Skip to main content

Taking the anti-violence message into pubs

Rochford District Council is backing a local initiative in Rayleigh campaigning to end men’s violence against women and girls.

White Ribbon UK is the leading charity in Britain engaging with men and boys to end violence against women and girls.

This new local initiative supports the White Ribbon message with specially produced bar runners encouraging men to challenge friends or work colleagues about inappropriate behaviour towards women. The runners have a QR code for men to pledge to the White Ribbon promise.

The project is organised by Pubwatch, a collective of pub managers and owners in Rayleigh who meet regularly to reduce crime and disorder associated with alcohol related crime, with support from the Council's Community Safety Partnership fund.

Cllr Arthur Williams, Portfolio Holder for Communities & Health, said:

“The Council is supporting this important campaign and the need to educate men and boys on their responsibilities to ensuring public safety for women. My thanks to follow councillor, Lisa Newport, who has been leading on highlighting this issue in the District.”

Savannah Jenkins from the White Ribbon Charity said:

“This initiative by Rochford District Council is a great way to raise awareness about men’s violence against women in settings where anti-social behaviours can be encouraged and fuelled by peer pressure and alcohol. The White Ribbon pub runners are an excellent example of how local councils and businesses can work together to spread the White Ribbon message in their communities.”

For more on the White Ribbon Campaign go to White Ribbon Day 2022 — White Ribbon UK

Help is available for anybody suffering abuse, please visit the Refuge website.