Welcome to Part 2 of our October, 2024 Inspirational Interview with Lauren Kendall, CEO of Survivor Space Oxfordshire in the United Kingdom.
As a survivor of childhood sexual violence (CSV), Lauren is a passionate advocate for supporting children and families that have experienced sexual violence. Now that she is also mummy to her own amazing daughter, working to end violence against women and girls has never felt more important. Lauren has been CEO of Survivor Space Oxfordshire for nearly two years and is incredibly proud of the amazing work the charity, team, volunteers and board do for survivors in Oxfordshire. Outside of work, Lauren is happiest in or around water. She loves surfing (badly), sharks and the sea.
In this part of the interview, Lauren talks about the impact of her organisation’s education and training programmes and outlines its upcoming campaigns and projects.
Part 1 of Lauren’s interview was published 6 October, 2024.
All photos are courtesy of Survivor Space Oxfordshire.
6. Over the years, what sort of impact has Survivor Space Oxfordshire’s work had on stopping violence against women in Oxfordshire and the UK?
The area that I hope we have the most influence on is our education and training programmes.
We also seek feedback on these and know from this that participants have a greater understanding of consent and healthy relationships because of our work.
7. How do you think men and boys can help to end violence against women?
I think it’s important for society as a whole to realise that there is an epidemic of violence against women and girls and we need to work together to stop it! Education is vital. Feminist men and boys need to be encouraged and the broken systems that allow perpetrators to get away with horrific crimes and continually reoffend need to be fixed.
8. Tell us about Survivor Space Oxfordshire’s plans for the future. What campaigns, programmes, or projects do you have coming up in the next 5 years?
We have ambitious plans to scale our vital work to supporting younger children. I am currently working on the planning phase of a capital campaign for a new site – one which will work alongside our current discreet location – so that we can provide forward-facing, inclusive services for everyone alongside our women-only spaces. We have just launched our rebrand and we are thrilled with our new name and logo, all of which we hope will encourage more positive and empowering discussions about sexual violence and the ways in which people can support us.
9. How can The Pixel Project’s supporters engage with and support the efforts of Survivor Space Oxfordshire to stop violence against women?
Share our fundraising campaigns, news stories and content. Donate if you can! Engage with us on social media or reach out to me directly on lauren@survivorspace.org.uk.
10. In your considered opinion, how can we end violence against women for good?
I think that education has to be the key here. If we can work with children to help them understand that we are all equal and to encourage feminist boys and young men, I’m hopeful that violence against women will decrease.
