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Content Type: Fundraising

Double Your Donation Today

Abuse Can Change Everything in an Instant.
Your Support Can Change Everything After That.

From 6th October until 12pm on 13th October, every donation to First Light’s Crisis Fund will be doubled through the Big Give Women and Girls Match Fund.

That means your gift could have twice the impact for women and girls affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence.

When Everything Changes Overnight

Abuse can turn someone’s world upside down in a moment.

Someone fleeing domestic abuse may leave there home with nothing but the clothes she is wearing. A survivor of sexual violence may find that essential belongings, including clothing or a mobile phone, are taken as part of a police investigation. Others may struggle to afford the travel costs needed to reach counselling, medical appointments, support services or court hearings.

At a time when everything feels uncertain, practical support can make all the difference.

Every day, First Light supports people through our Domestic Abuse Services, Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) services and specialist therapy programmes. While statutory funding helps us deliver these vital services, it does not always cover the emergency items survivors need during a crisis.

That’s why our Crisis Fund exists.

👉 Donate today: https://donate.biggive.org/donate/a05WS00000FcBEjYAN

Providing Support When No Other Funding Is Available

The Crisis Fund helps us respond to urgent needs that can become barriers to safety, recovery and independence.

Donations help provide practical support such as:

  • Emergency transport to a place of safety
  • Temporary accommodation during a crisis
  • Clothing, toiletries and essential care packs
  • Mobile phones, SIM cards and emergency phone credit
  • Travel costs to therapy, counselling, medical appointments and court hearings
  • Emergency financial support when no other funding is available

They are often the practical lifelines that help someone stay safe, access support and take the next step towards recovery.

👉 Donate today: https://donate.biggive.org/donate/a05WS00000FcBEjYAN

Small Things That Make a Big Difference

For someone in crisis, a train ticket to a counselling appointment can mean they continue receiving support.

A mobile phone can help them stay connected to an ISVA or support worker.

Emergency clothing and toiletries can provide dignity after an incredibly difficult experience.

The Crisis Fund helps remove practical barriers that survivors should never have to face alone.

Make Twice the Difference

For one week only, every donation made through the Women and Girls Match Fund will be doubled.

  • £25 becomes £50
  • £50 becomes £100
  • £100 becomes £200

Your donation will help ensure that when survivors need support most, help is available.

👉 Donate today: https://donate.biggive.org/donate/a05WS00000FcBEjYAN

Thank You

We are incredibly grateful to Big Give and the Women and Girls Match Fund for making this campaign possible.

Their support means every donation made before 12pm on 13th October will be matched pound for pound, helping us reach and support even more women and girls affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence.

We would also like to thank everyone who chooses to donate.

Your generosity helps provide the practical support that statutory funding cannot always cover. Because of supporters like you, survivors can access essential items, attend vital appointments, remain connected to specialist services and continue their journey towards safety and recovery.

Together, we can be there during some of the most challenging moments in a person’s life.

Help Us Be There When It Matters Most

Match funding is available for a limited time, but the need for support continues every day.

If you can, please donate before 12pm on 13th October and make your gift go twice as far.

Every donation matters. Every pound helps. Every gift will be doubled.

👉 Donate today: https://donate.biggive.org/donate/a05WS00000FcBEjYAN

Abuse can change everything in an instant. Your support can change everything after that.

First Light accepted into the Big Give Women and Girls Match Fund

First Light is delighted to have been accepted into this year’s Big Give Women and Girls Match Fund, giving supporters the chance to help us raise vital funds for local Survivor Crisis Funds.

Why this matters

Through the campaign, we aim to raise £7,000 in donations. Every eligible donation will then be matched through The Big Give, helping us reach a total of £14,000 for local Survivor Crisis Funds across the counties we work in.

The campaign will run from 12pm on 6th October to 12pm on 13th October, giving supporters one week to donate and have their eligible donation matched through The Big Give.

The funds will provide practical, immediate support for people affected by sexual violence, domestic abuse and church-related abuse, helping First Light respond to urgent needs that traditional funding often cannot cover.

For many people, the barriers to safety and recovery are practical as well as emotional. A lack of phone credit, money for transport, food, clothing or personal safety items can prevent someone from accessing support, attending appointments or taking important steps towards safety.

The Crisis Funds will help provide:

  • Personal safety devices and alarms
  • Emergency travel costs
  • Mobile phone credit and data
  • Food and essential household items
  • Clothing and toiletries
  • Emergency accommodation-related costs
  • Other urgent practical support tailored to an individual’s circumstances

These are often relatively small costs, but they can have a significant impact on someone’s ability to access support, increase their safety and move forward with their recovery.

 

How your support can help

By supporting this campaign, donors can help create flexible local funds that First Light staff can use quickly and safely when someone faces an urgent practical challenge.

Our ambition is to build support for a Crisis Fund in each county we work in, ensuring that people can receive practical help at the point they need it most.

The Big Give Women and Girls Match Fund is a powerful opportunity to make every donation go further and increase the support available to people who rely on First Light’s services.

This year’s campaign builds on First Light’s previous Big Give activity, while taking a wider approach across the counties we work in.

Previous Big Give campaigns helped raise £10,000 for Cornwall Domestic Abuse Service and just over £3,000 for services in Swindon and Wiltshire.

This year, our goal is to raise £7,000 in donations, which will be doubled by The Big Give to create a total of £14,000.

We know from our work every day that practical support can make the difference between someone remaining in crisis and someone being able to take the next step towards safety and recovery.

More details about the campaign and how to donate will be shared soon. Please look out for updates ahead of 6 October and help us spread the word when the campaign goes live.

 

Looking ahead: upcoming campaigns and projects

Supporting students during Freshers’ season

Throughout September, First Light will be attending Freshers’ events across the counties we work in, sharing information and resources with students. We will also be exploring opportunities to support student-led Students Against Abuse societies and networks over the next 12 months.

Domestic Abuse Awareness Month: It Didn’t Start Like This

Launching in October, First Light’s Domestic Abuse Awareness Month campaign, It Didn’t Start Like This, will focus on helping people recognise the early signs of abuse and understand how harmful behaviours can escalate over time. We will be inviting communities, organisations and supporters to get involved and help spread the message.

Reclaim the Net: 16 Days of Action

First Light’s 16 Days of Action Against Violence Against Women and Girls campaign will focus on online abuse this year. Through events, awareness raising and a 16-day digital protest, the campaign will explore the experiences of women and girls online and advocate for safer digital spaces.

Gard & Co. Solicitors Raise £1,705.08 in Support of First Light as Their 2025 Charity of the Year

First Light is proud to have been chosen as Gard & Co. Solicitors’ Charity of the Year for 2025, with the Plymouth-based law firm raising an incredible £1,705.08 to support our work across the South West.

Gard & Co. shared: “Gard & Co. Solicitors chose First Light to be our charity of the year in 2025 as some staff members had personal experience with the charity that helped them through a difficult period whilst validating their experience. We also felt strongly about de‑stigmatising the topic and wanted to contribute to the incredible work undertaken by First Light.”

Their generosity will directly support our vital services for people affected by domestic abuse, sexual violence, and church-related abuse, ensuring that every survivor who reaches out to us is heard, believed, and supported.

Partnerships like this one play a powerful role in breaking the silence and stigma that too often surround abuse. By choosing to stand alongside survivors, Gard & Co. are helping to raise awareness and open up conversations that can save lives.

The funds raised will support our trauma‑informed services, which include:

  • Immediate crisis support for those experiencing domestic abuse
  • Specialist ISVA services for anyone affected by sexual violence
  • Therapeutic recovery pathways helping individuals rebuild their lives
  • Dedicated support for survivors of church‑related abuse
  • Education and prevention work that helps create safer communities

Every donation helps us expand our reach and remove barriers that prevent people from seeking help. Having committed charity partners means we can continue to grow the support we offer and remain a trusted voice for survivors, one focused on safety, empowerment, and long‑term recovery.

We are incredibly grateful to everyone at Gard & Co. Solicitors for choosing to stand with survivors and for the money raised. Their support ensures that more people can access the compassionate, specialist help they deserve at a time when they need it most.

From all of us at First Light: thank you for choosing to support survivors of domestic abuse, sexual violence, and church‑related abuse.

The Big Give: Break the Barriers

This year, we’re aiming to raise £10,000 to create an emergency fund for survivors of sexual violence across Swindon & Wiltshire. This fund will provide essentials like clothing, toiletries, travel costs, phones, SIM cards, and care packs, removing financial barriers and helping survivors begin their recovery with dignity and safety.

Last year, your donations supported families affected by domestic abuse across Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly, helping them flee unsafe homes, access emergency devices, and even provide Christmas presents for children. It was a lifeline for many. This year, we want to do the same for those impacted by sexual violence.

 

What is The Big Give?

From 8th to 15th October, every £1 you donate will be doubled through The Big Give. That means your gift will go twice as far in supporting survivors.

 

Why Your Support Matters

Sexual violence can change lives in an instant. The journey to healing is often long, complex, and deeply personal. Survivors face not only emotional and physical trauma, but also practical and financial barriers that can make it harder to seek help, report the crime, or feel safe again.

 

Your donation helps us break down those barriers.

  • Transport costs can be the difference between someone reaching our Sexual Assault Referral Centre or staying isolated. A simple taxi fare can mean safety, access to medical care, and the chance to speak to someone who understands.
  • Clothing and toiletries offer dignity after an assault. When someone has to surrender their clothes as evidence, being able to change into something clean and comfortable is the first step toward reclaiming control.
  • Phones and SIM cards allow survivors to stay connected to loved ones, access support services, and feel less alone. For those who’ve had to leave work or home, this connection is a lifeline.
  • Safety devices and alarms help restore a sense of security. After experiencing violence, feeling safe again is essential to recovery.
  • Support during police reporting and court proceedings can make a difficult experience more bearable. Stress balls, fidget spinners, and other calming tools help ease anxiety. We also offer emotional and practical support and can cover travel costs for court dates.

These are not luxuries. They are essentials. And they are often the things that can’t be funded by traditional funding.

Last year, your generosity helped families fleeing domestic abuse. This year, we’re asking you to help survivors of sexual violence, to give them the tools, resources, and compassion they need to begin healing.

 

Double Your Impact between 8th to 15th October

Your donation helps break down the barriers that prevent survivors from seeking help. And through The Big Give, your support goes even further.

Please help us Break the Barriers. Help us support those affected by sexual violence and abuse.

Fundraising Fiesta with St Michaels Resort

A Huge Thank You to St Michaels Resort

We’re incredibly grateful to St Michaels Resort for choosing to support First Light through their upcoming Ladies Summer Latin Fiesta on 29th August.

Tickets are available now, with proceeds helping to support those affected by sexual violence and domestic abuse.

Here’s what inspired this powerful event:

“The decision to support First Light and create this Summer dance fiesta came naturally. It all started with our popular Ladies Only Latin Dance Fitness classes, where we saw firsthand the joy, confidence, and empowerment that dancing brings to women.

Hearing how the music and movement made them feel beautiful, strong, and free made me reflect deeply. That sense of empowerment can be a powerful antidote—whether someone has lived through a difficult experience or knows someone who has.

This event is about more than dancing. It’s about coming together as a community, raising awareness, and showing support. It’s about creating a space where people feel safe, supported, and strong.

On a personal note, having experienced this kind of behaviour myself and listened to the stories of other women, I know how crucial it is to have support—and how life-changing it can be to feel seen and heard. First Light offers that vital support, and through this event, I hope we can extend that sense of care and community to everyone who attends.

So let’s dance with purpose, celebrate strength, and shine a light on support, healing, and empowerment!”

— St Michaels Resort

 

Want to join or learn more?

Visit: https://www.stmichaelsresort.com/st-michaels/whats-on/ladies-summer-latin-fiesta

Cornwall Man Vs Coast 2025

Saturday 5th July 2025

This trail adventure is a breathtaking 25 mile route taking in high cliffs, brooding moorland, picture-perfect beaches, crashing waves, big swells, rough-hewn rocks, water jumps, short swims and a few cheeky surprises.

With a stunning start-line at St Michael’s Mount, the route will weave its way coast to coast from one side of the Cornish peninsula to the other, taking in a course that is exciting beyond belief. This is one for the adventurer who wants to make a weekend of it.

To find out more about the event and register your place, click here.

Once you’ve registered, you can then get going with your fundraising! To find out how to set up your First Light JustGiving fundraising page, click here.

Plymouth Run Fundraiser Smashes Target, Raising Over £3,500 For First Light

First Light is delighted to announce the resounding success of the recent Plymouth Run fundraising event, held on Sunday 28th April. A total of 13 dedicated runners, including First Light staff, service users, and teams from our charity partners, took on the challenge of the Half Marathon, 5k, and 10k races, all coming together for a common cause.

Despite the challenge of the course and the unpredictable April weather, the runners showed unwavering commitment, spurred on by the knowledge that their efforts were making a tangible difference in the lives of those in need. Their dedication paid off as they surpassed their fundraising target, collectively raising an impressive total of £3,640 (so far!).

Anna Mitchell, First Light’s Fundraising Officer, expressed her heartfelt gratitude for the overwhelming support: “The response to the Plymouth Run has been amazing! The enthusiasm and generosity of our runners, supporters, and the local community have been truly inspiring. A huge congratulations and thank you to all those who took part. Every donation will enable us to continue providing essential support services to those affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence.”

Among the participants were individuals with personal connections to the cause, including service users who have benefited firsthand from First Light’s support. Reflecting on her experience, one of the runners shared: “I ran the Plymouth Half Marathon to raise money for First Light as they helped me through the toughest time of my life; I am so grateful that because of them, I finally feel control over my own body and am able to run and raise money for such an incredible cause.

I’m feeling very, very proud and super pleased with myself as when I started in January, I could only just do a 5k.”

Other participants included teams from Venton Ltd and The Lost Gardens of Heligan, who are First Lights Charity of The Year partners for 2024.

Sophie Turton, Conference Centre Manager at Venton Ltd said: “Having the opportunity to take part in the event was a fantastic opportunity for the team at Venton. Not only have we been able to raise vital funds for the charity as part of our Charity of the Year Partnership, but the sense of achievement having completed (and ran) the whole 5K course was fantastic. The atmosphere was incredible, and we couldn’t have asked for more support from the First Light team to cheer us on.”

Rebecca Miles, Head of Marketing at The Lost Gardens of Heligan said: “I was delighted to support First Light, Heligan’s chosen charity, at the Plymouth Half Marathon this weekend. It’s a fantastic – albeit challenging – event and I’m so proud the Heligan team have raised awareness and vital funds of over £1,680 for such an important local charity.”

Runners prepare for Plymouth challenge to support First Light

A team of runners are preparing for the Plymouth Run on Sunday 14 May to support people whose lives have been affected by domestic abuse or sexual violence.

Five people are entering the 5k, 10k and half marathon in aid of First Light, the charity which provides support services across the South West, including a sexual violence therapy and counselling service in Plymouth.

The team is made up of staff, supporters and former service users, who all know how vitally important the charity’s work is for victims-survivors of abuse.

Toni Clark, a former service user with First Light, said: “I actually hate running! I ran the 10k in 2017, and always wanted to do it again, but never really found myself in a position to do so. After all the help I received from First Light, I really wanted to give something back as I feel like they helped give me my life back. For that I owe them everything.”

Anna Mitchell, Fundraising Officer at First Light is running the half marathon. She said: “I personally want to wish all of our runners and walkers the very best of luck. They are all taking on a huge personal challenge -including myself as I am not a runner- and have been training for weeks and months for Sunday’s race.

“Every one of our amazing fundraisers plays a huge part in life-changing work First Light does and we couldn’t do it without them. If you’re attending the event, please look out for our t-shirts and give us a big cheer!”

So far, the team has collectively raised £1,470. They are hoping to receive even more support over the next few days to try and reach their £2,500 fundraising target. Support the team here.

Plymouth Run 2025

Sunday 11th May 2025

Conquer the iconic Plymouth 5k / 10k / Half and run through the beautiful streets of Britain’s Ocean City. Challenge yourself and experience the thrill of crossing the finish line with thousands of fellow runners.

To find out more about the event and register your place, click here.

Once you’ve registered, you can then get going with your fundraising! To find out how to set up your First Light JustGiving fundraising page, click here.

Swindon Half 2025

Sunday 28th September 2025

This half-marathon takes participants through Swindon and surrounding countryside, past the villages of Wanborough, Badbury and Medbourne. The closed road course is mostly flat for the first 5 miles, with miles 5-10 undulating before heading downhill towards the finish.

To find out more about the event and register your place, click here.

Once you’ve registered, you can then get going with your fundraising! To find out how to set up your First Light JustGiving fundraising page, click here.

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