Speak Out Against Emotional Abuse Awareness Event
On Friday 18th July the Speak Out project had its launch event.
The Speak Out project is a new initiative to raise awareness about emotional abuse in young people’s relationships. Starbucks Youth Action has funded the project with the first half of funding allocated for an awareness event.
The Speak Out project is now combined with Girls Making History. The event was held at The Station youth centre in Bristol, from 5.30 – 8pm and consisted of talks and stalls from different relevant organisations across Bristol.
The evening was opened by TV star, Richard Mylan, from Waterloo Road who spoke about his personal feelings towards the issue and how BBC Three’s Murdered By My Boyfriend, a drama about real life teenage domestic violence, had affected him. Next Chlo, 17-year old founder of Speak Out, spoke about her own experiences of domestic abuse and why she had started the project.
The Speak Out project is a new initiative to raise awareness about emotional abuse in young people’s relationships. Starbucks Youth Action has funded the project with the first half of funding allocated for an awareness event.
The Speak Out project is now combined with Girls Making History. The event was held at The Station youth centre in Bristol, from 5.30 – 8pm and consisted of talks and stalls from different relevant organisations across Bristol.
The evening was opened by TV star, Richard Mylan, from Waterloo Road who spoke about his personal feelings towards the issue and how BBC Three’s Murdered By My Boyfriend, a drama about real life teenage domestic violence, had affected him. Next Chlo, 17-year old founder of Speak Out, spoke about her own experiences of domestic abuse and why she had started the project.
The first two talks were from Jess Dicken from 4YP Bristol who gave an introduction to issue and how young people can support their friends through it. There was also a stand-up-sit-down quiz on statistics. And Laura Brain for Off The Record’s Mentality Project, who spoke about the links between abuse and mental health and showed a short video.
Now an hour into the event attendees were invited to look around the stalls (4YP Bristol, The Mentality Project, Brook, Avon and Somerset Police, Girls Making History, Next Link and Creative Youth Network) who had lots of interactive activities to participate in. There were also refreshments including free coffee and snacks from Starbucks.
At 7pm everyone reconvened for the second talks. First Becky Lewis from Barnardos who gave an insight into the abuse and pressure girls face in gang culture and how Barnardos can support you. The last talk was DCI Carolyn Belafonte and safeguarding unit supervisor Victoria Caple from Avon and Somerset police. They expressed their concern at the number of people who have had bad experiences for the police and emphasised how the police really do want to support victims of all forms of domestic violence.
Now an hour into the event attendees were invited to look around the stalls (4YP Bristol, The Mentality Project, Brook, Avon and Somerset Police, Girls Making History, Next Link and Creative Youth Network) who had lots of interactive activities to participate in. There were also refreshments including free coffee and snacks from Starbucks.
At 7pm everyone reconvened for the second talks. First Becky Lewis from Barnardos who gave an insight into the abuse and pressure girls face in gang culture and how Barnardos can support you. The last talk was DCI Carolyn Belafonte and safeguarding unit supervisor Victoria Caple from Avon and Somerset police. They expressed their concern at the number of people who have had bad experiences for the police and emphasised how the police really do want to support victims of all forms of domestic violence.
The young people at the event were then asked to complete their Highway Code sticker sheets they’d been working through out the evening. A game invented by the Girls Making History project to encourage recognition of the early signs of abuse. Winners were announced at 8pm as the event ended.
We were delighted with the turn out of young people at the event (especially considering we were competing with Bristol’s Harbor Festival and a very hot day!) and hope to engage with many of the young people and organisations involved in the future.
The event gained coverage from Rife Magazine who live-tweeted throughout the evening as well as Heart Radio and BCFM.
The Speak Out Project is now starting work on delivering workshops, raising awareness about emotional abuse in local schools and youth groups. As well as looking into the start up of a support group for young people.
We were delighted with the turn out of young people at the event (especially considering we were competing with Bristol’s Harbor Festival and a very hot day!) and hope to engage with many of the young people and organisations involved in the future.
The event gained coverage from Rife Magazine who live-tweeted throughout the evening as well as Heart Radio and BCFM.
The Speak Out Project is now starting work on delivering workshops, raising awareness about emotional abuse in local schools and youth groups. As well as looking into the start up of a support group for young people.
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