Domestic abuse charity Family Based Solutions is hosting a unique fundraising event this weekend, writes Nicholas Davis

Local fundraisers are signing up to be “locked up for a good cause” as part of a challenge supporting a local charity.

Family Based Solutions (FBS) helps families affected by domestic abuse and child-to-parent abuse – and more than 80% of their referrals are from Enfield.

The fundraiser will take place this Saturday (18th) from 11am at Courthouse Hotel in Shoreditch. Volunteers will be “locked up” and challenged to raise funds to secure their release.

Volunteers are only released when they meet their fundraising target – which they can set at a threshold of their choosing – although £1,000 is the recommended amount. The opportunity to donate will begin from the moment these volunteers set foot in their cells.

The cells are the same ones the infamous Ronnie and Reggie Kray were detained in. Unlike these two London gangsters, volunteers for this event can expect to be imprisoned for no longer than four or five hours at the very most.

This event has been dreamed up by Garry Kousoulou, a trustee on the board of FBS. Never one to shy away from a challenge, Gary himself has volunteered to be locked up.

FBS was co-founded by Joe Lettieri and Ayse Adil in 2012. It is based at Chase Side Crescent and supports families in Enfield and neighbouring boroughs by working with the whole family and wider support networks to help end cycles of abuse. FBS was even consulted on a storyline for EastEnders which addressees this crucial issue.

Ayse explains that the upcoming event “is about raising awareness for people that feel trapped in their own mind”.

She says: “I’m hoping people are going to get a little bit of a taste of what it’s like to be trapped”.

It is fundamentally about building bridges and empathy.

Ayse also mentions the challenges they face as a charity more broadly.

“It is very hard to fundraise for domestic abuse,” she says, explaining that too often “people are not comfortable hearing about it”.

The organisers of this upcoming event encourage local businesses, families, community groups and individuals to get involved, whether by volunteering, donating, or forming a team to raise sponsorship.

Never short of ideas and creativity in support of a vital cause, FBS is also looking for volunteers to be hooked up to a labour pain simulator, in May, for a separate fundraising event.

To sign up for Saturday’s fundraiser:
Email [email protected]

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