A conversation with the founder

You’ve probably come to this page with a few questions in mind - who are we? Why have we set up this organisation? What are we going to do?

Let’s have the founder of CADA North East, Rosemary give you some answers…

So first things first. Can you tell us a bit about yourself, Rosemary?

That’s a hard thing to do, especially when you’ve lived as long as I have! Where do I start? Which bits do I leave out?

I hale from South Devon, ended up in Newcastle to study and have made the North East my home for the past 35+ years. 

I’m actually a piano teacher, but over the past five years I have developed a burning passion to see changes in the way churches respond to victims of domestic abuse. I have my own story to tell on this score, and can say with certainty that recovery and healing are possible, but my real love is for those still trapped in abuse. My desire is for the Church to become a safe place for victims – part of the solution rather than part of the problem!

My desire is for the Church to become a safe place for victims [of domestic abuse]

What led you to set up CADA North East?

About two years ago I went to a conference in the Lake District on the subject of domestic abuse and the church, and I realised that I wanted to see a similar event in the North East. Since then, I’ve been working with Churches Together in Cumbria, learning from them and meeting others who are doing similar things. Finally, at the beginning of 2019 I felt the time was right to start something from my base in Newcastle.

The primary idea was to host a conference, with the goal of educating and empowering local Christians and church leaders to effectively respond to domestic abuse in their congregations. It has become apparent that a conference will only be the beginning of things, and a larger organisation was needed to develop future events and services. CADA-NE is the support organisation waiting for great things to happen!

Who is CADA North East for?

It is not just church leaders, wardens, safeguarding officers who need to be alert to the issues of domestic abuse. Every single one of us will know someone who is being abused. Being able to spot the warning signs, knowing how to reach out and who can offer specialist support is part of basic care that the church needs to provide. Domestic abuse is everyone’s problem!

What’s the vision for the organisation?

Ah. Vision! The initial vision is to see the Church in the North East realise the grim truth about domestic abuse and become equipped to deal with it safely and effectively. Beyond that, the vision is to see support available that’s tailored to the unique needs of Christian victims; to see a forum develop where the theology that impacts how we deal with victims and perpetrators can be explored; to see Christians actively involved in supporting local refuges and providing extra accommodation. That’s just three ideas!

What’s next on the agenda for CADA North East?

First up is our ‘Wise Up, Rise Up’ conference, which will be held on the 23rd of November - featuring speakers Elaine Storkey (author of Scars Across Humanity) and Chris Green (CEO White Ribbon UK), and including a performance of ‘Control’, a drama depicting domestic abuse in a Christian marriage. I hope you’ll join us - you can find more information and register for tickets here.

As the conference has developed, there has been a growing conviction that this is not going to be just a one-off event. Instead, it looks as if it’s going to be the start of something much more; a springboard from which people can develop initiatives to deal with the many complex layers of domestic abuse. If domestic abuse is everyone’s problem, then everyone needs to be involved in dismantling the structures and challenging the mindset that supports it. Every single person who gets involved brings us closer to stopping to this endemic problem in our society.