Helping those leaping from ‘trauma to trauma’

‘In those darkest moments, Hopscotch holds a space for women and girls to safely share’

By Benaifer Bhandari | Camden New Journal | 10th March 2023

IN a world where many of us are fighting for whole communities of people to be seen, acknowledged, listened to and respected – at Hopscotch we zoom right in to the individual woman and girl who comes to us needing support.

Though the team are experts in the systemic barriers facing those on the margins of society, the terminology around this is of little help to someone living in poverty, fleeing domestic violence or struggling with their mental health.

Hopscotch believes that when working with anyone who is vulnerable, it’s our role to be aware of an individual’s rights – especially when so many of women and girls’ human rights are being systematically eroded by much of the society we live in.

However, it is just as important for us to be aware that each individual deserves an individualised, trauma informed, approach that puts the woman at the centre of her support.

Most of us would have experienced some kind of trauma in our lives. Many of us are lucky in that we have learnt healthy coping mechanisms to overcome experiences.

However, so many people steadily leap from one trauma to the next and, for them, life is incredibly hard, unsafe and with a feeling that peaceful times are rarely within reach.

In those darkest moments, Hopscotch holds a space for women and girls to safely share as much as they want/can. They can learn new skills and perhaps even find a little joy along the way.

“Safely share” is very important to us. One way to be trauma informed is to understand that any words shared belong to the speaker.

Our service users may engage with a number of our services, and so we ensure we have explicit permission to share between us, only what she wants shared.

The exception is where there is a safeguarding issue, when we still tread carefully but safely. We aim to keep control in the hands of the most vulnerable person in any supportive environment.

Even if a service user comes to us with a bruised eye, it is her trauma to tell, in her own way and time.

We understand that there are consequences around sharing what has happened – that only the woman will know.

We respect that and focus on keeping her safe, building trust and confidence and always, always, focus on keeping the woman at the centre of her own support.

Benaifer Bhandari is chief executive of Hopscotch – which is the Mayor of Camden’s charity this year for fundraising