On Tuesday 27 January, our CEO, Sue Coleman, represented West Mercia Women’s Aid at the Drive Partnership 10-year Anniversary Parliamentary Reception at, Portcullis House, Westminster. The event celebrated a decade of collaboration in addressing domestic abuse, bringing together policymakers, practitioners, and survivor-led organisations to reflect on progress and explore next steps.
The reception highlighted the importance of long-standing partners in driving effective change. Our expertise and experience were acknowledged as a key contribution to discussions about the next 10 years of the Drive Partnership’s work.
Sue shared her insights with attendees, reflecting on the evidence and collaboration underpinning this work:
“The Drive Project gave us the evidence to assert that domestic abuse is genuinely a choice, and that therefore things can change. Working together effectively was made possible by shared values, shared ambition, an uncompromisingly victim-centred approach and a commitment to make it work – but not at any cost.”
The evening included reflections from a range of leaders and experts, including:
-
Dame Nicole Jacobs, Domestic Abuse Commissioner
-
April Dawn Ventour, Director, Creating Equalz
-
Jess Asato MP, VAWG Adviser to the Department of Health and Social Care
-
Debbie Roach, Perpetrator Services Manager, Safer Merthyr Tydfil
-
Annie Gibbs, Founder & CEO, Amour Destiné
The panel discussion explored how to build on collective progress in responding to perpetrators and improving outcomes for victim-survivors. The event reinforced the value of cross-sector collaboration, shared learning, and sustained commitment to victim-centred approaches.
Attending the reception offered an opportunity to celebrate achievements, share best practice, and strengthen relationships that will shape domestic abuse interventions for the next decade. West Mercia Women’s Aid looks forward to continuing to contribute to this national effort, ensuring victims and survivors receive the support they need and deserve.
Find out more about the DRIVE partnership here