The First Step

02/04/2026

🐣 Easter Bank Holiday Closure Notice 🐣

We will be closed over the Easter Bank Holiday.

In the meantime, if you need support, please contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.

We will resume our normal working hours (9am–5pm) on Tuesday 7th April and respond to all enquiries as soon as possible.

Wishing you a safe and peaceful Easter 💛

- TFS x

02/04/2026

A huge thank you to SBT Wavertree and the wonderful families of the church for your incredibly kind donation of Easter eggs 🐣💛

Your generosity will bring so much joy to the women and children we support, helping to make Easter that little bit brighter during what can be a difficult time.

We are so grateful for your continued support and kindness, it truly makes a difference. 💐

17/03/2026

Tea & biscuits, painting, and time to catch up ☕🎨

Our coffee mornings are a warm, safe, and welcoming space for survivors 🤍

If you’d like to join us, we’d love to hear from you — give us a call 📞 0151 548 3333 - option 1 💜

15/03/2026

14/03/2026

Today marks 30 years of The First Step supporting survivors in our community.

Our CEO, Caroline Grant, reflects on this milestone:

“I became the next woman to lead The First Step in 2022, proudly following in the footsteps of our founder, Angela Cholet. Taking on this role was both an honour and a responsibility that I hold deeply.

I joined The First Step with many years of experience supporting survivors of abuse, but also with a strong understanding of the needs of Knowsley as a woman born and bred here. The challenges within this area of work are clear, but in Knowsley, the barriers can be unique, and change is not always easy.

For 30 years, a team of incredible local women has worked tirelessly to change lives across generations. They have given a voice to the voiceless, elevated and supported thousands, and have always carried out their work with integrity and with the best interests of those we support at heart. I cannot fully express how proud I am of what has been achieved.

As we celebrate this milestone, I look forward to the next 30 years and welcome the opportunities and challenges ahead as we continue our mission to support those who need us most in the Knowsley community.”

For three decades, The First Step has stood alongside survivors.
And this is only the beginning. 💜

14/03/2026

HAPPY 30TH BIRTHDAY TO US! 🎉🍾

30 Years of The First Step 💜

Today marks 30 years since The First Step was officially registered as a charity.

For three decades, we have stood alongside survivors of domestic abuse, offering safety, advocacy, and hope when it is needed most.

In that time we have:
• Supported thousands of women and families
• Provided safe refuge accommodation for those fleeing abuse
• Helped survivors navigate the criminal and family court systems
• Delivered specialist advocacy and support services
• Raised awareness of domestic abuse and coercive control across our communities
• Worked alongside partners to help keep women and children safe

Every survivor who has walked through our doors, every member of staff, volunteer, supporter, and partner organisation has been part of this journey.

We are incredibly proud of what has been achieved over the last 30 years — but our work continues. Too many women and families still need support.

Thank you to everyone who has stood with us.

💜 30 years of support. 30 years of strength. 30 years of The First Step.

13/03/2026

Today we are proud to launch Behind Closed Doors, a powerful new short film created to raise awareness of coercive control and domestic abuse.
Abuse doesn’t always leave visible marks.

Coercive control isolates, intimidates and slowly erodes a person’s freedom, confidence and sense of self, and it is a crime.

With Knowsley identified as having the highest rate of femicide in the UK in 2023, recognising the signs of abuse early can save lives. This film was created for survivors, families, friends and professionals, to help people understand what coercive control looks like and to show that there is a way out.

The First Step is Knowsley’s only specialist, independent domestic abuse service. Established in 1996, we support over 1,500 people every year with trauma-informed, survivor-led support, from immediate crisis through to long-term recovery.

We are honoured to have created this film in partnership with Media Trust, Newland TV and UN Women UK, alongside an incredible cast and crew who brought this vision to life.

Behind Closed Doors reflects our commitment to amplifying survivor voices and shining a light on the realities of abuse that too often remain hidden.
If you feel trapped or silenced, you are not alone.

With The First Step, there is hope.

📞 0151 548 3333

11/03/2026

💛 3 days till we are 30! 💛

We are so honoured to receive congratulations from Emily Spurrell, Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner:

*"Thirty years is an incredible milestone, and The First Step should be deeply proud of the legacy it has built. Over three decades, you have stood beside women during some of their most vulnerable moments, offering safety, understanding, and unwavering support.

To have remained a women-led leadership throughout this time shows a remarkable commitment to empowering local women and giving them the space to lead with integrity and compassion.

The impact you’ve had on individuals, families, and our wider community is profound… My warmest congratulations go to the whole team – past and present – on this milestone anniversary and my sincere thanks for everything you’ve done, and continue to do, for women across our region."*

For 30 years, we’ve stood with women and children, empowering, protecting, and leading with compassion. Being women-led isn’t just who we are—it’s at the heart of everything we do. 💛

09/03/2026

For 30 years, The First Step has delivered support that has created profound change across Knowsley, impacting the lives of countless survivors of abuse and their children.

This year, we celebrate 30 years of women-led delivery. For three decades, we have supported women, employed local women, and advocated for women — in life and, heartbreakingly at times, in death.

We have an important and unique role to play in Knowsley. Today we celebrate not only the women who lead our organisation, but the women we support, the women we employ, and the women we stand alongside.
For three decades, we have been building strength, resilience and opportunity — together.

Always leading. Always empowering. 💜

Anneliese Midgley MP
Women's Aid
The Women's Organisation
UN Women UK
Enterprise Vision Awards
Merseyside Police and Crime Commissionerepcc
Soroptimist International Liverpool
Centre-63
South Liverpool Domestic Abuse Services
Liverpool Domestic Abuse Service - LDAS
Jess Phillips
LFC Foundation
Cath Golding

08/03/2026

This International Women’s Day, we celebrate the women at the heart of The First Step, leading, protecting, and transforming lives every single day. 💛

From running our women’s and children’s refuge to shaping national conversations on domestic abuse, these women don’t just do jobs, they change lives, empower communities, and break cycles of abuse.

For 30 years, we’ve been proud to be a women-led organisation, employing women, creating opportunities for women, and standing up for women in Knowsley and beyond.

Today, we don’t just celebrate women - we celebrate women leading, achieving, and making history.