Martha walks for Womankind

I am going to walk from John O’Groats to Land’s End, which is about 1,200 miles (1,900 km). It will take two and a half months and I'll be camping most nights, so I'm carrying my tent and anything else I'll need in my trusty rucksack. My packing-light skills are going to need a little honing.

I am doing this very-long-walk is to raise money for Womankind, a Bristol based charity which, for over 30 years, have been helping women to improve their mental health and have a better quality of life. They aim to reach the most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups of women, particularly those with little or no access to community mental health services. 

By donating to Womankind you will be helping women to access the support they need at difficult times in their lives. The subsidised counselling I received at Womankind helped me to leave an abusive relationship which had begun when I was 21. I managed to leave at the age of 28, and may have stayed if I had not been able to access counselling. Many women do stay, every day. So this walk is about them really. 

Let's talk numbers a bit. About 1.6 million women in the UK experienced domestic abuse in 2020. Over 80% of victims of reported sexual assaults are women. They are also more likely to be victims of sexual exploitation through modern slavery, making up about 70%. As you'll imagine, there are plenty more stats. So charities like Womankind are necessary and important - they help women overcome traumatic experiences and re-build their lives.

I would really like to repay Womankind, and help them continue to support women in danger and distress. I hope you can help me to do this. Thank you for anything that you can give.

Please follow @marfisdrawing and @womankindtherapy to see updates of my walk!

Follow this link for more information about Womankind, and some great Ted Talks which give an insight into what it's like being in an abusive relationship and why it's so strangely hard to leave: https://rentry.co/v77u2