Soul Sisters celebrates office opening in Rochdale

The opening of the Soul Sisters: Empowering People office

A local domestic abuse support group has officially opened its new office in the Better Together building in Rochdale town centre.

The opening for the Soul Sisters: Empowering People office was attended by invited guests Councillor Sameena Zaheer, Councillor James Gartside and former councillor Jane Gartside, as well as the charity's trustees and some of its volunteers.

The new office provides a base of operations for the charity and a location to meet with service users directly, as well as a meeting space for hosting events for volunteers and peer support groups, use of which is exclusive to the building's tenants.

Councillor Zaheer made a short speech before cutting the ribbon to officially open the new office, expressing pride to see the charity now having a base in the Rochdale community.

Councillor Zaheer described her first meeting with its founder, Asma Begum when she first set up Soul Sisters in 2020, and how even then she could see the potential for the charity to support so many more people affected by domestic abuse in the local area, nationwide, and globally, by linking up with other organisations around the world.

Soul Sisters: Empowering People was founded by Asma Begum to support women, men and children who have been affected by domestic abuse. The charity's vision is for people to live without fear.
 

Read more: Domestic abuse support group worked through lockdown to empower womenPublished: 09 December 2020

It was set up in early 2020, with peer support groups initially held in person, then switched to online sessions in order to keep providing support and to help service users stay in contact with each other during COVID-19 lockdowns.

Since then, Soul Sisters has gone from strength to strength, becoming a registered charity in 2021, and has now helped over 150 people, who have come to the charity either via peer support groups or for one-to-one support, both online and in person.

Soul Sisters also hosts regular social events, such as the popular ladies-only creative sessions held at Touchstones, and training and skills sessions, including digital skills and employability workshops which are held both at the Rochdale office and at Demesne Community Centre in Middleton.

To find out more about the support offered by Soul Sisters: Empowering People, contact Asma on WhatsApp on 07309 612325, message via social media, or email asma@soulsisters.org.uk to get help and advice if you think you, a friend or a family member might be a victim of domestic abuse, or to join peer support groups to meet other survivors.