standing tall: westminster schools domestic violence prevention project, 2010

I worked in domestic violence / domestic abuse prevention for a long time, starting in 2008 with the magnificent Tender. I still do the odd workshop with them and my grounding in the dynamics of power and control and the functionality of abuse is something which informs all of the work I do today. And it certainly informs my feminism and commitment to supporting women and girls (cis and trans) against gender based violence. From 2010-2011 I was employed to lead the Westminster Schools DV Prevention in Schools Project with Action for Children and in collaboration with a local NHS trust. It was a project which had been dormant for a few years. I re-started it, branded it as Standing Tall and rolled it out across Westminster Primary and Secondary Schools as an arts based project which encompassed creative and discursive workshops with pupils, awareness training for teaching and support staff, and free educational resources. Sadly I believe it is now dormant once more, but still much needed.

Because I don’t think these can be in too many places here are a list of support services in no particular order.

Support Services

NB Some of these may not be trans / non-binary inclusive. I have endeavoured only to include those which are but if you know something I do not please inform me.

National 24-hour Domestic Violence Helpline 0808 2000 247

This is run in partnership by Women’s Aid & Refuge This is a free advice line offering practical advice and information on what to do if a child, young person or woman wants to leave a perpetrator. Calls are free and do not show up on BT landline phone bills. Refuges provide emergency housing for women and children.

Galop: National LGBTQ+ Domestic Violence Helpline 0800 9995 428

This helpline is for LGBT+ people who have or are experiencing domestic abuse. They are also there for people supporting a survivor of domestic abuse; friends, families and those working with a survivor.

ChildLine 0800 1111

This is a free and confidential line staffed by trained councillors for children and young people. It is available 24 hours a day and it does not show up on landline or mobile phone bills.

The Hide Out

This is a website which has separate sections for children and young people. It includes advice and information as well as interactive forums and activities for young children.

Please note: On many advice websites there is a button which allows the user to ‘cover their tracks.’ Once clicked the page disappears and becomes a Google home-page. The websites also have information on how to delete it from the computer’s search history. Take a moment to have a look at these websites so you can show a friend, survivor, child or young person how to use these facilities.