Vote for Billie Piper and Refuge in the Smiley Charity Video Awards
There’s just over one week left to help us make the short-list in the world’s largest cause–based film campaign.
“Violence against women shows up in so many ways… but so does Refuge.”
Last October, we released a powerful awareness film starring Billie Piper, in partnership with creative agency AMV BBDO and directed by BAFTA winning ‘I Hate Suzie’ and ‘Kaos’ director Georgi Banks-Davies.
Domestic abuse takes many forms – financial abuse, coercive control, gaslighting, technology-facilitated abuse, or physical abuse, to name a few. Yet despite the shocking statistic that 1 in 4 women in England and Wales will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime, these stories too often go unheard.
All the stories read out by Billie in our film are real stories from real women. By creating this film, we amplify these voices, raising awareness about the scale of abuse in our society and highlighting signs that resonate for those who may be going through abuse themselves.
"Often, these stories aren’t told because they’re too difficult or dangerous to tell. Through Billie and the emotional, truthful force of her performance, we could protect the anonymity of the survivors, whilst giving a voice, and a platform, to their stories. It is a campaign extremely close to our hearts and was a privilege to work on. Whilst devastating in many ways, it has been inspiring, galvanising and hopeful too."
"Reading the words of survivors who have experienced such sinister forms of abuse was truly harrowing, but it is vital that more people are made aware of the many signs of abuse so that abusers can be held responsible."
We’ve already seen this film make an incredible impact, reaching over 500,000 people. But we don’t want it to stop there.
The Smiley Awards are an incredible chance for us to share our vital message nationwide. It’s an opportunity for people to learn about our cause, support our mission to end violence against women and girls, and – most vitally – it’s a chance to reach more women who need our support.
"For all the ways in which abuse and violence against women can show up, Refuge will show up for survivors."
Refuge supports women fleeing domestic abuse through a number of ways. We run the National Domestic Abuse Helpline, which is available for support 24/7. We provide emergency accommodation, legal support, safety planning, access to training or education and so much more. Find out more about our services here.
We also campaign for policy change and advocate for the rights of survivors. Visit our policy page to learn more about our policy work and how to get involved.
Every day, Refuge is there for women experiencing domestic abuse. And we won’t stop until we’ve ended violence against women and girls.
"If this film helps one woman understand that she is in an abusive relationship and where to go to find support, then its job is done. But I strongly hope it will also encourage many more people to donate because Refuge desperately needs more funds so that it can continue showing up every day for survivors of domestic abuse."

The Smiley Charity Film Awards will take place on 20th March, and the finalists are decided entirely by public vote, which means your voice is essential to sharing our message. Remember, the final day to vote is January 29th.
Join Billie Piper in amplifying the voices of these brave women. Vote for Refuge – may no woman’s voice go unheard.