Parkrun takeovers launch campaign to end violence against women and girls
16 Oct 2024 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news
Get involved with the 16 Days of Activism or find out about domestic abuse support services here
Northumberland County Council and its partners are taking over five local parkruns to launch an annual campaign to end domestic abuse and violence against women and girls.
One in four women and one in six men will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime.
Eight women in England and Wales are killed each month by a current or former partner and more than 105,000 children are living in homes where there is high-risk domestic abuse.
The council is inviting runners to sign up for the parkruns and to wear the campaign colour of orange, which represents a brighter future.
It’s also keen to hear from members of the community who would like to volunteer as marshals and receive training on to how to signpost others to support services.
The takeover will build on the success of last year’s events, which attracted hundreds of supporters, and will mark the start of a programme of activities taking place over the 16 days.
Cllr Wendy Pattison, Cabinet member for Caring for Adults, said: “We want Northumberland to be a safe place for everyone.
“It was fantastic to see so many people get involved with the campaign last year and we hope even more will join us this year and pledge action whether that be in your home, workplace or community.”
The United Nations’s 16 Days of Activism begins on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls, known as White Ribbon Day, and runs until December 10, Human Rights Day.
As a White Ribbon accredited organization, the council will fly the White Ribbon flag outside County Hall in Morpeth for the 16 days.
To launch the campaign, on Saturday November 23 there will be parkrun takeovers at:
- Newbiggin-by-the-Sea parkrun
This year, the White Ribbon campaign message is: “it starts with men” and calls for men to hold themselves accountable to women, and to each other, to affect positive behaviour change to transform harmful cultures.
Teams from the council, its partners, and community volunteers will be marshalling the routes.
The marshals will be on hand to raise awareness about Northumberland’s Integrated Domestic Abuse Support Service which is provided by Harbour, NDAS, Acorns and Cygnus Support, along with regional services Rape Crisis Tyneside and Northumberland (RCTN) and Findaway.
They will also be inviting people to sign up to become White Ribbon ambassadors and champions to help end violence against women and girls.
Among the volunteer marshals are Young Leaders from Bedlington-based youth provider Leading Link.
The charity’s team of Young Leaders give up their spare time to run community activities for other young people.
As well as marshalling on the day, they are also taking part in sessions to talk about issues related to White Ribbon, violence against women and girls, any gender -based violence and the role everyone can play in bringing about culture change.
Chris Johnson, Operations Manager at Leading Link, said: “Our young leaders are delighted to be involved once again in these parkrun takeovers and to help raise awareness of what everyone can do to help end domestic abuse and violence against women and girls.
"Their enthusiasm and passion to get involved in the local community is the power behind Leading Link and we’re very proud of the role they play in supporting and inspiring other young people in our communities.”
Get involved with the 16 Days of Activism or find out about domestic abuse support services here