High Sheriff of West Sussex, Dr Tim Fooks, meets founders of Worthing-based charity The Daisy Chain Project

Among the recipients of a national honour in the latest new year’s list is Jade-Shannon Patrick, who has been made an MBE for her services to those who are affected by domestic abuse.

Jade is the founder, and chief executive, of The Daisy Chain Project, which she established in Worthing just four years ago, along with Hayley Stoner, and very recently I was delighted to meet Jade and Hayley to learn more about their charity and its vital work.

The Daisy Chain Project was set up to help fight domestic violence by providing pro bono legal advice and educating people about what constitutes domestic abuse. Although it was established in West Sussex, it is increasingly receiving requests for help from across Sussex and hopes to expand across county borders.

Sadly, both pandemic lockdowns have resulted in an increase in domestic violence, with a nationally reported 18 per cent increase in the last three months of 2020 – representing a sad reverse in the slow reduction in prevalence which had been occurring up until the start of the pandemic.

For Daisy Chain, this amounted to around 2,000 referrals in the same period – almost 20 a day. Half of these referrals have come from the police and the charity works closely with the strong network of domestic abuse linked charities and organisations in the county.

In July last year, the government passed the long-awaited Domestic Abuse Bill 2020. Through this act, the definition of the crime has been clarified, for the first time, to emphasise that domestic abuse is not just physical or sexual violence, but can also be emotional, coercive or controlling, and economic abuse.

The act has established important new protections for victims, but first they must find their way safely into the legal system and, for many, disempowered and frightened, this has proved to be a step too far. This is where Daisy Chain steps in.

The key to the charity’s success is its remarkable volunteers, consisting of qualified and regulated barristers and solicitors, who offer free and completely confidential legal support to men and women experiencing, or fleeing, domestic abuse. The team offers advice, support and representation on matters such as emergency ex parte injunctions, non-molestation orders, child contact in domestic abuse situations and divorce in domestic abuse situations.

This support is available to those people who do not qualify for Legal Aid. As Jade explained, if someone is eligible for Legal Aid, this is the better route and although the charity does not assist with financial matters, they will always guide their clients to the right advisory service.

From my work as a GP, I am aware how difficult it can be for victims to collect evidence of their experiences and Daisy Chain has created an app which allows this to be done safely and securely. Daisy Chain has also produced a book for children who may be experiencing or witnessing violence at home, this is called The Garden Broom.

The tragedy of domestic violence cannot be over-estimated and resolving the problem requires a combination of increased alertness to the problem and prompt action when it is declared.

In Sussex, the team at The Daisy Chain Project, and all the volunteers, have made a great difference to thousands of women and men already and, from all that I have learned, Jade’s MBE is exceptionally well deserved.

To contact the Daisy Chain Project, visit www.thedaisychainproject.com/contact

If you would like to get involved by helping spread the message, or offer legal services, email [email protected].

Call the National Domestic Abuse Helpline 24 hours a day, for free and in confidence, on 0808 2000 247.