White Ribbon Domestic Abuse Campaign

This month sees the start of an international campaign designed to raise awareness of domestic abuse and the Blackpool Domestic Abuse Partnership is lending its full support to the initiative. 

The White Ribbon and 16 Days of Action Campaign begins on 25th November, International Day Against Violence Against Women, and runs until 10th December, International Human Rights Day, to symbolically link gender violence and human rights.  The point is to emphasise that such violence is a violation of human rights.  Whilst we recognise that anyone can suffer domestic abuse, regardless of gender or sexuality, the aim of this campaign is to raise awareness of domestic abuse against women.

The Blackpool Domestic Abuse Partnership would like to invite you to support the campaign by wearing a white ribbon.  The ribbons are available free of charge from Bonny Street Police Station and Blackpool Football Club shop.  Through the White Ribbon and 16 Days of Action Campaign, the Blackpool Domestic Abuse Partnership aims to further raise awareness of domestic abuse and promote services available to help those affected by it.  By agreeing to wear a ribbon you would be helping towards the goal of bringing domestic abuse to an end in Blackpool.

DI Tony Baxter (PPU), DS Lee Wilson (PPU, Domestic Violence Unit),
Andrea Thorley-Baines (Domestic Abuse Policy Co-ordinator)

The white ribbons represent the largest effort in the world of men working to end men’s violence against women.  It urges males to pledge to ‘never commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women’ by wearing a white ribbon.

Although domestic abuse is often a taboo subject, it is a very serious and widespread issue.  1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men will suffer domestic abuse at some point in their lives and an incident is reported to the police every minute, although less than 35% of domestic abuse incidents are ever reported.  In Blackpool, there are more that 4,000 reported incidents of domestic abuse every year and domestic abuse accounts for more than 28% of all violent crime in the town.

This campaign is being supported by Councillors, Directors and Assistant Directors of Blackpool Council, the Mayor of Blackpool, Police, Blackpool Football Club and a large number of local businesses.