Social Media Influencer Uses TikTok Earnings to Supply Women’s Refuge

A social media influencer is contributing to Christmas spirit by allocating her earnings to acquire provisions for a local domestic violence refuge. Katie Tradie, aged 30, is utilizing the revenue generated from her TikTok account during the current month to purchase vital provisions intended to assist women affected by domestic abuse. “I’ve been in bad positions myself and a lot of my followers are mums. Sometimes they leave with only the clothes on their back,” she said. Ms Tradie had previously drawn upon her personal savings for the initial contribution, given that she experiences a one-month delay in receiving funds from her TikTok videos. During an interview with Radio Wales Drive, Ms Tradie mentioned that following earlier financial difficulties, her family is now in a position to offer assistance to others. She remarked, “Everyone forgets about the mums and the women in these situations.” Identified online as The Tradie Wife, Ms Tradie possesses a following of nearly 440k and commented that her videos are “taking on a life of their own,” having increased her fundraising from £250 pounds to £1,000 since the beginning of the month. She further stated, “I’m so glad it’s raising awareness, it makes me happy people are thinking of donating to their local refuge because of it.” The contributions directed to Thresold DAS refuge centre in Llanelli, an organization that aids domestic abuse victims, consist of crucial items ranging from pyjamas to toothbrushes. Ms Tradie remarked, “Sometimes they’ve only got the clothes on their back.” She earns approximately 27p per 1,000 views, indicating that widely shared videos have the potential to generate hundreds of pounds. Her everyday content ranges from charity shop hauls to day-in-the-life vlogs; however, she notes that the videos related to donations have garnered the highest engagement, accumulating three million views in total. Ms Tradie also mentioned that friends and retail staff mobilized to provide assistance. Victoria Pedicini, 53, an employee at Threshold DAS for 25 years, commented: “We get lots of donations over the years, but this has really touched us, actually, what Katie is doing.” “It’s not any easy environment for families to move into, children are taken away from all that they know. It’s a lifeline for those affected.” “All the help she is having through people following her, liking and sharing, they are all making a difference for those experiencing domestic abuse.” For individuals impacted by any of the aforementioned issues, information regarding relevant organizations is available on the BBC Action Line website. Further reporting was provided by Tom Phipps. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not accountable for the content of external sites. Details concerning their approach to external linking can be found.