Owls

28/10/2026

Do you believe there's no way out. There is always help. There is always a way out. 💜 OWLS are here to support you, never judge you💜 call us on 0161 425 6300 Monday to Friday 10am to 2pm 💜

27/10/2026

OWLS volunteers are here to talk through any concerns you have, call us on 0161 425 6300 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 2pm). 💜
Request information under Clare's Law: Make a Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS) application online via this Greater Manchester Police link: https://share.google/MPOGgrYCNpdeqEdKQ

26/10/2026

Believe in your worth 💜 you are deserving of peace and happiness 💜

12/10/2026

🏠💜 MORTGAGE ABUSE IS DOMESTIC ABUSE.

When your home becomes a weapon of control, it’s abuse.

Mortgage abuse can happen when a partner uses the mortgage or the family home to control, threaten or trap a woman in an abusive relationship.

It can look like:
🔸 Forcing you to take out a mortgage or sign documents you don’t understand.
🔸 Using the mortgage to control your finances or make you financially dependent.
🔸 Threatening to make you homeless or throw you out of your home.
🔸 Deliberately refusing to contribute to mortgage payments to put you under financial pressure.
🔸 Using your name on a mortgage to create debt, damage your credit or maintain control over you.
🔸 Threatening to sell the family home or leave you with unaffordable payments if you don’t do what they want.

💜 Your home should be a place of safety, not a tool used to control you.

Abuse isn't always physical. Financial and economic abuse can leave women feeling trapped, frightened and believing they have nowhere to go.

At OWLS (Ongoing Womens Local Support), we understand that leaving an abusive relationship can feel impossible, especially when your home, finances and future are being used against you.

Please remember: You are not alone, and it is not your fault. You deserve to feel safe, secure and in control of your own life.

💜 Need support? OWLS is here for you.

10/10/2026

🚩 “YOU’RE NOT GOING MAD. YOU’RE BEING MANIPULATED.” 🚩

💜 October is Domestic Abuse Awareness Month 💜

Gaslighting is a form of emotional and psychological abuse that can leave you questioning your own memories, feelings and reality.

It can sound like:
🔸 “That never happened. You’re making it up.”
🔸 “You’re too sensitive.”
🔸 “You’re imagining things.”
🔸 “You’re always causing drama.”
🔸 “Nobody else would put up with you.”

Over time, gaslighting can destroy your confidence, make you doubt yourself and leave you feeling like you can no longer trust your own judgement.

💔 That is the power of gaslighting — making you believe you are the problem when someone else is hurting you.

You deserve to be heard, believed, respected and safe. ❤️

If any of this feels familiar, please know that you are not alone. You do not have to face it on your own, and support is available.

💜 OWLS is here for women who are experiencing or have experienced domestic abuse.

You are not to blame for someone else's abusive behaviour. You deserve to feel safe, valued and free to be yourself.

💜 This October, let's raise awareness, break the silence and remind every woman that support is out there.

10/10/2026

⚠️ NON-FATAL STRANGULATION: NO VISIBLE INJURY DOES NOT MEAN NO DAMAGE. ⚠️

💜 Strangulation is one of the most dangerous forms of domestic abuse.

A woman does not have to be left with bruises, marks or broken bones for the abuse to be serious.

Non-fatal strangulation happens when someone deliberately applies pressure to another person's neck, restricting blood flow to the brain and/or the flow of air. It can happen in seconds, and the consequences can be life-threatening.

💔 It is never an act of love. It is never acceptable. It is abuse.

The person responsible may minimise what happened, saying:
🔸 “I didn't squeeze that hard.”
🔸 “I didn't mean to hurt you.”
🔸 “There's no marks, so you're fine.”
🔸 “It will never happen again.”

But no visible marks does not mean no injury. Serious complications can develop even when a woman initially feels okay.

🚨 If someone has strangled you, seek urgent medical assessment, even if you have no visible injuries. Breathing difficulties, changes in your voice, difficulty swallowing, neck swelling, confusion, weakness or severe headaches need emergency attention. Call 999 for immediate danger or serious symptoms.

💜 OWLS is here to remind you:
You are not to blame.
You do not deserve to be hurt.
You do not have to face this alone.

At OWLS (Ongoing Womens Local Support), we support women who are experiencing or have experienced domestic abuse. You will be listened to, believed and treated with compassion.

💜 Believe women. Recognise the signs. Help break the silence.

10/10/2026

💜 COERCIVE & CONTROLLING BEHAVIOUR — TWO FORMS OF ABUSE THAT CAN STEAL YOUR FREEDOM. 💜

We often hear the words coercive control, but coercive behaviour and controlling behaviour can show up in different ways. Both can leave a woman feeling frightened, trapped and unable to be herself.

🚩 WHAT IS COERCIVE BEHAVIOUR?

Coercion is about using pressure, threats, intimidation or manipulation to make someone do something they don't want to do.

💔 Threatening consequences if you don't comply.
💔 Making you feel afraid to say no.
💔 Using guilt, humiliation or intimidation to get their own way.
💔 Threatening to hurt themselves, you, your children or your pets.
💔 Making you feel responsible for their anger or behaviour.

🚩 WHAT IS CONTROLLING BEHAVIOUR?

Controlling behaviour is about taking away your independence, choices and freedom so that someone else has power over your life.

💔 Deciding who you can see or speak to.
💔 Monitoring your phone, messages or location.
💔 Controlling your money and what you are allowed to spend.
💔 Dictating what you wear, where you go or what you do.
💔 Isolating you from family and friends.
💔 Making decisions for you and expecting you to obey.

💜 THE IMPACT CAN BE DEVASTATING.

You may begin to change your behaviour to avoid arguments. You might constantly watch what you say, feel anxious about upsetting your partner, or believe you are the problem.

Over time, you can lose your confidence, independence and sense of who you really are.

ABUSE ISN'T ALWAYS PHYSICAL. THERE DON'T HAVE TO BE BRUISES FOR THERE TO BE ABUSE.

Coercive and controlling behaviours can overlap and form part of domestic abuse. No one has the right to take away your freedom, dignity or sense of self.

💜 At OWLS, we understand how difficult it can be to recognise what's happening when you're living through it. You deserve to be heard, believed and supported — without judgement.

08/10/2026

💜 FINANCIAL ABUSE IS DOMESTIC ABUSE 💜

When we talk about domestic abuse, we often think about physical or emotional abuse. But financial abuse can be just as controlling and damaging — and it can be very difficult to escape from.

Financial abuse can look like:

💷 Controlling your wages or benefits
💳 Taking your bank card or demanding access to your accounts
🚫 Stopping you from having money of your own
🧾 Making you account for every penny you spend
💸 Putting debts or bills in your name
📱 Monitoring your spending or bank accounts
🏠 Preventing you from working or having your own income
⚠️ Threatening to leave you without money, housing or essentials

Financial abuse is about power and control. It can leave women feeling trapped, frightened and believing they have no way out.

You don't have to be physically hurt for it to be abuse.

If something doesn't feel right, talk to someone you trust. You deserve to have control over your own money and your own life. 💜

OWLS is here to listen, support and help women who are experiencing domestic abuse.

📞 0161 425 6300
🌐 owls-group.co.uk

07/10/2026

Emotional Abuse Hurts the Body Too

Emotional abuse doesn’t leave visible bruises, but it leaves deep marks that the body remembers. At OWLS, we see how constant criticism, control, and fear can keep the body in survival mode — affecting both physical and emotional health.

Common effects include:
💜 Chronic anxiety and rapid heartbeat
💜 Sleep problems and nightmares
💜 Digestive issues and nausea
💜 Headaches, muscle tension, and fatigue
💜 Weakened immune system

These are not imagined symptoms — they are the body’s natural response to emotional harm.Healing begins with safety, understanding, and support.

OWLS is here to help.You are not alone. You deserve peace, safety, and healing.

01/10/2026