Kingston upon Thames, 15 July 2024 – Voices of Hope, a Kingston Upon Thames-based charity, has joined forces with Robyn Harper Photography and the Royal Borough of Kingston Council to launch the Pearl Project 2024. This innovative initiative aims to celebrate the resilience and triumphs of survivors of gender-based abuse through creative writing, photography, and short films.
The project invites women from across SW London to share their stories of overcoming abuse, which will be showcased in a captivating photography exhibition and a heartfelt evening of performances and awards on November 16, 2024. By collaborating with these courageous women and sharing their stories, the project seeks to raise awareness, break the stigma surrounding abuse, and inspire hope and change in the local community.
Sarah Clay, Project Director of Voices of Hope, expressed the power of storytelling in healing and inspiring others. “The Pearl Project is a celebration of strength, and we are honored to provide a platform for these incredible women to share their journeys,” she said.
This will be the second Pearl Project, following the successful launch of the first in 2022. Working closely with the women every step of the way, the organizers witnessed the transformation in their confidence as they shared their stories. The awards event also saw a sold-out crowd of attendees who were left feeling inspired and in admiration of the women.
Businesses interested in supporting the event can become sponsors for the awards evening or provide goodie bags for the participants. In return, their support will be recognized across all communications from Voices of Hope and their partners, LFB (London Fire Brigade) and SW Trains.
Tickets for the awards ceremony on November 16, 2024, will be available for general release starting October 20, 2024. Those interested in participating can email kwhub@voh.org.uk, and businesses looking to support the event can contact neeraja.j@voh.org.uk.
If you or anyone you know is experiencing abuse, please contact Kingston One Stop Shop, a support service provided by Voices of Hope, at the following link: https://gettingiton.org.uk/kingston/.
The Pearl Project event details are as follows:
● Date: November 16, 2024● Time: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM● Location: 161A Clarence Street, Kingston, London, KT1 1QT.● Admission: Free (Donations encouraged)
Interview opportunities are available with the following individuals, and media representatives can contact jacqui.gray@voh.org.uk to arrange them:
Participants – Survivors sharing their stories.Organizers – Representatives from Voices of Hope, Robyn Harper Photography, and the Royal Borough of Kingston.
About Voices of Hope:
Voices of Hope is a registered charity founded in 2019 dedicated to bringing hope to individuals and the wider community. Through various projects such as Women’s Hub, Creative Arts, and Food Projects, the organization reaches approximately 3075 people each week and has a significant local and national impact.
Voices of Hope started as an unregistered charity with several community choirs reaching out to women who had experienced abuse or were facing long-term physical or mental health difficulties, and older people in care homes. By January 2020, the organization was running 11 choir projects and the newly started Sisterhood Sanctuary, a wellbeing session for women. In the same year, just one week after submitting their application, Voices of Hope gained charity registration.
In 2021, the organization founded the Kingston Women’s HUB, a partnership of organizations providing holistic support to help women thrive after experiencing domestic violence, the criminal justice system, abuse, or multiple disadvantages. The partnership offers crisis support, peer mentoring, women’s community sessions, survivor forums, and preventative work.
For more information, please contact:
Voices of Hope:
Sarah Clay, CEO – sarah.clay@voh.org.uk
Jacqui Gray, Event Manager – jacqui.gray@voh.org.uk
To learn more about the Pearl Project, visit: https://voh.org.uk/pearl-project/
Distributed by https://pressat.co.uk/
