00:02Here at Anfield Sports and Community Centre, around 80 girls have come together for an event focused on educating young
00:08people about violence against women and girls.
00:11We do a broad month of action in schools really to consolidate that. This is just a bit of a
00:15snapshot really, but the hope is that these organisations and partners will be invited back to school to be able
00:20to do that extended session really.
00:22The day was hosted by Mayerside Police in partnership with LFC Foundation. Workshops covered a wide range of topics including
00:29healthy relationships, consent, self-esteem, online safety and exploitation.
00:34I am going to be talking about the ripple effect of gun crime, the ripple effect that it can have
00:39not just on a media family, but on the wider friendship groups, work colleagues, school friends, neighbours, etc, etc. It
00:49goes on and on and on.
00:50Students from St Julie's presented a hard-hitting performance which tackled gun crime, relationships and no-grass culture.
00:56I just think it's important to show that with the girls, when to recognise that they're being manipulated into gang
01:02and with the, because it is majority, like boys, to recognise that being in a gang and carrying weapons and
01:10keeping stuff a secret because they're scared of being in a grass isn't OK because it's doing a lot more
01:16harm than they realise.
01:18You might think that it's not doing anything, but in reality it's a big impact. One small thing starts a
01:22chain and that big chain can lead to something more, something bigger and something different.
01:27So, yeah, I just hope that they take from it, that telling somebody what's going on isn't being a grass.
01:33I hope that, like, the girls realise that, like, it's OK to speak up if you're getting manipulated and you
01:40can speak to anyone because it's important that you do before it becomes a big cycle and it's OK to
01:44break that cycle so it doesn't carry on.
01:46Julie Dale's daughter, Ashley, a 28-year-old environmental health worker was shot dead in her home in 2022.
01:52Julie's been sharing her lived experience with students in a powerful session.
01:57This sadly happened to Ashley because of the relationship that she was in.
02:01So I'm hoping by teaching girls and just, you know, sharing Ashley's story and our story about the importance of
02:06the choices that we make, how, you know, how impactful that can be on our future lives.
02:11It makes me feel so good, it makes me feel empowered, doing it for love because, you know, I love
02:18Ashley so much and I just want to keep her name alive.
02:20The campaign to spotlight violence against women and girls will continue within Merseyside schools.
02:25By combining education, discussion and practical guidance, the event offers girls the tools to navigate risks safely and confidently while
02:32helping foster a culture of respect and awareness in communities.
02:36We're in about 30-odd high schools across Merseyside delivering this type of programme, our Onside and Onside Plus programme,
02:44every school day of the year.
02:46But events like this and the opportunity to bring groups from different schools together, have different activities and, yes, showcase
02:53the partnership,
02:54but also give the young people the opportunity to speak to different, having the same experiences and challenges.
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