Where the Churchill Fellowship magic happens

For the rest of that journey home, and for weeks and months afterwards, all I could think of was the places I would go and the people I would meet. My brain was filled with excitement as I imagined the far-off places that I would travel to, and the inspiring projects and people I could visit in person.

My travels to Iceland, Slovenia, and the USA more than lived up to that excitement. I spoke with over 100 people, heard about some incredible organisations and – something we don’t celebrate enough – visited some pretty ordinary organisations doing small, simple things which added together to make a huge difference.

I went searching for puffins in Iceland (I only saw a dead one), I ran along the beautiful Slovenian coast, and I saw Carly Rae Jepsen perform in the middle of a Washington Nationals baseball game.

But what I didn’t, and couldn’t possibly, have imagined as I sat in that service station car park, was that the year after my travel would be just as powerful.

I started thinking about the format of my report during the first week of my travel, and I remember drafting a few pages during my final days in the States. I know everyone is different, but getting an early start really helped me – and within a couple of months of my return, the majority of it was done.

But things had already started happening. I was invited by local authorities up and down the country to present what I had learnt on my trips abroad, and so far, I’ve given well over 100 talks to various teams, charities, partnerships, and academics.

Nicole Jacobs, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England, kindly agreed to speak at my report launch, and Department of Health officials helped me secure a supportive quote for the media release from Health Minister Stephen Kinnock.

I have been interviewed by The Metro and The Guardian. I’ve also spent a morning filming in the studios of a major national broadcaster (can’t say which one until it airs later in the year). I feel as though I’ve contributed to getting this topic higher up the political and public agenda.

I know I’ve had an impact at a local level too – the feedback I get after my talks is really positive, and many front-line practitioners say that they are amending the way they do things based on my recommendations.

The first national policy opportunity for change is the Violence Against Women and Girl’s Strategy, due to be published in the autumn. I’m hopeful that some of my recommendations will make it in – but either way, I’ll keep pushing.

So, what’s next? The Churchill Fellowship has kindly given me a post-learning grant to present my findings at the European Domestic Violence Conference in Barcelona in September, and I’ve just heard that I’ve secured PhD funding to continue my research at an academic level for the next three years.

I realise I’ve yet to mention my Fellowship topic – how to reduce domestic abuse related suicides. That was accidental to start with, but I don’t feel the need to correct it, because this blog isn’t about my topic. It’s about the fact that while the travel may seem to be the most exciting part of the Fellowship, the years after you return home is actually where the power of the Churchill Fellowship can kick in – and where all the magic can happen.

If you’re just starting your Churchill Fellowship journey, I’d say this: the best might still be to come.