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06
| The Children’s Society Magazine | Spring 2009
Sue’s story
When dad beats mum, what happens to the children?
Editor, Emma Wrafter, travels to our Resolve Proje

Daniel was six when
ct
he took a knife from the
in Oldham to find out.
kitchen drawer and
threatened to kill himself
It’s difficult for some to get to Oldham. really mix and there’s a lot of tension.’
There’s no direct train from London and it’s Oldham may be a culturally diverse area meet Sue, mother to Sam and Daniel;
several changes and a taxi to Holts Village but I was to find that the problems in the all victims of domestic violence.

.
where our Resolve Project is based. different communities are the same.
Oldham Mumps station is situated in the Part of the work the project does is to
middle of a flyover and my taxi driver is The Children’s Society Resolve Project is provide specialist, qualified counsellors
unrestrained in his pessimism about the based in an area renowned for poverty, for children who are victims of domestic
area. ‘There’s lots of trouble here. Different disadvantage and youth crime. For many in violence. Donna Chadwick heads the team
communities living together. They don’t this community it is a lifeline. I’m here to and works directly with the children who
are referred to the project. Then there’s
Joanne Collier (part-time Children’s
Counsellor) and Pauline Rothwell, the
Service Administrator. It’s evident that
they’re all committed and ingrained with a
deep sense of responsibility.
Sue tells me her story. ‘Daniel was six when
he took a knife from the kitchen drawer
and threatened to kill himself. I didn’t know
what to do. I thought that I might lose my
boys.’ Sue turned to her GP who referred
her to The Children’s Society. ‘I didn’t want
to say that I needed help. It was like saying
I was useless, that I was a bad mother
because I couldn’t cope.’
Daniel was four and Sam six when Sue’s
relationship with their father ended.
Her ex-partner had been abusive and
violent during all of the children’s lives.
The violence had first started when Sue
was pregnant.
By the time Daniel picked up the knife, his
parents had been separated for two years.
However, the arguments and the conflict
had continued. Daniel had started acting
up in school, lashing out at Sue and picking
fights with Sam.
‘Sam was quiet, no trouble. I thought
he was coping. With Daniel, he was just
so angry. He’d direct it at me.’ At The
Children’s Society, Sue didn’t feel judged.
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