Support sessions (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Support sessions

FAMILIES struggling to cope with domestic violence can soon benefit from a free support group. The West Wiltshire Family Centre in Trowbridge is organising sessions to help rebuild the lives of children who have witnessed abuse.

Administered by children's charity Barnardo's South West, the Explorers Group will meet in Melksham once a week for six weeks, starting at the end of September.

The sessions are open for seven to 11-year-olds and will include games and activities exploring a child's experience of domestic violence and their feelings about the abuser, as well as anger management.

A local mother, who has already been helped, said: "My former husband would hit me and try to strangle me in front of the children.

"Once he even managed to throw me down the stairs. I landed in a heap at the bottom and thought my back had been broken the children called 999 but he pulled the socket from the wall.

"Everything is so different now. We finally faced up to the problem and got the help that we needed. My only wish is more people knew this sort of help is available."

A West Wiltshire Family Centre spokesman said: "Since then we've helped dozens of local children to realise that they are not alone, that they are not the only ones to have seen and heard such awful things."

The closing date for referrals is September 12.

For further information, call Georgina at the West Wiltshire Family Centre on (01225) 751261.