Can you explain why having cash easily accessible was important in your past?
I was really young when I got married. I was too young to know any better really, and it turned out to be an abusive relationship. Having a shared bank account was just what we thought people did. So in order to escape, I had to save up cash from a child benefit that I collected from the Post Office every other week. Eventually, I saved enough to escape and start a new life for myself and my children. Because of that, I know the importance of having access to cash as a lifeline.

Do you feel that cash is still important for a way out of a potentially abusive relationship?
Yes. Not everyone is in a stable situation, and there must be loads of people out there who need an emergency fund. There are a lot of women and men who are abused by their partners, and even if they have their own bank account there are ways to take control of that. If we didn’t have cash, those people would be prisoners.

What about these days - do you still rely on cash?
I work in a creative field. Most people expect to pay me in cash, because they know I work at home. I’m a small business owner and having cash takes the worry out of having a card machine or accepting other forms of digital payment.