Anna Hardy

Anna is British born to Polish parents and is tri-lingual; speaking Polish, English and Farsi/ Iranian. She has lived in Iran for 16yrs and has first hand experience of the issues faced by South Asian, Middle Eastern and Eastern European women having lived through the isolation, emotional and physical abuse, family honour and shame as well as revolution and war.

Anna currently acts as a support worker predominantly for male victims prior to which she was a dedicated volunteer for many years. Anna's current role also involves speaking at conferences and in workshops on the issues of forced marriage and honour based violence.

Anna also held the role of lead project researcher during a Community Engagement Project, with a particular focus on the mental health and well being needs of South Asian women re-settling in Derby following domestic violence.

The ability to help people is close to her heart and Anna's finds it is empathy that motivates her full involvement and dedication in order to find ways of helping others and effecting change.

Anna is married and has two children and enjoys gardening and reading (non fiction) in her spare time.