On 1st July, we opened the doors of The Summit Centre in Kirkby-in-Ashfield for our Community & Professional Networking Event. What we got was a room full of people, conversations, connection, and, honestly, hope. By midday, it was hard to find a quiet corner, and every single one of those corners had someone deep in conversation about how we can do this work better, together.

Why we do this

If you’ve never organised an event like this, it’s hard to explain the nerves that come with it. Will people show up? Will the conversations be meaningful, or just polite small talk over a cup of tea? We needn’t have worried. From the moment the doors opened at 11 am, the energy in the room told us everything we needed to know.

 

Our CEO, Rukhsana Ismail, opened the day, and Trustee Tarra Carrington followed with words that set exactly the right tone — not corporate, not rehearsed, just honest about why this work matters and why days like this matter too.

Then Kelsa stood up.

Kelsa’s journey from survivor to advocate is one we’ve watched unfold, and hearing her share it in her own words, to a room full of professionals and community members, was one of those moments that stays with you. It’s easy to talk about domestic abuse in statistics and services. It’s another thing entirely to have someone stand in front of you and tell you, in their own voice, what survival and advocacy actually look like.

We were also joined by young survivors from our community, who bravely shared parts of their own experiences. And then — a moment none of us will forget — one of our talented young survivors gave a drumming performance that had the whole room on its feet. There’s something about watching a young person reclaim their story through something as joyful as music that reminds you exactly why this work exists.

The people who showed up

Councillor Dale Grounds came along, and we really appreciated the time he took to speak with us and with the other organisations in the room — it meant a lot to have that support and interest in what’s happening on the ground here in Nottinghamshire.

We were also lucky to be joined by so many brilliant organisations who hosted stalls throughout the day, including Everyone Active Kirkby, DHA Housing, ATTFE College, Nottinghamshire County Council, the Nottinghamshire Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Thrive Together Neurodiversity, DWP, Ashfield District Council, and Imara Nottingham. Every single one of them brought something valuable to the room, and every conversation we had felt like another thread connecting our community a little more tightly.

And of course, thank you to our own — Leanne McGachan, our Head of Services, our Trustees, and every member of the team who helped pull the day together. Events like this don’t happen without a lot of quiet work behind the scenes, and it was a genuine team effort.

What people told us afterwards

The feedback since the event has been something else. People have told us how rare it is to be in a room where professionals, survivors, and community organisations are all talking to each other, not just about each other. Several attendees said they left with new contacts and new ideas for how their own organisations can support survivors more effectively. Others simply said they were moved — by Kelsa’s story, by the young survivors’ courage, by that drumming performance that none of us have quite stopped talking about since.

That’s really the whole point. Safer communities aren’t built in silos. They’re built in rooms exactly like this one, where the right people end up talking to each other.

There’s more to come

This event was a reminder of what’s possible when a community shows up for each other, and honestly, it’s given us a lot of energy for what’s next. We’re already thinking about how we build on this and keep these conversations going long after the day itself.

If this event moved you the way it moved us, and you’d like to support the work we do, every donation helps us continue changing lives:

🔗 Donate to NIDAS

Thank you to everyone who came, who spoke, who listened, and who reminded us, once again, exactly why we do this.

📧 [email protected] 📞 01623 683 250 🔗 nidas.org.uk