October 23, 2013

We will be bringing our Travelling Stories to Skye. From Wednesday 4th December until Wednesday 11th December we will have an exhibition of our Travelling Stories in Portree Library and Kyle Library. Travelling Stories is a project that has enabled survivors of domestic abuse to use the transformation of a suitcase or creation of a passport as a means for expressing their own journey through life, including their unique experience of survival. These are visual statements that reflects who we are, where we have been and where we are going. On the first day our staff will be at the exhibition to allow people to come in and talk to us about the work that we do. This will be a on a drop in basis.

We will be hosting a Seminar entitled “Coercive Control & the Leaving Process – Understanding Domestic Abuse”. This will take place On Friday 29th November 2013 at the Lower Town Hall, Dingwall from 10.00am until 1.00pm. Registration will be from 9.30am. We are delighted that the seminar will be facilitated by Nel Whiting from Scottish Women’s Aid. Outcomes for the Seminar •Understand domestic abuse as a course of coercive and controlling conduct which produces compliance in the victimised partner through fear and the creation of a sense of entrapment •Appreciate the impact of domestic abuse on those who experience it and how it affects their behaviour and choices •Understand the main issues of providing a sensitive and appropriate service to women, children and young people experiencing domestic abuse Nel Whiting is a Learning & Development Worker with Scottish Women’s Aid, where she has worked since September 2003. Her role takes her throughout Scotland providing learning opportunities to a range of professionals in the voluntary and statutory sector. She also teaches on the Queen Margaret University ‘Gender Justice’ module. Her previous employment includes work in Racial Equality Councils in Scotland and her native Wales. She is author of “What Can Contemporary Gender Theory Contribute to An Understanding of Abuse in Same Sex Relationships?” which was published in the Scottish Journal of Criminal Justice Studies 2008, Asking About Abuse: Routine Enquiry of Domestic Abuse and Childhood Sexual Abuse Training Pack (with Cosgrove & Beavon) which was published by the Scottish Government Health Directorate in 2011 and “Effecting Operational Change Through Training: Challenges and Approaches” in N.Lombard and L. McMillan (eds.) (forthcoming, 2012) Research Highlights in Social Work: Violence Against Women, Jessica Kingsley Publications. If you would like to attend the Seminar please email info@rosswa.co.uk or contact Claire on 01349 862689.

Our AGM will be taking place on Thursday 28th November at the Lower Town Hall , High Street, Dingwall. The AGM will be from 6.00-7.00pm. This year’s AGM will feature a drama performance developed and performed by children and young people who use our services. We will also be launching our ‘Red Flags’ project developed by women who use our services. If you would like more information on this or would like to attend the AGM then please email info@rosswa.co.uk