When Sarah found the strength to leave her abusive partner she was at a complete loss of what do to next.
She didn't have access to the internet, and when she tried booking into a women's hostel she was told she would need to name her abuser - something she was too frightened to agree to.
Sarah, which isn't her real name, eventually found herself a place at a mixed sex shelter - where she finally felt safe. But as a result of her vulnerability, she was groomed by a man posing to be her friend.
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He went on to rape her. Terrified and exhausted, she felt her last option was to sleep on the streets of Manchester - a place where she quickly realised she was even more vulnerable. With nowhere else to turn, Rachel went back to the women's hostel and agreed to name her abuser, leaving her in constant fear of how he might retaliate.
After being placed on a waiting list for 15 months, she was finally given a council property and re-united with her two children. But the battle to get what she deserved left her broken.
It was after hearing Sarah's traumatic story that Emmalee O'Brien, a Women's Support and Resettlement Manager at homeless charity Embassy, knew something needed to change. Having been a victim of a domestic violence as a child, she understands how important it is for women like Sarah to have a place that is truly safe when feeling abusive relationships.
She is now championing a project with Embassy to buy two properties, where they hope to permanently house four women, as well as providing them with the support they'll need to obtain full-time work, and eventually save enough money to buy a property of their own.
Set up by husband
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