White Ribbon Middlesbrough

The White Ribbon campaign is an international campaign encouraging men to ‘never commit, excuse, or remain silent about male violence against women’. Middlesbrough Council is a White Ribbon Council, which means we have been assessed by the UK White Ribbon campaign as having a robust, year-round action plan of activities. We call this the Middlesbrough White Ribbon Partnership.

The action plan is working towards educating Middlesbrough’s boys and men that abuse can be emotional, financial control, coercive, and sexual, as well as physical abuse; and that they have a responsibility to take action if they, or someone they know, are being abusive to their partners.

We are doing this because boys and men are best placed to notice the behaviour of their peers. They are able to speak to their friends about their actions in open and trusted conversations that a practitioner of either gender, or a female friend, might not be able to have. Men have a responsibility to challenge negative attitudes and promote positive attitudes towards women, and help break down any barriers to addressing violence against women.

We are making sure that the culture of Middlesbrough supports the White Ribbon ethos.

We have developed a domestic abuse policy for staff, which includes recognising and providing support to victims, and support and challenge for perpetrators of domestic abuse. In addition we have encouraged male staff to take the White Ribbon pledge.

We have ensured that all front line staff have received level 3 domestic abuse training.

We have developed a Tees-wide VWAG (violence against women and girls) communications strategy to ensure all awareness-raising is coordinated and consistent, and have published leaflets and information publicising the campaigns.

Every year we promote the International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women and White Ribbon Campaign on November 25th.

We are doing a lot in Middlesbrough.

We are helping to support and train Domestic Abuse ‘Safe Place’ Champions. Champions promote domestic abuse awareness in their workplace or department. They also feel confident in recognising abuse when they are working with members of community or employees who might be experiencing it, and they understand the routes for reporting it.

We have worked with high profile sports teams, such as Middlesbrough Football Club, and role models, elected members, and community leaders to promote the campaign to men as part of media campaigns.

We use popular Middlesbrough icons to highlight VWAG activities and campaigns, for example changing the colour of the Centre Square fountain.

We run high profile campaigns in partnership with the PCC and other local authorities on 25 November, but also throughout the year to raise awareness of different forms of abuse and promote options for perpetrators to stop and change their behaviour. Our media opportunities and social media campaigns link to those promoted by White Ribbon UK.

Men can take the pledge by visiting the White Ribbon website.

You can become a Domestic Abuse ‘Safe Place’ Champion for your team. Contact Claire Moore, domestic abuse lead for Middlesbrough Council, on 01642 728691 for more information.

You can become part of the Tees-wide VWAG communications steering group and help support activities planned throughout the year.

Everyone can get involved with the campaign on November 25th, by contacting Middlesbrough Domestic Abuse Strategic Partnership.

Claire Moore, domestic abuse lead for Middlesbrough Council, can be contacted on 01642 728691 or by email to claire_moore@middlesbrough.gov.uk. For more information you can look at Middlesbrough Council’s domestic abuse pages, and the White Ribbon website.