This month we’ve had a very special person visit One25. Helen Hill’s One25 journey began in 1996 when she came to help set up the charity. She went on to volunteer and then joined the staff team right up until 2011.

Now Helen’s training to become an Anglican minister and she came back to One25 for her ‘formation placement’ – a chance to re-explore issues of justice and to see what’s changed and what remains the same. She shares her reflections below…

Dear One25,

Thank you for making me so welcome. It was a time of roller-coaster emotions and so many impressions for me, awakening memories and seeing some dreams in reality – such as all the health services now at drop-in!

I saw afresh and more clearly that One25 is a community or family for women who have no secure relationships currently and possibly no positive relational role models in their past.

With a bigger casework and drop-in team, as well as Peony and Pause nowadays, I think you have more time for each woman than previously (you may not think that is the case!) One25 has always tried to value each person as a unique individual, precious human being – knowing them by name and taking time and care to pursue their interests is brilliant.

You are good at seeing ‘the light shining in the darkness’ despite the darkness being so black at times. This was one of the things that helped me last week with the sorrow of seeing some of the women I knew from years ago: it’s the flickers of hope that are there and real. They refuse to be snuffed out in them and in you.

Thank you again for letting me learn from One25.

Helen x