Women's Aid
Working to support Women’s Aid pioneer a new project to help victims of domestic abuse
Women’s Aid regularly faces the challenge of how to reach those that are most in need of their services and support. Research had shown that for those experiencing domestic violence they were more likely to speak to someone in their community than to reach out to a charity. In response, Women’s Aid wanted to launch a scheme that would utilise communities and encourage signposting to charities and organisations that can provide much needed help for those in abusive relationships.
The “Ask me” pilot scheme sought to train community members to become “Ask Me” ambassadors, responding to disclosure and encouraging sufferers to come forward. Our campaign sought to raise awareness and drive volunteers to the scheme, whilst reinforcing Women’s Aid’s key message: everyone has the right to live in safety.
Education was at the heart of this campaign and we sought to dispel the victim-blaming myths that surrounded the issue of domestic violence. We needed to raise awareness of what needed to change in society to help reach victims of abuse earlier and emphasise how the “Ask Me” pilot scheme could help achieve this. We worked with local newspapers, online, magazine, and broadcast outlets in the two pilot areas of Brighton and London to spread the word to potential volunteers and sufferers alike. Profiling CEO Polly Neate, we secured opportunities for expert commentary in national press on the initiative and opened up a debate around the subject of domestic abuse.
Our campaign generated awareness of both the pilot scheme and the importance of giving survivors of domestic violence a safe space to turn to. With the campaign featured across a number of influential titles in both Brighton and London, including London Live, BBC Radio London, The Brighton Argus, and BBC Radio Sussex; we raised the profile of the charity and got people talking about the “Ask Me” scheme. We worked closely with influential national titles to spread the word even further with coverage on Sky Radio, Guardian.co.uk, the Times, and The Pool.
25
pieces of coverage
2
pilots launched
