Football clubs across Tameside are helping to highlight a message for everyone to team together to end violence against women and girls.

White Ribbon Day on Friday (25 November) falls on the same week as the start of the FIFA men’s World Cup and provides a high profile opportunity to encourage men as well as the wider community to support #TheGoal of ending gender-based violence.

Tameside Council is supporting the national campaign and is working with Hyde United FC, Ashton United FC, Curzon Ashton FC and Stalybridge Celtic to help raise awareness with banners, posters and messages in their match programmes and social media channels.

Council licensing officers are also distributing beer mats and posters in pubs to support the White Ribbon message as well as providing anti-drink spiking devices.

Bridges, Tameside’s local domestic abuse support service, is also sharing awareness raising information with pubs, which will be screening the world cup, as well as private hire cab drivers.

The White Ribbon promotional materials being shared in Tameside include contact details of local domestic abuse support services, which are available for everyone of any age or gender. For further information click here or call 0800 328 0967. In an emergency, you should always call 999.

White Ribbon Day marks the start of 16 days of action against violence against women and girls, which ends on 10 December, International Human Rights Day. During this period, the council will be supporting Greater Manchester’s #IsthisOkay? Campaign to tackle sexual harassment and gender-based violence of women and girls by challenging the behaviours of men and boys.

Tameside Council Executive Member for Population Health Cllr Eleanor Wills said: “The World Cup and local football clubs and pubs are a great way of reaching our local community – and especially men – with the message that we all need to stand together against violence towards women and girls, so I’m really grateful to them for getting involved.

“Domestic violence can happen to anyone of any gender, background or age and there is support available for everyone. However, our insights show us that the majority of victims are women and supporting national campaigns such as White Ribbon Day are an important part of our wider awareness raising work to make domestic abuse everyone’s business and highlight how people can get help.”

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