Volunteer Story Inspires Other to Give Back
The following story is told by Ewelina Chinn, former Trustee of HSTAR, on her personal journey of starting a charity and becoming a volunteer.
Born in Poland, I suffered trauma as a child. It was my dream as a child to become an adult and escape so I could start over, but life had other plans. My early adulthood included living through an abusive marriage.
I finally got out of this relationship and found myself in Scotland, after escaping Leeds. As soon as I was free, I realized there wasn't much help to be had unless you were living with an addiction, had social problems, or were at risk of getting into another abusive relationship. All of these things weren't for me. As a loving mother, I had the responsibility to provide a good life for my son. I started my own company and worked hard, which made me look strong and confident. I looked strong and confident from the outside, however, on the inside, I was broken, scared, lost and vulnerable. It was as if my entire life was one massive fear that haunted me. I had no idea how to cope with the past, and I didn't know if I was capable of building a future for myself. Self-blame was never confronted to the extent that I felt shame and guilt about what had happened to me. Because I never exhibited any signs of victimization, and because I got on with things, it was assumed that I was strong and capable. As a mother, my priority was to take care of my son and to protect him, but I was unable to seek help for myself.
Upon reflection, it became apparent that what was missing was not a lack of willingness to provide assistance, but rather a particular type of assistance that had not been provided. We were overlooking the importance of taking a person-centred approach when trying to help survivors. Despite my best efforts, it took over two years for me to receive my first therapy session. Within the first five minutes of seeing the therapist, he asked me what the problem that I am facing was, and why I was there. I left the room after a few minutes because this approach wasn't acceptable to me. It wasn't what I was expecting at all, and I was unsure of what to do next. What could I do? It was in this time that I decided to start my own journey of healing. I chose, rather than anger and bitterness, self-forgiveness, self-compassion, and mindfulness as part of my journey. It has taken me years to make the decision to leave my comfort zone and feel confident enough to join this community and provide what I could not get elsewhere. The reality is that I know what trauma survivors need, and I know how difficult it can be to receive it from others.
In the early part of 2018, I felt there was enormous potential for me to be of assistance to women who were in the same boat as I was previously, however, I did not feel it was possible for me to accept publicly that I have been through trauma. I did not want people to see me as weak or know what I have been through. I do not like being labelled as a 'victim', and therefore, I did not want anyone to feel sorry for me. Nevertheless, the desire to provide support to other women was strong enough to overcome any reservations I could have had in the beginning. I was aware that sharing my story would motivate me, although it would also empower other women to reach their full potential in life.
During the pandemic, trauma survivors no longer became a priority. It was impossible to focus on survivors due to the fact that there was a massive increase in statistics regarding domestic violence and suicide rates going up. For me, it was very clear that providing support to those who are at direct risk of harm is something that needs to be done. On the other hand, there was no doubt in my mind that this would be the right time in my life for me to find the courage to take action and carry out what I believe is right – to support survivors.
As a newbie to the third sector and how to set up a charity, I contacted SVE in August 2019. The organisation was initially registered as Healed Scars. This charity was founded with the aim of providing counselling services to women who have suffered trauma, as well as providing other trauma recovery activities for women. We began raising funds by writing to individuals and companies to explain our purpose, which at the time was to offer free counselling services to women across the Forth Valley. There was such a high demand for our service across the entire Central Belt of Scotland that we were compelled to expand our service to include the wider area. Each and every day was a lesson, we learned that it was vital for us to provide therapy in a variety of languages. Giving women the opportunity to participate in therapy in their own language will help them heal faster and open up to the therapist. There are currently 26 languages in which we provide therapy to our clients. Right now, eleven Ukrainian girls are in the process of receiving therapy. As a multilingual and multidisciplinary trauma recovery centre, we offer in-house/online/phone support in terms of services to women of all ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds, to provide them with a free, accessible, non-judgmental, safe services in a comfortable environment.
Having been on the board for a few months, we began to realize that the support we were providing to over 100 women required incorporation. Due to the fact the service was so needed, we were in need of premises and staff. Having the privilege of being the chair of such a worthwhile charity has been an incredibly rewarding, although often challenging, experience. It has been an invaluable experience for me to learn how to lead an ever-growing charitable organisation, and the kinds of responsibilities that come with running such an organisation.
I think a good chair needs to be open-minded and willing to learn and understand everything that goes on in the governance around the charity. While I am passionate about the activities we offer, I've had to focus on good governance which, is essential to the success of a charity.
HSTAR Scotland, abbreviated for - Healed Scars - Trauma and Abuse Recovery, became a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation in October 2021. It's based in Stirling and Glasgow, we work with women across the Central Belt and Glasgow, we employ staff and have 14 volunteers. Currently, we get 30 to 40 referrals a week, and rely entirely on donations and fundraising. Going forward, we're looking for income-generating opportunities.
It is my belief that to be a good trustee (especially a founder of an organisation) you need to have a very clear vision, but also be open to change, as the charity will have to adapt to the needs of its beneficiaries in the future. Getting feedback from beneficiaries is the most effective way of measuring success and shaping the organisation accordingly.
In the last 14 years, I have built up my own an accountancy business, however, the charity has become my priority now, and it has allowed me to follow my passions and dreams. The tiredness I experience from my charity work is a different kind of tiredness. It comes from the satisfaction and fulfilment I get from following my passion.
I stepped down from the chair position in April 2022 and am now the charity's CEO. This is now my life, and with the board, we are really looking forward to supporting more and more women and their families.
We currently have a board of six very skilled and dedicated trustees who lead the organisation, with my support. We are actively looking for two trustees who can help us with the fundraising and social media side of the charity. Feel free to contact us if you want to know more about HSTAR Scotland or are interested in joining the board.
It is my sincere hope that my story will inspire others to get involved with charities which enable them to realize their passions, as I did.
