stunning village/gorgeous beach/sea views. Free childcare/transport and a local venue would mean a lot more to them.

But as you say, if your venture is a success, then hopefully some of that can filter down and ultimately more women can benefit from your efforts.

Glamping, Yoga and trips to Greece are middle class pursuits which many women would find off putting.

Don't tell Shirley Valentine that...

Yoga is good fun, & a really good teacher will make sure everyone is able to do it at their own level.

Having said that, it took me months to be able to sit cross-legged comfortably for any length of time & I’m still crap at balancing on one leg.

It’s a good job there is also subsided therapy for £17.50 an hour and free walk and talk events then.

Or is going on a walk also a middle class pursuit?

Whilst even if I felt i needed it I wouldn't be one of those taking advantage of this venture.

But on the other hand I dont understand the hostility. In terms of Sarah's recent experiences, it is great she is able to be motivated to do anything.

Also bizarre to criticise the small initiative which isn't making any political claims, when so many are going to FiLia which claims to be about "Women's Liberation" when it is actually the complete opposite of that. Signing up to be spoon fed the politics this feminist events group think you should have. And active censoring some women's voices.

That is the real issue. Why are women thinking their feminism it sitting passively in a chair while the approved speakers lecture you from a platform.

More importantly why is this seen as feminism, rather that the time cost and exclusivity of an event like this is responded to rather than say forming a local action group to campaign for funded support from women who have experienced male violence.

Nice curated feminism for women who can afford it. How middle class is that.

Sorry Sarah that you are getting shit again.

I hope your venture goes well.

That is excellent.
Couldn't see it on the website. Certainly not without digging, though I see the Sunday Stroll has now appeared.
Good job!

Thanks for this A lot of time and thought has gone into sisters heal and we want to reach the women survivors not currently being supported.

if I’ve learnt anything the past 4 years it’s that women really care about other women having the option of single sex support. As a community interest company any profits go directly towards supporting women who can’t afford to pay the full price.

Re the criticism. Should really take bets on who will say something negative first. TRA or Tinsel?

Constructive feedback welcome though! And if women genuinely think this is pitched too middle class that’s something that needs looking at.

Have you had much criticism from TRA? You’re pretty close to them I should think.

None actually. I think even TRAs realise that criticising rape survivors for needing trauma-informed care really isn’t a good look.

Yes I thought I hadn’t seen any.