The Hollie Gazzard Trust was created following the murder of 20-year-old Hollie Gazzard in 2014 by an ex-partner. Set up by parents Nick and Mandy, along with sister Chloe, the charity helps reduce domestic violence by creating and delivering programmes on domestic abuse and promoting healthy relationships to schools and colleges. The ultimate aim of the Trust is to positively change the lives of young people through partnerships in communities, as well as working alongside other charities and professional agencies. (2024, Home – Hollie Gazzard Trust).
Sara began the session by introducing herself and explaining what her role is, how she knew Hollie, and giving an overview of the talk. Due to the sensitive nature of the topic, the parents were given a trigger warning. Sara went on to play a video of reconstructed events leading to the stabbing of Hollie by her abusive partner and interviews with family members and friends of Hollie’s.
The families sat in silence as they watched and began to recognise some of the obvious and subtle signs of coercive control and stalking. Sara gave descriptions of the various forms of domestic abuse and signposted organisations that can help, and briefly spoke about the Hollie App, which is available to download onto a mobile if you, have concerns about personal safety.
Parents found the talk very informative and said they had learnt ‘how to spot the red flags in a toxic relationship and who to go to for support’. Another parent said she will share the information she had learnt so other women could be protected.