Alex Scott MBE announced as Refuge Ambassador
Former England Lioness and broadcaster Alex Scott MBE has joined domestic abuse charity Refuge as an ambassador.
Refuge has been working closely with Alex since the launch of her autobiography ‘How Not to be Strong’, in which she bravely details her childhood trauma of growing up seeing domestic abuse perpetrated by her father to her mother. Inspired by Refuge’s work and meeting with staff and fellow survivors, she is generously donating her profits from the book directly to the charity.
Alex said: “It is an incredible honour to be joining Refuge as an ambassador. I first started working with Refuge following the launch of my book, in which I opened up about my experience of domestic abuse as a child. Since then, I have learned so much more about the scale of domestic abuse in society and the impact sharing your experience can have on fellow survivors. As an ambassador, I want to use my platform and voice to spread awareness of domestic abuse and ensure that women know what support is available to them.”
Alex recently acknowledged her personal journey recognising herself as a survivor of domestic abuse speaking out on TV shows such as Loose Women and fronting magazine covers including Grazia. Whilst sharing her story Alex signposted to Refuge’s National Domestic Abuse Helpline, the gateway to specialist domestic abuse services in England.
Alex has committed to raising awareness of the insidious nature of domestic abuse alongside sharing her own personal lived experience, helping others to spot the warning signs and red flags of abuse and share her empowering story that there is life after abuse.
In 2021, the landmark Domestic Abuse Act recognised children as victims in their own right, and Alex has been vocal about the impact of domestic abuse on children and families as a whole. She has separately donated a fee of £5,000 to Refuge from the Arsenal Foundation and her fee from the Attitude Magazine Foundation – 50% of what was raised at the Attitude 101 event prize draw this year was also donated to Refuge in her name.
Refuge has also welcomed entertainment producer Rosemary Reed as an ambassador for the charity. She is most known for ‘Living The Life’ on Sky Arts and the Sky docuseries ‘Driving Force’ and ‘The Power of Women’. She is the President of Soho House Group 10:10, and current Trustee for the Jane Goodall Institute and Ambassador for Youth Sport Trust.
Rosemary has a passion for women, equality, and helping end domestic abuse. She launched the ‘One Stop Centre’ in London in partnership with Camden Council, a centre she ran for five years. The centre offered women and children free legal advice, counselling and assistance with referrals to refuges.
Rosemary said: “I am passionate about women and want to do everything I can to help end domestic abuse. My successful career in the entertainment industry has allowed me to build a wealth of connections, which I am looking forward to utilising in my work with Refuge. I look forward to working closely with the Fundraising Team, supporting them in expanding their networks, generating income, and building greater awareness of domestic abuse.”
Refuge’s Chair of Trustees, Hetti Barkworth-Nanton, said:
“Refuge is so proud to be working alongside Alex Scott MBE and Rosemary Reed, two brilliant women who are leaders in their fields, and passionate advocates for the important work we do at Refuge supporting women and their children experiencing domestic abuse. We are extremely grateful to Alex and Rosemary for using their platforms to advocate for change and raise awareness about this social issue which is so often overlooked. We know that when we campaign together, we can make real change.”