Week 126! Integr8archery CIC was about owning the work I had been doing since 2017 and allowing access to sport to anyone who saw barriers in their way.
Sport is empowering in many ways and for many reasons, if you have been following me you know that whilst I celebrate what myself and those who work with me achieve there are some groups that, though I count them in my stats, I don’t say very much about and I never post photos of.
One such group is those that I work with in refuge, it is a privilege to be allowed in to the lives of those in these circumstances, trust does not come easy for them and is therefore something I hold very close. How these individuals see themselves is often very different to how I see them. For me they are incredibly brave and starting a new chapter. Sport has the potential to allow a person to relax and breathe and for a little while, daily, weekly….. think about something else.
These sessions are a mixture of tears, laughter, arrows and chatter, silly conversation, serious discussions. You can bet there’s a cuppa and often treats from cake to pizza depending on the mood. Sometimes I host sessions for the women who are in refuge to bring their children too, again these are amazing.
In autumn 2023 I became a white ribbon champion, this is a topic close to my heart and that I am passionate about- violence against women and girls. It’s not the only kind of violence and if you look I do have a page about other aspects I work towards, but this in particular, due to my own experience is particularly important to me. It is why I take part in the reclaim the night march, it was a cold one this year and whilst we remember the names of those who have lost their lives each year, locally we held Harshita Brella close to us.
25th November was the start of 16 days of activism and white ribbon day, why am I a champion?
It is only by raising awareness and challenging the root causes of violence that we can start to bring about change, reduce and ultimately end, violence against women and girls.
We can do this by:
• Remembering the phrase, ‘I’m not OK with that,’ to use when confronted by so-called ‘banter’ and sexist ‘jokes’ to disrupt and re-direct harmful conversations.
• Promoting equality by challenging the status quo of what it means to ‘be a man’ and to ‘be a woman.’
• Having open conversations with our friends, family and colleagues about ending men’s violence against women and girls.
• Learning about what it means to be allies to women, and how we can speak up and be active in preventing violence.
• Knowing where to find help, and sharing support with our friends, family and colleagues.
• Wearing a White Ribbon can act as an important conversation starter.
• Making the White Ribbon Promise to; never use, excuse or remain silent about men’s violence against women.
Together we can prevent violence against women and girls. It Starts with Men.
For more information, resources, and ways to get involved this White Ribbon Day, please visit the White Ribbon UK website: www.whiteribbon.org.uk
