Home | Living | Community safety | Chair of Portsmouth White Ribbon Group

Chair of Portsmouth White Ribbon Group

Name and job

Zoe Jackson, chair of Portsmouth White Ribbon Group

Role

The Portsmouth White Ribbon Group is a sub-group of the Portsmouth Domestic Violence and Abuse Forum, dealing with publicity and awareness-raising throughout the year.

Blog

What a fortnight! The White Ribbon Group was responsible for the organisation of events during this year’s White Ribbon fortnight, 16-28 November.

The White Ribbon campaign was started by men to show their opposition to violence against women. 25 November is now designated as White Ribbon Day and is also the United Nations' international day for the elimination of violence against women.

This year the plans for White Ribbon fortnight were our biggest yet.

We kicked off the fortnight with the first of several free training sessions, aimed at skilling up professionals to better support clients experiencing domestic abuse. These sessions went really well, with a number of participants asking for information about additional training and how they can further increase their knowledge.

As the fortnight progressed, the media interest started to gather speed. David James and Linvoy Primus (from Portsmouth Football Club) were pictured in the paper wearing their White Ribbons and adding their support to the campaign.

Members of the White Ribbon Group travelled to London on 21 November to represent Portsmouth at London’s ‘Reclaim the Night’ march. We marched with 2000 women across the streets of London in opposition to rape and violence towards women in all its forms. The streets were closed, traffic was stopped and although it was thoroughly damp it was an amazing experience.

And then it was our main event, Portsmouth’s ‘Reclaim the Night’ march on 25 November. We met at a very cold and windy Gunwharf. The Spinnaker Tower was lit purple (a colour associated with campaigns against domestic abuse/sexual violence) and looked amazing. Students from Portsmouth and Brighton universities were with us doing interviews, and TV crews and photographers captured hundreds of people wearing their purple White Ribbon T-shirts.

The Lord Mayor led off on the march and we counted around 300 people who joined us to march around the streets of Portsmouth. What an achievement! The march finished in Guildhall Square for a candlelight vigil and speakers from the local community.

Then it was straight on to two more training sessions, and more promotion for the close of White Ribbon fortnight, at the Portsmouth v Manchester United game on Saturday 28 November. Players and stewards wore white ribbons and at half time an announcement was be made encouraging the crowd to show their support for the campaign.

A fantastic end to a fantastic fortnight. The White Ribbon Group will meet again in the New Year, come along and be a part of White Ribbon 2010!

For more information contact Zoe.Jackson@portsmouthcc.gov.uk