About Project Lighthouse

Project Lighthouse is shining a light as a specialist trauma-informed therapeutic support community for mothers who are challenged daily by the impact of domestic abuse and/or post-separation abuse, whilst having to navigate the systems that continue to oppress and further stigmatise them by removing their children. Across the UK, vulnerable mothers who are enduring domestic abuse and multiple other disadvantages (such as homelessness, poverty, unemployment, mental ill health, chronic ill health, and addiction) are increasingly at risk of having their children removed by the State and, in some circumstances, of having recurrent removals. The number of children being removed from their mothers by a local authority intervention has been steadily rising. The data even suggest that the UK has the highest rate of child removal through involuntary adoption in Europe. Mothers who have had a child removed from their care experience a profound loss of identity as a parent alongside deep feelings of grief. Mothers with children removed experience complex and/or cumulative trauma as they are traumatised by the child protection systems as well as the process of removal of children from their care. Mothers who suffer domestic abuse and have their child, or children removed, inevitably have multiple practical and emotional needs whilst facing distinct barriers in access to support.

Project Lighthouse is the UK’s first digital (online) person centred trauma-informed therapeutic support community for female survivors of domestic abuse and child removal.

Our pilot groups began in October 2023 and we are currently providing weekly support for 14 mothers. As a survivor shaped therapeutic community, we plan to carefully grow and hope to be able to offer more spaces in the near future for our weekly Meet Ups. In the meantime, you can let us know if you would like to be placed on our waitlist and be notified about our workshops.

If you would like further information about Project Lighthouse, please complete the form below. We recognise that repeating your lived experience to professionals can feel exhausting. A First Meet Up is an opportunity to safely share your lived experience with a therapist therefore, you do not need to send us a lot of personal information.

For more information: info@projectlighthouse.org.uk

                                                                                             We look forward to hearing from you.

As a new therapeutic support community, we are currently designing our survivor-shaped trauma-informed platform which will provide information for mothers and professionals.

We will be carefully expanding our support over the next 18 months and will provide details of our weekly Meet Ups and workshops.

Registered Charity Number 1206286