The Sharon Bryan Internship Programme honours the life and legacy of our colleague Sharon Bryan, a survivor of domestic abuse and one of the most influential advocates for victim safety and justice in England and Wales.
Sharon believed, at her core, that access to protection should never depend on wealth, confidence, or connections. She knew that for many people at risk of domestic abuse, the legal system can feel overwhelming and unreachable at the very moment it matters most. Through her work at NCDV, she worked tirelessly to bridge that gap, ensuring survivors could access not just support, but real protection, legal remedies, and safety when they needed it most.
Throughout her career, Sharon stood with survivors at every step of their journey.
From first disclosure, to navigating complex systems, to securing protection and rebuilding their lives, she believed no one should have to face those moments alone.
Her work was grounded in compassion, shaped by lived experience, and driven by an unshakeable belief in justice. Sharon saw survivors as real people, not referral numbers or cases, but as people deserving dignity, autonomy, and safety. She understood that systems matter, but when those systems are inaccessible or intimidating, people are left at risk.
This internship programme continues that mission.
The Sharon Bryan Internship Programme is about standing with survivors, every step of the way – while also shaping the trauma-informed professionals of the future. Our interns work alongside experienced practitioners, helping victims of domestic abuse secure life-saving protection orders through the courts.
Many of the people supported through this programme cannot afford a solicitor. They may not be eligible for legal aid funding, be experiencing economic abuse, or have no recourse to public funds. They would otherwise face the legal system alone or choose not to seek safety. Interns provide practical, compassionate support at moments of crisis, walking alongside survivors through legal processes that feel intimidating, and helping ensure they are not silenced, dismissed, or left unprotected.
At the same time, interns gain vital skills, experience, and ethical grounding that will shape their future careers. This programme helps to create professionals who understand trauma, who centre dignity, and who know what it truly means to stand with survivors in practice, not just in principle.
The programme:
- Expands access to justice for victims at crisis point
- Creates skilled, trauma-informed professionals for the future
- Ensures that protection is based on need, not means
- Provides a real human person in a time of crisis, not an online form
This is not just an internship. It is a living legacy.
Every intern supported in Sharon’s name represents her unwavering belief that survivors deserve safety, dignity, and justice, without barriers.
Sharon’s work lives on through every professional shaped, and every life made safer. In her name, our Interns will continue to stand with survivors, every step of the way.