SAND - Surviving Abuse Northern Devon cic

23/01/2026

Being a survivor is hard. Life can be going smoothly when suddenly something unexpected happens that can trigger emotions from a past trauma.
Asking for help again can be so daunting and scary.
I was scrolling through Facebook recently and this beautiful picture by came up on my feed. Asking for help is the bravest thing you can do ♥️

22/01/2026

Great opportunity in Barnstaple in January
Please message us via messenger if you’re intrested and contact Naomi direct .

18/01/2026

Sharing survivors stories is so important. Unfortunately Sexual Violence is on the increase and can happen to anyone.
It is nothing to be ashamed of, you did nothing wrong, it was not your fault.
As this survivor beautiful put it she was not an irresponsible mother she was simply living life.
Please remember you don't have to go through this alone. SAND is here to support you ♥️

" I was not an irresponsible mother, I was simply living life. After repeatedly saying no to him I had the control of my life and body taken away from me. I now had to deal with the aftermath and how different and hard my life would be.

I made it home safely then had several days of flashbacks and memories of what had happened that night - in my mind I was trying to piece the night together while trying to be the normal mum that my children knew I was.

Why had this man not listened when I said no - No is a simple word that everyone should understand.

I tried to live a normal life during the days after, I went to Tesco to get the morning after pill and made an appointment at my local sexual health clinic - I knew I had to look after my body as well as my mind.

However a few days later I broke down in tears at work to some of my work colleagues as I could no longer keep what had happened to myself.
I made a brave call to my doctors to ask about support, reporting to the police and getting forensic testing done so I could try and get justice for what had happened to me and more importantly make sure that this man does not do this to anyone else."

18/01/2026

🌼Volunteers Wanted – Spring Recruitment🌼
We are recruiting compassionate and committed volunteers to support our work addressing sexual violence and abuse this spring in North Devon. Our organisation is dedicated to survivor-centred support, prevention, and advocacy, and we work to create a safe, respectful, and empowering environment for everyone involved.
No previous experience is required. All volunteers receive training and guidance.
Please note: This work involves engagement with sensitive topics. We prioritise wellbeing, boundaries, and confidentiality for both survivors and volunteers.
If you are empathetic, reliable, and committed to challenging sexual violence in our communities, we would love to hear from you.
To express interest or request more information, contact:
📧 cerys@survivingabuse.org.uk

09/01/2026

Firstly we would like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year. Exciting times ahead for SAND.
You may have noticed some changes happening at the lodge recently.
The lodge is a heritage listed building and was in desperate need of attention. After 2 years of asking the council have started to restore this beautiful building. The work should be completed by Spring 2026 so we are currently working out of temporary offices however we are still available to support survivors of sexual violence in North Devon.
We are so excited about 2026 lots of exciting things are coming and we cannot wait to share it with you in the coming months.

12/12/2025

Please take some time to look at this amazing appeal. Christmas is such a special time of year when we spend time with friends and loved ones it's easy to forget those less fortunate.

This Winter, over 300,000 people in the UK will face the bitter cold without a place to call home. We are working together with The Standard to spread some much needed winter warmth.

12/12/2025

One of our clients, Maxine Cook, who is currently in counselling with us recently submitted three poems to an exhibition at Studio Kind. The exhibition was about mental health recovery. Three framed poems were given to SAND.

She has asked for the poem "Gaslit" to be placed on social media.The law on coersive control was brought in because violence is often the tip of the iceberg, and so she hopes that it will help people who feel lost in a fog of confusion to see through it and to realise that they are not alone.

10/12/2025

📣It’s the final day of the 16 Days of Action 2025. 📣

Our final theme is Counter Narrative to Misogyny.

This theme involves developing opposing views that support gender equality, confront sexist beliefs, and emphasize values such as empathy and respect. Approaches can involve teaching young people about online misogyny and manosphere content, increasing women’s visibility in leadership positions, highlighting positive male role models, as opposed to misogynistic influencers, strengthening laws that protect against misogynistic behaviour, and launching online and offline initiatives that portray women in empowered and diverse ways.

Educate Against Hate have introduced new resources and further sources of support for schools, colleges and training providers to tackle misogyny. Tackling misogyny requires a united effort between schools and families. To do so we need to both confront sexism and misogyny when we see it and create environments which celebrate gender equality.

Please see linked resources below:
Unmasking Misogyny - Drama resources - Educate Against Hate: https://www.educateagainsthate.com/resources/unmasking-misogyny-drama-resources/?es_c=7688AC55E930D38C52BE4D50CEE8DD65&es_cl=163A97334DDAD37126BCA2C1263ACB41&es_id=ph7%c2%a322&es_c=8A26C612532527721EFE66561FC52D7B&es_cl=3D2248594DEB0FACCCDCD6041BA6C6F1&es_id=ph7%c2%a322
Manosphere V1.2: https://www.educateagainsthate.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Manosphere-V1.2-1.pdf?es_c=7688AC55E930D38C52BE4D50CEE8DD65&es_cl=9AA5E04AC869E4648C23FA5A7BF3E15E&es_id=ph7%c2%a322prevent-to-march-2025/individuals-referred-to-and-supported-through-the-prevent-programme-april-2024-to-march-2025&es_c=8A26C612532527721EFE66561FC52D7B&es_cl=4807C42FFC98234135A0467AF4F5FE2C&es_id=ph7%c2%a322 -of-concern
Social Media Algorithms V1.2: https://www.educateagainsthate.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Social-Media-Algorithms-V1.2-1.pdf?es_c=7688AC55E930D38C52BE4D50CEE8DD65&es_cl=8A00C294178CB63A97A0140B3462D41F&es_id=ph7%c2%a322&es_c=8A26C612532527721EFE66561FC52D7B&es_cl=4E5F669EE685EFD7436A2F4BD17E2636&es_id=ph7%c2%a322
PowerPoint Presentation: https://www.swindonhealthyschools.org/resources/Misogyny%20May%202025%20%281%29.pdf?es_c=7688AC55E930D38C52BE4D50CEE8DD65&es_cl=DA78779F4D0BD7B0C9632A6DD991291F&es_id=ph7%c2%a322&es_c=8A26C612532527721EFE66561FC52D7B&es_cl=C08780CA4B25312E14A94D8D8922C97A&es_id=ph7%c2%a322

Our theme event today is with FearFree who are hosting an Employer Culture Code Workshop- support for employers to create a healthy psychologically safe workspace. Please check the website for updates on dates and times for this webinar: https://saferdevon.co.uk/domestic-sexual-violence-abuse/16-days-of-action-in-devon/

Additionally, there is another pop-up event at Petroc to reflect on the past 16 days.

10/12/2025

09/12/2025

📣On day fifteen, we focus on Children & Domestic Abuse and Family Justice. 📣

Over 105,000 children live in homes where there is high-risk domestic abuse. 78% of children living with domestic abuse are directly harmed by the perpetrator of the abuse, in addition to the harm caused by witnessing the abuse of others.
(SafeLives)

The Government has announced plans to repeal presumption of parental involvement from the Children Act 1989 following new evidence that shows that always prioritising contact can perpetuate child abuse in the worst cases. (http://www.gov.uk/)

There will be an online theme event on Addressing Domestic Abuse in the Family Court System with a date and time TBC so keep an eye on the website for further details.

https://saferdevon.co.uk/domestic-sexual-violence-abuse/16-days-of-action-in-devon/

08/12/2025

📣Our theme for day fourteen is Non-fatal Strangulation & Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC) 📣

Statistics from UK Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) show that non-fatal strangulation (NFS) occurs in approximately 9-10% of all sexual assault cases, rising to about 1 in 5 (20%) when the perpetrator is an intimate partner.

Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) offer practical, medical and emotional support to everyone, regardless of age or gender.

There are SARCs based across Devon and Cornwall offering support throughout the region. Devon & Cornwall SARC - NHS: https://sarchelp.co.uk/

Our theme event TODAY is a webinar on non-fatal strangulation & Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC) at 1-2pm. Follow this link to book your place: 9427b771-a2c0-4362-8ff1-5115bee872ef@8da13783-cb68-443f-bb4b-997f77fd5bfb" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/9427b771-a2c0-4362-8ff1-5115bee872ef@8da13783-cb68-443f-bb4b-997f77fd5bfb

07/12/2025

📣For day thirteen, we focus on Ethnically Diverse Groups & Domestic Abuse/Sexual Violence. 📣

Black and minoritised women are more likely to stay longer in an abusive relationship, not to report to the police, and have multiple perpetrators.

The Olive Project is a by and for organisation, providing specialist support to black and minoritised victims and survivors of Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence. https://www.theoliveproject.uk/

The Olive Project are hosting a community focused event in which by and for and community organisations can come together and discuss the challenges faced by BMVS. This will be invite only to a number of organisations and the details for this are TBC.