NORTH WALES Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Andy Dunbobbin has pledged his continued support for White Ribbon Day, which aims to end men’s violence against women and girls. White Ribbon Day, for which Mr Dunbobbin is an Ambassador, is a widely recognised global movement and falls on November 25. In the UK the day is spearheaded by White Ribbon UK, the leading charity engaging men and boys to end violence against women and girls.
The White Ribbon charity’s mission is to prevent violence against women and girls by addressing its root causes and changing long established, and harmful, attitudes, systems and behaviours around masculinity that perpetuate gender inequality and men’s violence against women.
As part of his role, PCC Dunbobbin commissions several services which offer advice and support to women experiencing domestic abuse at the hands of men, such as the Domestic Abuse Safety Unit (DASU) and the Victim Help Centre. DASU provides a range of confidential quality services that value and respect survivors of Domestic Abuse and the Victim Help Centre is a one-stop-shop for victims across the whole of North Wales and is based within at divisional police HQ in St Asaph.
Mr Dunbobbin recently visited DASU at its base in Colwyn Bay with Senedd Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, Mabon ap Gwynfor and his colleague Beca Brown, Councillor for Llanrug on Cyngor Gwynedd. The group met Gaynor McKeown, CEO of DASU, and her team to discuss the services they offer and the huge importance of having the right services in place to support victims of domestic abuse. The group also heard about how more older victims of domestic abuse are coming forward in recent years and how the huge rise in misogyny among younger people is affecting girls in schools across North Wales.
The same day, on a visit to their base, PCC Dunbobbin and Mr ap Gwynfor also heard from the team at the Victim Help Centre how they offer advice to victims of crime and also how they organise the North Wales Victim’s Panel, where victims are able to offer feedback on their experience of crime and the criminal justice process. This is so it can be made to work better for the victim.
Andy Dunbobbin, Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales commented: “I was pleased to meet the teams from DASU and the Victim Help Centre, who shared their expertise and experiences with Mabon and Beca.
“The visit was also an opportunity to show our collective commitment to White Ribbon Day and the campaign to end violence against women and girls.
“Ending this kind of violence is a personal mission of mine and it forms a core part of my Police and Crime Plan for North Wales. The services I commission as PCC, such as DASU and the Victim Help Centre, offer support and advice to victims of domestic abuse across North Wales and I know how valued their work is.
“As a White Ribbon Ambassador, I am determined to play my part in bringing all gender-based violence to an end both in North Wales and beyond.”
Gaynor McKeown, CEO, DASU, said: “We are really pleased that the PCC, Mabon ap Gwynfor and his colleague Beca Brown were able to visit our offices and one of our refuges to see the lifesaving work we do.
“The PCC has been a huge supporter of our work and that of RASASC North Wales through his tenure, providing both organisations with most of our funding.
“We were pleased to be able to further raise awareness of VAWG with representatives from the Senedd to showcase our work and so we can work together to continue to provide these critical services to all victims of VAWG in Wales.”
Sioned Jacobsen, Senior Operations Manager at Victim Support North Wales, said: “White Ribbon Day is a vital reminder that ending violence against women and girls means challenging harmful attitudes and behaviours.
“The Victim Help Centre, delivered by Victim Support, provides free, confidential and independent support to anyone affected by crime across North Wales, whether or not they’ve reported it.
“Every day, we see the impact of domestic abuse and gender-based violence and we work tirelessly to help victims feel safe, heard and supported.
“By working closely with the PCC and partners like DASU, we ensure victims’ voices shape services and that together we create a safer, more respectful community for all.“
Read more on the White Ribbon Day website.
