Rochdale News | News Headlines | Woman who escaped abusive marriage builds successful domestic violence charity

A Rochdale woman has transformed her life and the lives of hundreds of others by setting up a charity that supports victims of domestic abuse.

Asma Begum, who fled an abusive marriage with her young son, says the support of a local women’s business group helped her grow Soul Sisters into a vital source of income for the community.

Asma, who founded the charity Soul Sisters in 2020, was inspired by her own harrowing experiences of domestic violence.

Escaping her abusive situation with her 18-month-old son, Asma struggled with the emotional and psychological aftermath. Despite having a law degree and a well-paid job, she felt completely broken.

It was only after finding shelter that she fully understood the scale of the abuse she had experienced.

She said: “Six years ago I fled violence against my 18-month-old son, not realising it was domestic violence.

“Even though I had a law degree and a well-paid full-time job, I was completely devastated. I sought refuge to keep my son safe, and it was there that I began to understand the different types of abuse I had experienced.”

Her time at the shelter was transformative. Asma was given private and safe accommodations that allowed her to begin the long process of recovery.

During this period she had contact with many professionals, policemen, doctors, lawyers, advocates and judges, but despite this she constantly had to defend her interests.

Read more: Soul Sisters celebrates opening of Rochdale officePublished: August 23, 2022

This difficult experience ignited her desire to help other women by sharing her story and educating them about different forms of abuse, not just physical.

She added: “It was a difficult process, but it motivated me to help other women by sharing my experiences and educating them about different forms of abuse, not just physical.

“I wanted to make sure professionals understood the pain and suffering of victims and addressed the issues of victim blaming and disbelief.”

Asma was helped to establish and grow Soul Sisters with the support of The Goals Gals, a mentoring group for ambitious women service providers.

The network provided her with both personal and professional support, which played a fundamental role in the development of the charity.

“Being a member of Goals Gals has been incredibly helpful to me,” Asma said. “It has boosted my self-confidence and self-esteem, allowing me to openly talk about my big goals without feeling embarrassed. The group has been very supportive, lifting me up when I’m feeling down, and encouraging me.”

With this support, Asma has gained financial independence and is now focused on growing her organisation. Her goal is to move from a volunteer-led initiative to a well-established charity with a team of staff, freelancers and volunteers, allowing her to officially take on the role of paid CEO.

“The group has helped me make informed decisions about my organization and expanded my network by connecting me with professionals who can help me grow my charitable work,” she added.

Looking to the future, Asma intends to collect more stories from local and national survivors of domestic violence. She plans to create productions that reflect these experiences with the ultimate goal of contributing to a society that is more supportive and safe for survivors and their children.

Gaby Marsden, one of the founders of The Goals Gals, expressed her pride in Asma’s achievements, both personal and professional.

She said: “We are proud of Asma and how far she has come, not only in business but also in her personal life.

“We want to support more women in business like Asma to help them achieve their goals and grow their businesses in a way that suits them.”

Over the past four years, Soul Sisters has supported over 300 people and, with Asma’s continued commitment and the support of her local network, there is every indication that even more will be helped.

The Goals Gals Association has now opened its books for new members, who can sign up at: www.thegoalsgals.co.uk

To find out more about the work of Soul Sisters, visit www.soulsisters.org.uk