Starting the Conversation
The end of the school year saw the evolution of an important arm to the Sitting Right With You Domestic Abuse Campaign as we launched it across regional schools.
Following the success of the original campaign we developed it to focus on issues faced by young people and how schools could show their support across Greater Manchester.
We hosted a full day of events at Stretford High School to launch #sittingrightwithyou campaign, starting with a hard-hitting assembly for Year 9s.
The day included sensitive drama performances, interactive workshops and talks about the issue of domestic abuse – all set against the backdrop of the iconic Yellow Sofa.
The Deputy Mayor Beverley Hughes and the Greater Manchester Chief of Police attended the event, providing their support and advice for the students and attending media, who rightly got behind the campaign.
It was fantastic to see the mature responses from the young people; they admitted that a lot of the content really struck a chord and they engaged with everything and everyone. The Yellow Sofa proved a real focal point, encouraging the young attendees to take time to question and discuss this complex subject.
#sittingrightwithyou is now being rolled out in schools and youth centres across Greater Manchester. We’ve created school support packs that can be implemented within the school’s own curriculum to enhance any activities they may already have and built a digital and online arm to the campaign. The aim of which to provide ongoing awareness, information and support for young people who may need it.
The launch was a great success: creative awareness campaigns about sensitive issues need to be inspiring and impactful, but they also obviously need handling with care. We were therefore delighted to be joined by so many professional teams in ensuring the tone, content and ongoing support was provided in the right way.
The next phase is just as important now though, rolling out the campaign across the area to reach as many people as possible, spreading this much needed message to educate, support and say it’s okay to talk about it.
