A free training course is being held this week in Ruddington to help our community support survivors of domestic violence.
It’s one of a series of similar sessions across Rushcliffe and is taking place at 6pm on Friday 25th February in St Peter’s Rooms. The course is open to anyone who works or volunteers in retail premises, a school, place of worship, hospitality or healthcare setting. Previous attendees have included people who work in local shops, pubs, churches, council offices, schools and doctors surgeries.
The course is called J9 in memory of Janine Mundy, a mother of two, who was killed by her estranged husband whilst he was on police bail. Janine used to sign off her text messages ‘J9’. In her memory, the J9 initiative aims to open doors to support and creates a network of safe places for survivors of abuse to go and get help.
J9 training is delivered by Nicola Brindley MBE who has already rolled it out across many job centres in the East Midlands. It is also supported by Rushcliffe Police and Rushcliffe Borough Council. Attendees of the free sessions are trained to spot signs of domestic abuse and taught how to talk to survivors who might approach them. They are also shown how to connect survivors with professional services locally who can provide help.
Across the country, many areas have a network of J9 signs, identifying safe spaces where survivors of domestic abuse can seek help. Rushcliffe MP Ruth Edwards has been working with Nicola to try to make sure that those safe spaces exist here, too.
Ruth says: “The national lockdowns highlighted the grim reality of the prevalence of domestic abuse in our society. But it has also shown us how communities can come together to look after those who are vulnerable. The J9 initiative offers free training to organisations across all sectors, so they can confidently offer support to people who are experiencing domestic abuse by providing information about professional support and the use of a quiet space to make a phone call.”
Taking part in a J9 training session aims to help you respond appropriately and effectively to survivors of abuse who may come to your Ruddington shop, pub, school or surgery. It should help you recognise signs of domestic abuse, talk to survivors and take you through information on accessing professional support services locally.
This Friday’s free J9 training session in St Peter’s Rooms will last approximately two hours, from 6pm until around 8pm. Once the one off-training has been completed, you will be asked to display a J9 sign in the window of your premises (like the one pictured top) to signal to potential victims that your space is a safe one.
If you would like to make a difference, by helping survivors of domestic abuse in Ruddington access the support they need, you are asked to book onto this session in advance by visiting https://www.eventbrite.com/e/272578869737.
