Circles South West marks Sexual Violence Awareness Week
Sexual Abuse & Sexual Violence Awareness takes place from 5th-22th February. #ITSNOTOK
Sexual Abuse & Sexual Violence Awareness Week is the UK’s national week to raise awareness of sexual abuse and violence. It provides an opportunity for anyone who wants to use their voice to join a conversation with thousands of others. Together, we can amplify the voices that should be heard, spotlight support services, and engage those outside of the sector in the discussion.
The idea for a designated week emerged from the realization that many organizations working in the sector of sexual abuse & violence were investing time, resources, and funding into developing campaigns that were not reaching enough of the public. These campaigns were powerful and informative, but they needed to be elevated.
During the Awareness Week, hundreds of events take place, both online and in person, all over the country to raise awareness of sexual abuse & violence. Organizations, charities, schools, businesses, community groups, and individuals host events to promote healthy discussions with regards to sexual abuse & sexual violence as well as shine a spotlight on what is normally a very hidden subject.
The week is also about challenging myths about rape, sexual abuse, and sexual violence which can make it difficult for victims to talk to anyone or seek support.
Circles South West are marking this important week with, amongst other events, the launch of the new Volunteer Portal on our website. This dedicated space will provide volunteers with all of our policies and procedures, a copy of our comprehensive handbook and workbook, resources and links that might be useful in their work along with downloadable documents they use.
We expect the introduction of this valuable tool to offer numerous advantages. It provides a centralized platform where volunteers can access all necessary information, reducing the need for manual communication and increasing efficiency. The portal has been tailored to meet the specific needs of our organisation, ensuring that it provides the most relevant and useful features.
Furthermore, we hope this portal can enhance the volunteer experience by making it easier to access everything volunteers need in their day-to-day life – leaving them time to experience more of the positives of volunteering.
Our coordinators will be busy this week as they will be presenting our bespoke Harmful Sexual Behaviour Training in Dorset and attending a community engagement event to raise awareness of not only the work the charity does, but also the wider message of safety in our communities.
We are also delighted to be involved in the Trevi Conference in Devon. This year the subject is ‘The Pornography Effect’ and it is focussed on shining a spotlight on the harmful effects and impact of pornography within society, asking what we should do about it.
It is an online conference and everybody is welcome to attend. To register for your space please do so here: The Pornography Effect Online Conference – Trevi
Make sure you join the conversation on social media to show your support for this vitally important week and raise your voice to say #ITSNOTOK.
