Some of you may already know me from my work as an actress (I’ll place a clip if I can find one on YouTube). For those of you who aren’t that old or who don’t watch soaps… I started acting when I was 11 and just carried on into adulthood. I am best known for my roles as Tina Dingle in Emmerdale and Linda Baldwin in Coronation Street. I’m also a novelist so maybe you know me from my books: In the Still and Briefly Maiden in which Ali Dalglish is my awesome beotch protagonist. I’m also a screenwriter; a poet (one of the strangest career plot-twists ever); a woodworker; artist; teacher (yes, actual, with quals); an upholsterer; business founder; First Responder Instructor; and a wannabe potter (wish me luck).

But none of that really matters at all and none of it comes anywhere close to explaining me and the experiences that made me. My story is about everything that happened beneath the surface and behind the scenes as that seemingly glamorous stuff was occurring quite separately. It all begins with my survivor story which I’ll share as I go in blogs on this website and in vlogs via YouTube.

TRIGGER WARNING: I will be talking about bullying, coercive control, intimidation and abuse. If you or someone you know may be in danger, click here. You are not alone.

I do have a primary motivation here, I’m not just spewing my guts for the sake of it. In a nutshell, I know how it feels to be scared. I know how long it takes to recover from trauma (I’ll let you know how long once I get there) and now I want to help other survivors, especially those still in it. It’s too big a job for just me but I’m here to build a network, a community of women* who help women. I’m blessed to have many women friends and, despite their differences, there are two undeniable facts about all of them:

1 - They have all experienced a level of abuse/bullying/neglect/control;

2 - They are resourceful, capable, fierce and strong beyond measure.

This can’t just be my friend group. I have a feeling it might be women in general and that’s what I’m here to seek out, curate and activate so that somewhere out there, someone that needs help will get it. I know that’s what I needed and prayed for and what I am compelled to create now I’m at the other side of it.

You are not alone.

Many have gone before you and survived.

They can show you how they did it, give you the blueprint.

Let us help.

You are worthy

*While I identify as a woman and speak from that perspective, abuse can happen to anyone and so help is offered regardless of gender and especially regardless of the gender assigned to you at birth.