Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe advertising the White Ribbon Day promise during a visit to the Justice Centre in Leamington.
The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Warwickshire has been granted White Ribbon Accreditation to mark its ongoing commitment to ending men’s violence against women across the county.
The Commissioner’s office is a key contributor to the Warwickshire Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy, as well as co-commissioning the county’s domestic violence support service from Refuge, as well as a wide range of other support services from specialists such as Safeline, Barnardo’s and Victim Support.
Work to tackle violence against women and girls also features as a key area of focus in the Commissioner’s Police and Crime Plan for Warwickshire.
By achieving White Ribbon Accreditation in its own right, the Commissioner’s office is re-affirming these multi-year plans to help eliminate attitudes and behaviours that lead to violence against women. White Ribbon Accreditation is an opportunity to underline that workplaces must be a safe place for men and women and to upskill staff to become changemakers.
As part of the accreditation, Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe has become the office’s White Ribbon Ambassador, reaffirming the promise he has made on previous White Ribbon Days to never use, excuse or remain silent about men’s violence against women and girls.
On White Ribbon Day itself (Saturday 25 November), Mr Seccombe will be joining the Warwickshire Federation of Women’s Institutes vigil against violence at Warwick Market Square, helping to encourage more men to take the promise, as well as helping promote the support available to help those affected by violence.
Commenting on the White Ribbon Accreditation, Mr Seccombe said: “I’m delighted that my office has achieved the White Ribbon Accreditation as a Supporter Organisation. It underlines the seriousness with which we take the mission to end violence against women and girls, which has been a key part of my Police and Crime Plans for Warwickshire since I took office.
“It’s vitally important that men in particular help to change the story for women and girls and never commit, excuse or stay silent about violence. As a White Ribbon Ambassador myself, I am keen to get this message out widely across communities in Warwickshire, as well as continuing to ensure that there is high quality support available to help victims and survivors of violence.”
Anthea Sully, Chief Executive of White Ribbon UK said, “White Ribbon Accredited Organisations can make a real difference towards ending violence against women by promoting a culture of respect and equality among their staff and wider communities. By raising awareness among employees, people can learn how to become allies and call out violent and abusive behaviour when they see it. We are delighted to welcome the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Warwickshire as one of our White Ribbon Accredited Organisations and are looking forward to working with them towards ending violence against women once and for all”.
White Ribbon Day also marks the start of the global 16 Days of Action Against Domestic Violence. The Commissioner’s office is supporting the campaign with county partners, with the message for victims and survivors of domestic abuse that ‘you are not alone’.
For help and information about how to report domestic abuse and how to get help in Warwickshire, visit www.talk2someone.org.uk or call the helpline on 0800 408 1552.
