Pupils take up White Ribbon campaign
Posted on Tuesday 31st March 2015
Pupils from Crindau Primary School and St Julian's Secondary School have been recognised at an award ceremony at Newport Civic Centre for their work to promote the White Ribbon Campaign - which aims to raise awareness, primarily among young people, on the issue of domestic abuse.
Since obtaining White Ribbon status in September, Newport City Council has held a number of workshops in primary and secondary schools across the city on the issue of bullying and abuse in the home. The workshops, in partnership with Women's Aid, are intended to reinforce some of the key messages of the White Ribbon Campaign; that young men should not condone or commit domestic abuse against women nor stay silent when they know that someone is being abused.
During the workshops, children were asked to design a poster that would make people sit up and take notice of the very serious problem of domestic violence which affects 1 in 4 women in England and Wales. The posters will also serve as a deterrent to the perpetrators of these crimes and provide important contact details for women living with domestic abuse.
Commenting, Newport City Councillor Deb Davies and lead member for White Ribbon said, "Informing young people about domestic abuse is vital if we're serious about tackling this problem, not only in terms of learning the importance of respect in relationships but also, knowing what support is available for children living with domestic abuse."
She added, "The standard of the pupils' artwork in the poster competition was extremely high and choosing our winners was far from easy. I hope that the young students who attended the award ceremony at our wonderful Civic Centre enjoyed the occasion and the presentation of certificates by the Mayor of Newport, Councillor Mathew Evans.
Closing Councillor Davies said, "The public will soon be able to appreciate for themselves, the artistic endeavours of Newport's pupils, with all the shortlisted posters being displayed at council facilities across the city such as libraries and leisure centres. More importantly their work will highlight the very serious issue of domestic abuse. And a special mention and congratulations should go to our winners; Tyler Harris from Crindau Primary School and Autumn Bodman from St Julian's."