Why I Do This Work: A Letter from MyCWA’s CEO

By Saskia, MyCWA CEO

Arch Publications Charity Partner 2026

“At my darkest times, I thought death would be better than this. When I walked into refuge, I felt like it was my light at the end of the tunnel.”

Those are the words of a woman in Cheshire who came to MyCWA for help. They could just as easily have been mine.

I fled to refuge as a young mum with my children and a carrier bag of nappies and baby clothes. I was in shock, exhausted to my bones, and terrified about what would come next. I didn’t have a plan or a clear path forward. I just knew that staying in my home was no longer safe for my children or for me.

What I found in that refuge was not judgement or paperwork. It was care. The women there made tea, listened, and gave me space to breathe. They didn’t ask why I stayed or what I should have done differently. They didn’t reduce my life to a checklist or a risk score. They saw me as a person at one of the hardest moments of my life.

That experience stayed with me. More than 30 years later, it is still the reason I do this work.

Every day at MyCWA, our team is on the frontline of domestic abuse. They answer calls from people who are unsure whether what they’re experiencing is abuse, but who know they can’t cope alone any longer. They support people who arrive at our doors in crisis, sometimes with children in tow, often with nothing more than the clothes they’re wearing and a phone in their pocket. They go above and beyond to gently build trust with children who’ve experienced abuse and had theirs shattered.

For 14 years, I’ve been CEO of MyCWA and for the past 48 years, this organisation has been Cheshire’s lifeline for people experiencing domestic abuse. We began as Crewe Women’s Aid in 1977 – a small team of volunteers helping people flee harm, often to sofas or spare rooms. Today, guided by what survivors tell us they need, we offer clean and welcoming refuge spaces across Cheshire, a range of children’s support services, group recovery programmes, and behaviour change work for those who harm and want to change.

But here’s what matters most: we’re still making tea. We’re still listening. We’re still treating people like people, not cases.

The hardest truth about domestic abuse is this: it’s likely happening to someone you know. It may be the parent at the school gates who seems fine. The colleague who avoids talk of home. The neighbour you chat to over the fence. Many people experiencing abuse are still going to work, caring for their children, and smiling politely - while quietly surviving behind closed doors.

Children see it all, even when adults try desperately to shield them. The hypervigilance. The walking on eggshells. The sudden silences when a key turns in the lock. That’s why our children’s services focus on safety, emotional recovery, and giving young people space to be heard in their own right.

Here’s what keeps me awake at night: the demand for our services grows and grows, and most of our work with survivors relies on donations from the community, and grants from trusts and foundations.

This includes our 24/7 helpline – with our team answering calls at all hours, often in the early hours when someone quietly calls while the rest of the house is sleeping. The children’s worker who helps a seven-year-old understand that the abuse wasn’t their fault. Our food, clothes and baby banks run by an incredible team of dedicated volunteers.

It all runs on community generosity. On people like you.

So here’s what I’m asking.

First: If you can donate, please do. Every pound goes directly to frontline support, meaning even the smallest amounts have an impact.

Second: Pay attention. If someone in your life seems withdrawn, anxious, or different - and you’re not sure why - trust your instinct. You don’t need to fix it. Just let them know you’ve noticed and you care. Sometimes that’s the first step toward safety.

Third: If you’ve experienced domestic abuse – whether recently or years ago, whether you sought help or never felt able to – please take 20 minutes for our Our Own Words survey. Every question is written by survivors. The findings will push for real, practical, national change in how people are supported. We’re aiming for 1,000 voices across the UK. Yours matters. Find it at www.mycwa.org.uk.

I think about that young mum I was, walking into refuge with a carrier bag and two frightened children, more often than you might expect. I think about what would have happened if no one had been there. If there had been no refuge, no cup of tea, no voice saying: “You’re safe now. We’ve got you.”

I think about the woman at the start of this letter, who walked into MyCWA believing death might be better than what she was living through, and the hundreds like her who’ve found their way back to safety through these doors each year.

We’ve been delivering life-saving services across Cheshire for nearly five decades. We haven’t always been great at shouting about them. But with Arch Publications choosing us as their Charity of the Year, and with your support, we can reach more people who need us.

Because domestic abuse is not rare. It affects 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men in their lifetimes. It’s not someone else’s problem. And with communities willing to care, cycles of harm can be broken - so adults and children can go on to live safe, healthy, and hopeful lives.

If you want to reach out - whether you need support, want to help, or simply want to learn more - we’re always here.

www.mycwa.org.uk | info@mycwa.org.uk