People and communities
Mayor of Walsall hosts mental health and domestic abuse conference
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The Mayor of Walsall, Councillor Louise Harrison hosted local charity, KaushalyaUK, at the Council House. In late January 2026, the charity held its Mental Health and Domestic Abuse Conference at Walsall Council House.
“ As a community, we have a responsibility to support and uplift those who are struggling in silence.
“Hosting the conference served as a critical step toward breaking the stigma surrounding mental health and domestic abuse and providing essential resources for those in need.
“Together, in Walsall, we can create a space for healing, understanding, and most importantly, action. “
KaushalyaUK is a local community organisation, working to empower and uplift women. The conference featured expert speakers, a Q&A session, and survivor testimonies. The event also enabled professionals working in mental health and domestic abuse specialties to network and collaborate.
Domestic abuse is defined as a single incident or pattern of abusive behaviour in any familial or intimate relationship that is used by one partner or family member to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner or family member (Domestic Abuse Act 2021). It causes damaging, long-lasting effects for victims, severely harming their mental health and emotional wellbeing. Domestic abuse is often used as an umbrella term to describe behaviours, such as:
- coercive control
- psychological and / or emotional abuse
- physical violence / or threat of physical violence
- sexual abuse or violence, e.g. rape and sexual assault
- financial or economic abuse
- harassment and stalking
- online or digital abuse
If you, or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, Walsall Council has services and resources dedicated to helping every victim. Find out more on the council's dedicate web page for domestic abuse: go.walsall.gov.uk/children-and-young-people/early-help/early-help-parents/domestic-violence-abuse
Further support is also available from other local services and charities:
- Black Country Women’s Aid - womensaid.org.uk
- NHS - nhs.uk/live-well/getting-help-for-domestic-violence
- NCDV - ncdv.org.uk
- NSPCC - learning.nspcc.org.uk
- ManKind - mankind.org.uk
- KaushalyaUK - kaushalyauk.com
