The Women’s Quilt - Alumna nominated for Community Servant Award
8 February 2018
NTU alumna Roxanne Ellis (BA Hons Politics 2012) has been nominated for a Community Servant Award at this year’s Pride of Gedling Awards, in recognition of her campaign to raise awareness of domestic violence against women.
According to the Femicide Census by the charity Women's Aid, 598 women were killed by current or ex-partners between 2009 and 2015.
This number shocked Roxanne into action, and in January 2017 she decided to create a quilt made of 598 patches – one dedicated to each of the women who lost their lives. The campaign has attracted international attention and patches have been donated by people from around the world. By March 2017, the quilt had enough patches to make an appearance outside Parliament on International Women’s Day.
The quilt has continued to grow and now has 700 patches. Roxanne has toured the country with it, raising more than £2,000 for domestic abuse charities.
She said: “You know academically that two women a week are killed but it does not hit you emotionally until you see those names in front of you with aspects of their personality on the quilt.
“Making this quilt has been mind-blowing, I did not expect it all to happen so quickly.
“It has helped some people start conversations about what has happened to them. It has changed people’s lives.
“Every time we get it out we see something new and it affects you in a different way.
“It is such an honour to tell these women’s stories.”
Roxanne, who is also a Labour councillor for Ernehale at Gedling Borough Council, has now been nominated for a Community Servant Award at this year’s Pride of Gedling Awards in recognition of her hard work. The awards take place at Gedling Civic Centre on Thursday 29 March.