'Boys are surprised we talk about this, it's become normalised'

Relationship w Workshops Петр against women. Anna Davis talks to the founder of one charity involved

- Anna Davis

WHEN Marsha Powell looks out of her office window in Lewisham, she smiles to herself when she sees a particular young woman walk briskly past on her way to work. This young woman was one of the first people helped by BelEve, the charity Ms Powell set up 15 years ago to support girls.

"When I first met her, she was unemployed and suicidal with no hope and she had experienced abuse," Ms Powell said. "She took part in a 12-week programme with us and something reignited inside her. She got her first job. She told me that although she still has problems, she has a sense of purpose."

The woman benefited from a mentor arranged by BelEve and is one of many success stories that sticks in the mind of Ms Powell, 46, who set up the charity with her two sisters after their mother died in 2011.