The head of a local charity is appealing for people to sponsor or donate as she continues a sponsored walk raising funds to support people affected by abuse. Gerrie Jordan, who leads the Taking Steps Project, began her 310-mile walk around Hampshire on August 3, and will continue walking until she arrives in Basingstoke on August 21.

Gerrie said: “This is a huge personal challenge, which I am doing to raise awareness and hopefully funds to expand the reach of our service to other areas. We currently operate in Aldershot and Basingstoke, but we often receive calls from outside these areas, asking for our help.

“My aim is – if I can walk to you, our service can reach you. Domestic abuse is one of the best-kept secrets, largely due to the fact that we live in a blame culture and the victim is often help accountable that they didn’t leave and kept themselves in that situation. We want to remove this blame and enable the victims to come forward, without judgement, to receive the support they need,” she added.

Gerrie hopes to raise £7,000 through sponsorship and donations at each stop of her walk. The money is earmarked to provide a group, 24 hour phone support and outreach in each area for a year.