It was a few weeks after I'd been subjected to a life altering assault within an abusive relationship that I first decided to learn to skateboard. I had nothing to lose because I had nothing - no feelings, no meaning, nothing else that interested me in the slightest. I didn't feel happiness anymore, I didn't feel sadness anymore. I felt nothing. I was very anxious, jumpy and I cried most of the time. After I reported the assault and abuse to the police, these symptoms only intensified. It was skateboarding that kept me going and gave me a break from my thoughts. Skateboarding is not only an activity that is great for physical health, it is also great for the mind. It’s an escape. It teaches determination, resilience, connects the mind and body; it’s testing, it’s painful and it’s more rewarding than you could ever imagine. It was during this time Empress Skateboarding was born: Set up to empower women in the local community to learn to skateboard and to meet other like-minded women to skate with.

Access to traditional support can be life-changing but often women have to wait a year or more to access specialised services. More can be done in our local community to help women on the waiting lists for counselling, and women who feel uncomfortable attending counselling or talking about their experiences. Assaults and abuse can happen to anyone - the chances are that most of the women in your life have experienced some form of assault or abuse.

This has led to the birth of our emotional and physical wellbeing-focused skateboarding courses, that have been created to empower victims of rape and/or sexual assault and domestic abuse using the means of skateboarding. They have been designed to bring women together in a safe space, to provide some much needed respite from negative thought patterns and to provide support materials to enable women to continue practicing good mental wellbeing off the skatepark. We want to show women that they can have fun and be sad at the same time! We want women to feel that they are not alone, and for them to know that it’s possible to escape their mind in a healthy way. We are providing:
 - A creative outlet with specialised skateboard coaching available - Tools to assist women as they learn to cope with overwhelming emotions - A community support group and regular meet up sessions in a comfortable environment



We are on a mission to raise a total of £1000 to cover the start up costs and launch us to a position where we are able to deliver the courses. Any support you can offer in helping us reach this goal is very much appreciated! If you are not able to contribute through donating, please support us by sharing our fundraising campaign on social media :)