"I was living with my boyfriend in Sheffield until things got really bad. My boyfriend had been hitting me for a while but I finally left him when he tried to hit me when I was pregnant.
"It was the last straw. I didn't pack my things - I just left straight away without taking anything. I had to get out of there to protect myself and my baby.
"I came back to Nottingham and I didn't have anywhere safe to live - I was homeless. It was really a scary. I got in touch with Framework and I've been staying at Aidan House ever since.
Aidan House provides supported accommodation for young single homeless women with children.
"I've learned a lot about domestic violence now and looking back I can see how bad my situation was. My boyfriend didn't just hit me - he was really controlling. He wouldn't let me see my friends and he wanted to know where I was all the time. I wasn't my own person and it was scary.
"When I left, I not only lost the life I had there, but also all of my possessions. The housing authority changed the locks on my flat so that my boyfriend couldn't get in. Later on, when my Framework support worker and I arranged to visit the flat to collect my belongings, I arrived to find out that everything I owned had been thrown away. They hadn't just chucked out the practical things I bought with my own money that I still needed, like my bed, fridge, cooker and stuff. My personal belongings were also gone, like a necklace from my Grandma. I can't replace that. It felt like my entire life had been thrown away.
"Framework has given me a safe place to live at Aidan House and all the support I need to get my life back on track. Gemma, my support worker, has been brilliant. She's helped me sort out things like benefits, seeing doctors and women's services and is fighting hard for me to get compensation for the belongings I've lost.
"I've had my baby now - a beautiful little girl - and she is my number one priority. The most important thing now is for us to have a safe and secure place to move on to, with everything we need to live independently again."
Name changed to protect identity
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