Sheffield Hallam Lacrosse girls raise £890 for local domestic abuse charity

Their tour to Croatia was cancelled, but that didn’t stop them going the distance virtually


Sheffield Hallam Women’s Lacrosse Society have raised £890 for the charity IDAS, who support those affected by domestic or sexual violence.

Over the course of 28 days, 40 girls from the society collectively ran, walked and cycled 2827km – the distance from Sheffield to Croatia and back.

They reached their target on day 27, but they didn’t stop and ended up with a whopping 2857km.

Anna Meyring, the Secretary of the society, told The Sheffield Tab: “In lockdown, there’s been an increase in the reported cases of domestic abuse and so we thought it was important to support a cause that was actively helping.

“IDAS is based in Yorkshire and we thought it was a good idea to support a charity close to home too.”

Jenna Ablott, the Charity Officer of the club, added: “As a committee, we wanted to do something useful with our time during lockdown and thought fundraising whilst getting fit and healthy was the perfect combination.”

To show their progress and track the distance covered, the team used the Strava fitness app and also sent daily ‘sweaty selfies’ into a group chat.

Meg John, Chair of the society, told The Sheffield Tab: “Domestic and sexual abuse is a lot more common than people realise and by raising awareness of this big issue, it makes victims understand that there is help out there for them.

“Lockdown has resulted in victims being stuck in their homes with abusers and this needs to be addressed.”

Due to social distancing, the charity has had to stop face to face victim help, but they are doing all they can to support victims of domestic and sexual abuse.

They offer many virtual ways for victims to seek help and get the support they need, especially during these difficult times.

Alongside telephone and email support, IDAS run a live chat with professionals on their website, which takes place Monday to Friday between 10am and 12pm.

Further support can also be found on their Instagram and Facebook pages.