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Standing together for White Ribbon Day 2024

Published
25 November 2024 01:00

We are proud to continue our support of White Ribbon, the UK’s leading charity engaging with men and boys to prevent violence against women and girls, as we celebrate White Ribbon Day and this year’s theme, “It Starts with Men.” White Ribbon works to educate and inspire individuals and organisations to create a culture of respect, equality, and safety for all.

Here, we reflect on the activities we’ve undertaken as a business to drive meaningful, proactive steps to drive positive change within our organisation and beyond. 

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Growing our team of White Ribbon Ambassadors

This year, our commitment has been further strengthened by investing in our own White Ribbon Ambassadors, with six passionate colleagues now actively involved in driving awareness and change. Their dedication has been instrumental in creating Male Allyship Steering Groups across the business, which not only encourage but also guide men to take an active role in ending violence and promoting respect for women.

We continue to encourage everyone—specifically men and boys—to make the White Ribbon Promise: “never to use, excuse, or remain silent about violence against women.” This pledge represents a personal and collective commitment to fostering cultural change and challenging harmful behaviours.

Rolling out the Ask for Angela initiative

This year, we expanded the Ask for Angela initiative, which empowers our staff to create safer spaces and provide immediate support for individuals who find themselves in uncomfortable or unsafe situations. Through targeted training, our teams have learned how to follow proper procedures to assist those in need discreetly and effectively, without causing unnecessary attention or alarm.

The implementation of Ask for Angela across several key accounts further demonstrates our commitment to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of everyone, wherever we operate.

Male allyship training

Andy Priestley, Solution Sales Manager, participated in an intensive Male Allyship training programme designed to deepen understanding and inspire action.

With 81% of women reporting feelings of exclusion at work, but 92% of men believing they do not exclude women, it’s clear there is a gap in awareness that requires education, listening, and empathy. This training focused on bridging that gap through thought-provoking sessions on allyship, unconscious bias, vulnerability, positive masculinity, and cultural intelligence.

Participants were equipped with practical tools like the “5 D’s of Bystander Intervention”—Distract, Delegate, Document, Delay, and Direct—which encourage proactive responses to challenging situations. Reflecting on his experience, Andy described the programme as eye opening, saying: “The course really helped me to understand vulnerabilities and how important it is for me, as a male role model, to display and be comfortable with my own vulnerabilities in many different walks of life. I feel I can be a better male role model to my children, friends and colleagues as a result of the program”

White Ribbon Event 2024: hosting conversations that matter

To conclude the year, we are hosting a dedicated event to mark White Ribbon Day, featuring influential guest speakers:

· Farah Besin – Founder of FFA Security Group, driving efforts to improve women’s safety within the security industry.

· Nazir Afzal – Former prosecutor renowned for his work addressing violence against women and girls, as well as honour-based violence.

· Karen Whybro – Consultant committed to creating safer spaces for women in the workplace and public domains.

· Poppy Murray – Keynote speaker and expert on Violence Against Women and Girls.

These inspiring speakers will provide valuable insights into violence prevention and the pivotal role workplaces play in driving cultural change.

Our commitment to change

We firmly believe in taking responsibility as individuals and as a business. By supporting White Ribbon’s mission and implementing impactful initiatives such as Ask for Angela and Male Allyship Steering Groups, we continue to embrace our purpose of making your world a safer place.

Let’s continue to challenge harmful behaviours, champion respect, and drive meaningful change.

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