Richmond residents are being offered free training to provide them with the tools to safely intervene when they see problematic behaviour occurring.

As part of the Safer Streets partnership and VAWG Strategy to prevent violence against women and girls, the council are offering this free training to all residents to help them safely challenge problematic behaviour when they see it and make the borough a safe place for everyone.

Behavioural and social science shows that people are most likely to listen to their peers - people they know, trust, and relate to.

It also reveals that learning more about a challenge makes it easier to tackle.

It may be necessary to approach a situation differently depending on whether you are in a personal or professional setting. To address this, the workshop is designed for the local community to equip you with knowledge, confidence, and a set of useable options to make that difference.

Active bystandership is a skill - one that can be learned and practiced helping people become active bystanders, better friends, colleagues, and neighbours.

The council are a White Ribbon accredited organisation, a global campaign that encourages people, especially men and boys, to act and change the culture that leads to abuse.

The training session will teach attendees how to:

• Define the term violence in a way that supports prevention.
• Better understand both what prevents and motivates bystander action.
• Discuss a range of safe options that make up a bystander toolkit.
• Practice their responses to a challenging situation.

Event details:

Date: Wednesday 18 January2022

Time: 6.30 to 8.30pm

Location: To be announced via Eventbrite