White Ribbon Working Group

The following members sit on this Working Group:

• Cllr Robert Hemsley– Chair
• Cllr Robert Douglas
• Cllr Mark Rogan
• Cllr Kay Wesley
• David McGifford- Congleton Town Council – Chief Officer
• Richard Walton
• Peter Munro
• Jonathan Dakin
• Mike Wesley

Purpose

To promote the White Ribbon values and behaviours as a White Ribbon Town Council. White Ribbon UK was founded in 2005 and is part of a global movement to end male violence against women. It is a charity that works with men and boys to challenge those male cultures that lead to harassment, abuse and violence.  Our Congleton goal is ‘to eradicate men’s violence against women and all gender-based violence and abuse’.

Our White Ribbon Priorities are:

• Strategic Leadership- Ensuring policy and practice is compatible with the behaviours required, and creating White Ribbon Ambassadors
• Engagement- Training Councillors and staff initially, then reaching out more widely e.g.- through Congleton Partnership
• Culture- Taking action to stamp out sexism and a willingness to report and deal with inappropriate behaviours
• Raising Awareness- Outreach into the wider community through a broader Communications Plan, encouraging other organisations to become White Ribbon Accredited

Achievements

• Eaton Bank Academy students in years 12 and 13 took part in a White Ribbon session in January 2023 delivered by Mike Wesley, Jonathan Dakin and Cllr Kay Wesley. The presentation encouraged students to challenge sexism and harassment, and join the White Ribbon Campaign. Read more: Students encouraged to be Active Bystanders
• Ambassadors have visited a number of local high schools in previous years to give White Ribbon Talks
• During the World Cup 2022, Ambassadors placed White Ribbon Posters around the town and in pubs and sports clubs.
• Ambassadors, the Police and local school students made a series of White Ribbon Videos
• The Congleton team helped the National Association of Local Council with its White Ribbon Project and it is now intending to get accreditation. We also took part in its NALC White Ribbon Video.
• The Town Council has been supportive of My Cheshire Without Abuse setting up weekly domestic abuse clinics in the Old Saw Mill. It now runs a peer support group as well as the clinic, and has had some people come to the clinic concerned about their own behaviour.

White Ribbon Day 2022

The Congleton team had a stall at the November 2022 Maker’s Market and there were activities throughout the ’16 days of activism’ against violence, including:

• Outdoor Awareness Campaign
• Ambassador Letters
• White Ribbon Conference
• Video campaign with young people and Police
• myCWA and NALC videos
• Church service at United Reformed Church
• Press coverage
• Social Media and Online

You can read more in our White Ribbon 2022 Report:

White Ribbon Day 2021

The CEO of White Ribbon UK wrote to White Ribbon Congleton to personally thank us for our activities during the 16 day national White Ribbon campaign. See the campaign report here:

A major highlight was more than 60 residents signing up to make the White Ribbon Promise.

The White Ribbon Ambassadors compiled a series of videos to explain the importance of the White Ribbon group in Congleton and how #AllMenCan step up to prevent violence and abuse. Watch the full playlist here: White Ribbon Video Playlist

Partners: This group collaborates with the following:

• myCWA- formerly Cheshire Without Abuse
• Cheshire East Council
• Congleton Partnership
• We intend to collaborate with pubs, clubs and s
• The group has a Facebook Group for men who want to discuss strategies to talk about VAWG in their peer groups. See: https://www.facebook.com/groups/congletonwhiteribbonports organisations as required to promote behaviours compatible with White Ribbon.

How Can You Help: Do you work with a community group, charity or youth group that might have some contribution to make? Do you have knowledge or ideas about shaping positive behaviours or combatting gender-based violence? Please get in touch to send us your ideas or volunteer to help, email us at info@congleton-tc.gov.uk