On Saturday 9 December, Bracknell Forest Council is holding a candlelit vigil to raise awareness of the White Ribbon Campaign and the 16 days of activism to challenge violence against women and girls. The vigil will be held in partnership with local charities, Berkshire Women’s Aid and Kaleidoscopic UK.
The vigil will also be an opportunity to reflect and remember those that have been lost due to gender-based violence, with a chance to write messages of hope.
There will be several speakers throughout the evening, including the Mayor of Bracknell Forest and the leader of the council.
The event will take place between 7pm and 8pm in Bond Square, The Lexicon. Everyone is welcome.
Mayors’ charity
Cllr Naheed Ejaz, the Mayor of Bracknell Forest, has chosen Berkshire Women’s Aid (BWA) as the charity she will support for her mayoral year. BWA will receive any charity money donated between May 2023 and May 2024.
Cllr Ejaz said:
“Berkshire Women’s Aid plays an imperative role in supporting women and children who are victims and survivors of domestic abuse. Each year it needs to raise over £1 million to continue to deliver its services. This is a huge task, but one I know the borough of Bracknell Forest can support them with.
“I hope that by raising money and awareness, it will help victims to know there is non-judgemental support out there for them, and they can contact BWA when they feel ready to talk.”
Alix Simpson, Chief Executive at Berkshire Women’s Aid, said:
“We are delighted to have been chosen as Cllr Naheed Ejaz’s mayoral charity, and we are extremely grateful for the continued support.
“In recent years, the need for domestic abuse services has increased. Our mission is to end the cycle of domestic abuse and provide survivors with practical and emotional support.
“The fundraising efforts from the Mayor and wider community will allow us to continue supporting all survivors, of all genders and communities. Thank you so much, we look forward to working together and raising awareness of domestic abuse.”
It is important to remember that BWA provides support to any victim of domestic abuse regardless of sex, ethnicity, religion, age, sexual orientation or disability.
If you are in immediate danger, call 999 and ask for the police. If you can’t speak and are calling on a mobile, press 55 to have your call transferred to the police. Find out how to call the police when you can’t speak.
White Ribbon Day
White Ribbon Day (WRD) was on Saturday, 25 November. A day which also marked the start of the 16 days of activism for ending gender-based violence, which will end on Sunday, 10 December.
WRD is promoted by White Ribbon, the UK’s leading charity engaging men and boys to end violence against women and girls. Every day, around the world, approximately 100 women die because of their gender. Society puts the onus on women to change their behaviours to avoid being assaulted, raped or murdered. The focus needs to shift to create a change in men’s behaviour towards women to stop these crimes.
In Bracknell Forest, there were 2,655 domestic abuse related incidents recorded by the police in 2022 to 2023, this is an average of 7 reports a day. You can find out more about White Ribbon Day and the support available on our website.
