A new campaign begins today, 13th Dec 2021, following on from the 16 Days of Action for domestic abuse and will raise awareness of the support services across Warwickshire and Coventry with an emphasis on Sexual Assault and Abuse.
The campaign will run until 28th March 2022 and can be found using #16weeksofaction.
Cllr Margaret Bell, Warwickshire County Council, Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Health said: “There is no place for domestic abuse and sexual violence in Warwickshire and Coventry. We stand with our colleagues in Coventry to help promote the services available to victims and to provide support and guidance throughout the 16 weeks campaign.
Over the course of the 16 weeks, each of the local support services will take a lead on promoting what they do to get messages out to local communities. You will see the messages go out across social media channels as well as council and policing websites.
Warwickshire and Coventry have been collaborating to improve access to services for victims and survivors of sexual assault and abuse following the NHS Strategic Direction for Sexual Assault and Abuse Services published in 2018.
Caroline Ryder, Programme Manager for Violence Prevention in Public Health said: “We need to get the message out that help is available. We want everyone to feel confident to come forward and report crime, but understand that for some, there are barriers to reporting. You don’t have to report to access help and support though.”
If you have been raped or sexually assaulted, it is important to speak to someone about the assault as soon as possible in order to get support. The Blue-Sky Centre offers free & confidential advice about next steps. They can be contacted on 0800 970 0370 or visit the website www.blueskycentre.org.uk
Follow and repost #16weeksofaction to spread the word and raise awareness.
If you have been victim of sexual assault or abuse in Warwickshire or Coventry, contact the Police on 101 or if you don’t want to report to the Police you can contact Blue Sky Centre on 0192 6507805 24/7 365 days per year.
If you live in Warwickshire you can also access the Warwickshire Domestic Violence and Abuse Service, which can be accessed by going to https://www.refuge.org.uk/our-work/our-services/refuge-warwickshire-domestic-violence-service/. You can also contact RoSA (Rape or Sexual Assault support) on 01788 551151 or Safeline 0808 800 5008 for advice (both services are available, Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm). You can also access support via the talk2someone.org.uk website.
If you live in Coventry please contact CRASAC Helpline on 02476277777 for advice- Monday to Friday 10am – 2pm, Monday and Thursday 6pm-8pm.