Victim Support is the independent charity for victims and witnesses of crime in England and Wales. They were set up 40 years ago and have grown to become the oldest and largest victims’ organisation in the world, taking pride in being a diverse organisation enriched by the participation of all individuals and communities. Their services are free and available to everyone, whether or not the crime has been reported and regardless of when it happened. To achieve this, Victim Support ensure non-discriminatory practices are in effect in both employment and service delivery. Their policy is to ensure that no victim, witness, employee, volunteer, trustee, or job applicant receives less favourable treatment. Selection criteria and procedures are regularly reviewed to make sure that individuals are selected on the basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Victim Support’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee is dedicated to a programme of action to make this policy effective and bring it to the attention of all employees.
Category: Latest Blog
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2015 EiDA Nominee – Victim Support
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Gentoo
Gentoo Group is a social business whose ambition is to improve the lives of the people, communities and the environment in which they operate by investing in people, the planet and property, what they call ‘the Art of Living’. As a ‘profit for purpose’ organisation, they use any profits from their commercial activity to reinvest back in towards achieving this. Gentoo has obtained recognition from a number of sources for its work and commitment to equality and diversity and clearly puts a phenomenal amount of effort into this area. Their dedication is outstanding and quality evidence showcased the number of initiatives and projects put place to encourage and embrace diversity internally and externally. Gentoo make it their business to champion causes to eradicate inequality, drive change and challenge conventions, promoting diversity and inclusion across so many spheres. This extraordinary housing association clearly demonstrate to employees and residents why inclusion it is integral within their corporate vision and values. -
2015 EiDA Nominee – Housing Diversity Network
Housing Diversity Network is a social enterprise and incredible diversity resource that supports organisations to improve how they address inequality, get the most from their staff and meet the needs of the communities they work with. HDN provides a wide range of exceptional services including training, consultancy, independent assessment, accreditation and guidance. There are two areas in particular that make them unique, distinctive and worthy of being featured in this shortlist. These are their Staff Mentoring programme and their network of regional Equality and Diversity Practitioner Groups. Their dynamic mentoring programme has directly benefitted an immeasurable amount of individuals and organisations. Their practitioner groups provide ongoing practical support to countless equality, diversity and inclusion staff. As a network HDN are a catalyst for sharing advice and expertise across the sector, and there is no doubt that their activity has a great impact on their clients and wider sector organisations. -
Asda
Diversity and inclusion sits at the heart of Asda. They place great emphasis on creating a working environment that truly promotes this, not just because it is the right thing to do, but to make them representative of the customers they serve and local communities they work in. Exceptional evidence highlights why inclusion is important to their business, and diversity is seen as more than just a policy, but plays a central role in everything they do. As part of their commitment to addressing key issues, they have created dedicated Network Groups to focus on all protected characteristics. Asda recognise they still have a long way to go, but should be extremely proud of their ongoing development across all aspects of diversity. They have shown outstanding commitment to continue reviewing their diversity strategy; ensuring they are working towards a truly inclusive environment for all diverse segments in their employee make up, and continue to step change their programmes to be best in class for diversity policies. -
2015 EiDA Nominee – The City of Liverpool College
The City of Liverpool College is a bold and exciting national leader that is the largest college of further education in Liverpool. Their inclusive approach highlights the great strengths the college goes to in order to create an environment that upholds respect and removes all barriers to achievement. The college is committed to promoting equality and diversity throughout its practices for both students and staff which is evident through quality evidence. As a College, they serve some of the most deprived areas of the country and also some of the most diverse; they recognise not only the relevant Equality legislation but also the most basic principle of fairness and the importance of creating a College where everyone has equal opportunity and access. Whilst their data and statistics are positive, City of Liverpool College continues to consider ways to improve the diversity of their workforce across all aspects of diversity, and are working tirelessly to be a true representation of the community they operate in. -
2015 EiDA Nominee – Oxfam
Oxfam is a globally renowned aid and development charity working and campaigning with partners in over 90 countries worldwide. With over 70 years experience, Oxfam GB is a champion of equal opportunities in all of their work, internally and externally. Their international development work and crisis response always seeks to equally distribute resources and ensure all genders, ethnicities, age groups, cultures and sexualities have their voices heard. Their community projects excel in creating lasting change through initiatives such as health promotion, agriculture support and WASH initiatives. Impact is astonishing; internationally, 4.3 million people have been reached by health promotion activities, 700,000 have benefitted from agricultural support and 2.6 million from improved sanitation facilities. The outcome of such work aids many minorities worldwide with a variety of different issues – therefore, ensuring a strong diversity pedigree, which has been earned through Oxfam’s desire to include those who need help most.
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Is Finding Equality Just as Difficult for Boys in the Current Climate?
Working for an organisation set up to help our boys and young men seems to elicit the strangest of responses. People often make assumptions about our purpose. They may think we are fanatical about men’s rights or are pushing a “pro-male” agenda. If we mention the m-word, “masculinity“, they expect special pleading about how hard all men and boys have it, regardless of male privilege.
Such sceptics are often amazed when they get a closer look at our evidence based work supporting boys and young men in less affluent areas in living the life they aspire to and making a positive contribution to their own future and to the community.
I point out to those who are suspicious of an organisation set up specifically to help young men that this is the other side of the equation to all the great work being done to empower our young women. We understand that work is crucial and we believe ours is just as vital particularly with many young men searching for a sense of purpose and significance in wider society.
I have two boys and two girls and, it was the experience of being the father of a young woman first which led me to observe how we sometimes view young men. I am very proud of my oldest daughter, a quick-witted 28 year old, never afraid to help others or speak out against injustice. I remember the changing reactions the outside world had to her as she became a teenager. Fathers will know what I mean. Walking down the street, I noticed that where once men used to smile at her, now they looked her up and down, or just plain stared. It is a look I understand only too well and I felt very protective.
But what I didn’t expect was that I would experience just as strong a reaction as my boys became teenagers. As far as the outside world is concerned, they seemed to have changed. But unlike my daughter, the perception seems to be that they’re now a threat.
As they grow beyond six foot, the looks they attract are generally a mix of fear and apprehension even on the local streets where they grew up. Sometimes it’s aggression. Yet these are two studious and well-mannered young men still young enough to think it is fun to play pass the parcel along with their 4 year old sister. We have to think carefully about the messages we are sending to young men. If we show them that we only think negatively about them, we risk alienating them at just the time when they face the pressures of growing up. Our charity works with hundreds of young men and we see how vulnerable they are to being corralled into a direction they don’t want to go. In a society which already thinks they are a problem and seeks to deal with them in a punitive manner, they can become scared and frustrated in the search for who they should be and where they fit in.
Some might say this is part of growing up. But unfortunately coping alone with these emotional pressures can come out as aggression. And they often feel threatened themselves.
A study we conducted with young men across nine London boroughs after the 2011 disturbances found that the two things they fear most are the police and other young men of their own age… Has much changed?. I ask this in a time where according to the last Crime Survey for England and Wales young men are still most likely to be the victims of violent crime across the UK, and where according to recent research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, men and young people are hit hardest by the shrinking of wages following the financial crisis.
And, alarmingly, as Nick Clegg unveils a ‘zero suicide’ policy in the run up to the elections, boys under ten are nearly twice as likely to suffer from mental health disorders as girls and boys are still three times more likely to be permanently excluded from school. That makes it no surprise that amongst the young, 80% of suicides are male.
If we demonize boys, or fail to protect them we miss a valuable opportunity to encourage them to choose a well-informed path into adolescence. Telling boys to “man up” sends them the wrong message especially when it is usually used as an indication that they need to be tougher. It encourages them to feel they need to skip childhood, become a man quickly but also be ready to use force to defend themselves and detach themselves from what they are feeling. This risks pushing them into alliances with people who are known for being able to “take care of themselves” and even to extremist views and actions (in some cases), as they search for a sense of purpose and belonging.
We talk constantly about role models as if they are the answer to all our problems but that approach by itself is a cop-out.
It allows us to shirk our shared responsibility to boys and young men in general. We also allow ourselves to be seduced by the idea of inner city gangs when constant tales of gang warfare just feed the idea of young men in particular as violent and out of control. The real hidden issues here are poverty, discrimination and generations of young men without some of the historical routes to opportunity, self-efficacy and self-worth. Change starts with acknowledging that providing targeted help for young men and considering the facts at hand is the right thing to do morally, socially and even economically.
As I look at my own boys playing party games with their sister on her birthday, I am reminded that they are still just children. We need to try to protect that childhood for all children particularly from impoverished backgrounds whatever their gender. We have to realise that it is “ok” to look after our boys too and help them on their journey in becoming our future men. They need us.
Follow Shane Ryan on Twitter: www.twitter.com/shaneryan1
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The Excellence in Diversity Awards Announce 2015 Shortlist
Diversity Champions and Inclusive Employers Shortlisted for Pioneering Diversity AwardsJ.P. Morgan are just one of the brands supporting a sky fall of inclusive talent – Diversity champions, inclusive employers and pioneering campaigns from all aspects of diversity have been shortlisted for this year’s ceremony.
An overwhelming amount of nominations were received paying tribute to inspirational individuals and diverse companies nationwide that have showcased their incredible achievements to the equality agenda
Diversity leaders and talent will gather at The Midland Hotel, Manchester on May 14th 2015 to celebrate the tremendous feats of employees and organisations.
The exclusive awards ceremony will applaud the extraordinary contributions of those that have gone above and beyond their corporate social responsibility, tackling issues internally and externally to influence change in the field of diversity & inclusion.
Baroness Campbell of Surbiton, who has continuously campaigned for disability rights most notably against the legalisation of assisted suicide, said, “If we do not champion people’s diversity in Britain, whether that be in employment, education or full access to public life, then we cannot call ourselves progressive, inclusive and successful human beings. I cannot think of anyone who would want that, but sometimes we need role models to help show us the way.
These awards will help society to understand and learn what it means to genuinely include all diverse people in our communities. To be part of that process is very important to me“.
The event is definitely one to mark down on your calendar and provides recognition for excellence regardless of age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, faith, religion and culture.
Business journalist & broadcaster Steph McGovern will take to the stage to host the evening, stating “I am delighted to be hosting the Excellence in Diversity Awards to celebrate the great work of organisations and people who are leading the way in making our country a great and inclusive place to work”
Thomson Reuters, CIPD and Action for Children are amongst those supporting the campaign to reward organisations that operate across all aspects of diversity.
A panel of judges including Andy woodfield PwC, Miranda Wayland ITV, and Dianah Worman OBE gathered to finalise the widely anticipated shortlist.
The full list of nominees are as follows:Diverse Company Charity
Oxfam, Victim Support, Creative Support, Mind, St Giles Trust
Diverse Company Education
The City of Liverpool College, University of Sunderland, University of Manchester, University of Sheffield, The Open University
Diverse Company Housing
Liverpool Mutual Homes, mhs homes, Gentoo, Great Places Housing Group, Gateway Housing Association
Diverse Company Private
Microlink PC, Mouchel, TSSA, Asda, BAE Systems
Diverse Company Public
Greater Manchester Police, Transport for London, Centro, Lancashire Police, UK Office of National Statistics
Diversity Champion Charity
Michael McGrath – The Muscle Help Foundation, Helen Keeling-Marston – Support through Sport UK, Rev. Fred Annin – ActionPlus Foundation, Angela Murphy – Tomorrow’s Women Wirral, Bisi Alimi – Human Rights Activist
Diversity Champion Education
Shaun Dellenty – Inclusion for All, Jiten Patel – The Open University, Joanne Tedds – City & Islington College, Colin Dean – Special iApps, David Bolt – Hope University
Diversity Champion Housing
Robert Kerse – Circle Housing, Cam Kinsella – Merlin Housing Society, Sharon Thomas – Riverside, Bob Green – Stonewall Housing, Rohini Sharma Joshi – Trust Housing Association
Diversity Champion Private
Jane Hatton – Evenbreak, Heather Melville – RBS, Funke Abimbola -Roche UK, Sue Gardener – IBM, Geoffrey Williams – Thomson Reuters
Diversity Champion Public
Mark MacKenzie MBE – Transport for London, Jacqui Gavin – civil service, Lindsey Ambrose- St Andrew’s Healthcare , Joan Pons Laplana – NHS Employers, Jeanette Gagg – UK HM Prison Service
Head of Diversity & Inclusion
Jen Smith – Circle Housing, Sarah Churchman – PwC, Ricky Somal – Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, Bruce Campion-Smith – East Kent Hospitals University Foundation NHS Trust, Fiona Bartels-Ellis – British Council
Employee of the Year
Jeanette Gagg – UK HM Prison Service, Damian Kitson – Asda, Apsana Begum – Tower Hamlets Homes, Andrew Barratt – Ogilvy, Graeme Whippy – Lloyds Banking Group
Diverse Marketing Campaign of the Year
BBC Local Apprenticeship Scheme, gfsn Rainbow Laces Campaign, Pride in London – Freedom too, West Midlands Police, Youth Media Agency #Press4changeYouth
Best Diversity Resource
Black British Academics, Housing Diversity Network, Special iApps, Common Purpose, English Federation of Disability Sport
Outstanding Diversity Network
HSBC – Balance Network, The Cooperative Group – Respect Network, Lloyds International – Diversity & Inclusion Network, RBS – Focussed Women Network, Ernst & young – Sikh Network
Lifetime Achiever
John Campbell, Nasser Siabi OBE, Dawn Milman-Hurst, Julie Charles, Rev. John Butcher
Winners will be announced at The Midland Hotel Manchester on May 14th 2015.
Table bookings for the Excellence in Diversity Awards are available here
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When will they get it right?…..
There are thousands of dyslexic children crying themselves to sleep unesessariy in the UK every night. Innocent children whos heads should be full of ideas and high aspirations, instead they are full of dread! It makes my blood boil hearing from parents who are utterly frustrated and lost as to how to get their children the support that they need in schools. They desperately want their children to be happy but in practice feel powerless. The new SEN Code of Practice (2014) which came at the start of the Autumn term promised a greater emphasis on collaboration with multi agency organisations and also parental and child consultation but whether parents know about this is another story. I have lost count of the number of parent who have told me that they have approached the school with concerns and been ‘fobbed off’.
Dyslexic children need to learn how to learn in a different way and it is very sad that many schools brush this under the carpet as a result of limited finance and/or knowledge! I am not saying all schools do this as I have met some incredible teachers who are deeply passionate about their role and spent a lot of their own time teaching themselves about Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLDs) but not all! I worked in schools for five years providing intervention and support to children with a range of diverse needs and quite frankly I was appalled! I started out wanting to be a teacher (the one I should have had in school) but I felt suffocated and helpless! Never mind the times I sat inside school staff rooms and listened to certain members of staff say such awful things about children with SEND (often blaming laziness or bad parenting!). I wanted to scream! Several times I would have to leave the room before I burst into tears! My experience in education was horrific and it pains me to know in some instances very little has changed.
Some teachers feel frustrated at the lack of training to manage the diversity of needs found in classrooms today, especially with the rising demands and pressures on them to be ‘OUTSANDING TEACHERS’. How can you expect teachers to be outstanding when they are lacking the important tools to be so? Training………
I want to help on a much bigger scale and have dedicated my life to do exactly that. I hope that the British Dyslexia Association (BDA) succeed in their aim of making dyslexia a mandatory element of teacher training. I also want to see SEND education taught to all children in schools. The stigma that accompanies the term disability is socially imposed and needs to be ‘normalised’. Children need to be taught about neurodiversity and its positive aspects and strengths! Equally, so do teachers, parents and clearly politicians!
Dyslexic children become dyslexic adults and there brilliance should be embraced. I absolutely LOVE being dyslexic and spend much of my free time campaigning to challenge negative perceptions. It needs to stop now! Dyslexia is not a ‘disorder’ it is not a ‘condition’ or an ‘illness’. We don’t HAVE DYSLEXIA.. We ARE DYSLEXIC’. It is not a cold, we do not need fixing or a cure, we need to educate people! What is disabling about disability is the environment that was facilitated without the consideration of diversity! We are all just people!
Having studied SEND policy from 1944 until now it angers me that the government is still getting it so morally wrong! They need to stop trying to fix a system that is blatantly flawed and create one that works! All children have a right to achieve their full potential and no matter how many changes we get through different government incentives or political party influences it is still wrong!
The lucky children who’s parents struggle to fund one-to-one support with specialist dyslexia tutors are few and far between leaving many wonderfully bright children deflated and confused. Schools need to communicate with these organisations and learn how they can really engage dyslexic children and those with other SpLDs in learning. I have seen first hand the amazing work that places such as The Dyslexia Association (TDA) do to improve the outlook for dyslexic children, adults and their families and wish that there was more government funding available for them to get more involved in schools.
“They don’t like to label”
Dyslexic children have amazing brains and great potential. They need to know ‘who they are’. They need to know how their brains work, that they are just wired differently and that they have so much potential! I honestly would give anything to have been able to have been given ‘my label’ at school! To know that I was not stupid, lazy and that I could do anything I wanted to do and be anyone I wanted to be! To know that I was not the only one. They need to learn to understand and identify their strengths so that they can manage their challenges in a much more positive way.
The biggest issue for many dyslexic children growing up is not the difficulties they experience in learning and retaining information but the beating they take to their confidence and self-esteem as they naviagate a system dominated by league tables and linear assessments. Assessments which wrongly place some dyslexic children in lower ability sets where they are made to feel inadequate as their less able peers rise above them. Can you even imagine how it feels to be in this situation? Desperately wondering what on earth is wrong with your brain? Held back from reaching your potential through a lack of awareness? Dyslexic children need to learn how to learn independently. They have ability by the bucket load and just need to be shown how to unlock their potential.
That is why it is so important that parents encourage their dyslexic children to learn about their differences and to embrace them whilst exploring and developing their interests outside of school. They need to know they can succeed! Exams destroy people. Why not test a different way? I am a first class student with many of my assignments achieving well above 90% but if you asked me to sit an exam I would FAIL! Am I a failure Mr Cameron?
Not everyone will build an empire like Richard Branson but EVERY SINGLE DYSLEXIC CHILD should feel happy and secure in their own skin! EVERY SINGLE CHILD should know about all of the amazing innovative and creative technology and business solutions we have in this world because of dyslexic thinkers!
#STAMPOUTSTIGMA
Being dyslexic means nothing really but it does to children who are being failed in schools! It does to parents whose hearts are breaking every time they drop of their children at the gates knowing what lies in store for them inside. I hate how we are stigmatised by negative terminology in the media and everyday in all aspects of our lives.
I wish that the government would listen to the people who know, the people that matter the most, the people that live it every day! #Michael Gove! One of the most despised men in the UK (enough said). Why did the Coalition Government (2010) scrap ‘The Rose Review’? And please tell tell me WHY are people who clearly have no idea about ‘REAL’ SEND issues/impact/life allowed to shape such an important element of our being? Why are the most important voices of all ignored and not utilised?
This blog post may seem overly heavy but I am writing in defence of our dyslexic children who are being stripped of their hopes, dreams, confidence and self-esteem more and more each day and it needed to be said!
#education #knowledge #empower #inspire #motivation
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Working as an Intern for I Am Me
Hi, I’m Megan, and I’m the project intern for I Am Me Scotland!
I Am Me Scotland is a Renfrewshire community group founded to tackle and raise awareness of disability hate crime. Disability hate crimes are among the most underreported hate crimes, with 97% suspected of going unreported.
The project has two key initiatives; I Am Me, and Keep Safe.
Keep SafeWe have worked in partnership with Police Scotland to develop the Keep Safe initiative. Keep Safe is the first of its kind in Scotland, and aims to support and encourage disabled, vulnerable and older people to keep safe and enjoy activities and day to day life without fear of abuse, intimidation and harassment. The initiative works with a network of local shops and businesses to create safe places for disabled, vulnerable or older people to go if they need help, if they are lost, scared or if they are the victim of crime. Disabled, vulnerable, or older people are offered a Keep Safe Card which they can carry that includes information about themselves and people who can be contacted in an emergency.
There are currently 36,000 people registered as disabled or with a long term illness in Renfrewshire alone (1 million across Scotland). We currently have 43 Keep Safe premises throughout the Renfrewshire area, with other local authorities beginning to roll the initiative our in their areas across Scotland. Keep Safe premises are widely recognised as friendly and safe places to be, with sensitive and helpful staff.
My job when working on Keep Safe is to approach businesses to become Keep Safe premises, which not only benefits the local community, but enables the participating business to tap into the £80bn ‘purple pound’. I also liaise with existing Keep Safe premises to monitor any incidents, and to provide any further information or training on Keep Safe. In addition to increasing the network of businesses, I also work with disability groups, health centres, and GP surgeries, to distribute Keep Safe cards, and I assist Police Scotland to deliver awareness raising sessions on disability hate crime and Keep Safe.
Prior to the I Am Me project, there was only 1 reported disability hate crime in Renfrewshire (see table), but since the project commenced, this number has risen to 6 reported disability hate crimes in 2013/14. While this number is still relatively small, it is a huge increase in one of the most underreported hate crimes in Scotland. The figures for reported disability hate crimes are expected to be on the same level as that of racial hate crimes, however, only 138 disability hate crimes were reported to the Police in 2012/13, in comparison to the 4012 racial hate crimes reported in the same year. Since the I Am Me project began, reported disability hate crimes for Scotland have increased to 154 in 2013/14. This means that in the increase from 138 to 154, 6 of those came from Renfrewshire; meaning that hopefully our initiative is working. We view the increase in reported disability hate crimes as a positive thing, as it shows that more people at taking a stand, and not simply accepting it as a way of life.
2012/13
(before I Am Me project)2013/14
(after I Am Me project)Reported Disability Hate Crimes in Renfrewshire 1 6 Reported Disability Hate Crimes in Scotland (according to COPFS) 138 154 Reported Racial Hate Crimes in Scotland (according to COPFS) 4012 4148 I Am Me
In addition to working with Police Scotland, we have worked in partnership with PACE Theatre Company to develop two hard hitting and awareness raising plays; one that is delivered to primary schools, and the other to high schools, training groups, the police, councils, and disability groups. ‘I Am Me’ is the title of both plays, and each follows the story of a young man with a disability. The more mature play is followed by a talk from Police Scotland on the repercussions of committing disability hate crimes, and so far has been extremely positively received with 97.6% of high school pupils surveyed in 2013 stating that the play has been successful in raising awareness of disability hate crime. The performances have received many plaudits and were booked to tour across Scotland in 2014. The primary school play is a softer version, developed specifically for children of school age p5-7, with an engaging workshop afterwards to raise awareness of the effects of disability bullying.
We are currently touring the primary school play again this year and it has been offered to all 49 primary schools in Renfrewshire; with the high school tour to begin again in March. So far the surveys we have received back from the primary school pupils have been really engaging and positive in terms of changing attitudes and raising awareness of disability bullying, with the majority of pupils saying that the play has changed their opinion on disabilities.
Next stages
The community group began in 2013, and are currently working on a DVD and training pack to use in any school or group across Scotland. Both the DVD and the pack have been endorsed by the Chief Constable and the Lord Advocate.
After this, the community group will be seeking funding to develop a Keep Safe app, meaning service users could use the app as a Keep Safe card, and to find safer routes and nearby Keep Safe premises. This would be greatly beneficial to our service users to enable them to live a life free of harassment, but also to Keep Safe premises as it would mean they were easily identified as friendly environments within the community with caring and helpful staff.
My Experience
I’ve only been here 4 weeks but so far I love it, as disability hate is a subject quite close to my heart. Disabilities saturate my family, with my Dad recently being recognized as disabled after a bad leg break over a year ago resulted in him being unable to walk unaided indefinitely – facing a possible amputation. But my grandparents are my world, and all of them happen to be disabled too. It used to anger me when I thought that people were taking advantage of them and their nice nature, or when people laughed at them (and by association, me); but this role has enabled me to channel my anger and passion towards a positive outcome. The I Am Me play addresses young people in schools at a crucial age, as the average disability hate crime offender was found to be just 21 years old in a report by EHRC – Hidden in Plain Sight in September of 2011. School children can be relentlessly cruel, usually unaware of or ignorant to the effects of their actions. I remember being 14 years old, and being made to feel worthless in my local shopping centre while out with my Gran one Saturday. I noticed some people from my school, who quickly pointed, laughed, and shouted at us, simply because my wee Gran had previously had a stroke which left her sometimes unable to control her facial expressions and needing a wheelchair to get about. I wanted to tell them that what they were saying and how they were acting was ridiculously unacceptable. I wish the I Am Me play had been about then! Then they would know and I would know, that it wasn’t acceptable or just something to ignore and get on with. Maybe it wouldn’t have even happened at all. I was livid and humiliated, but there was nothing I could do, and there was no where I could take my Gran for assistance. That’s also why I think Keep Safe is such a great idea; if the initiative had been about 9 years ago we could’ve went into a participating shop for assistance, and if that shopping centre had been a part of Keep Safe I would’ve felt more confident to approach security staff to alert them of what was going on. I would’ve known that I would have been taken seriously, and I would’ve felt confident enough to approach someone for help because I would’ve known that the shopping centre staff were in unity against such behaviour. But while this is something that happened 9 years ago, there’s still something I can do about it now. Keep Safe and I Am Me are challenging and changing attitudes towards disabilities, and I couldn’t be more pleased to be a part of it!
Get in contact!
If you’d like more information about I Am Me or Keep Safe, please contact me directly at megan.milligan@renfrewshire.gov.uk, or the group on iammeproject@yahoo.co.uk. You can also visit us on: