The church plays an important part in the fight against domestic abuse, and we want to invite you to join us to RISE UP.
Over the next fortnight… and a bit… we will be joining other organisations and individuals marking 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence (25 November – 10 December).
Domestic abuse is still the most widespread form of abuse in the UK, and we will be using the next 16 days to help raise awareness among our churches and start you on a journey of recognition and response.
RISE UP is Mother’s Union’s latest campaign to help people Respond, Inform, Support, Empower, Unite and Pray. The campaign aims to make sure activism against domestic abuse happens all year round, not just these few days over November and December.
You can find out more about the RISE UP campaign here.
But that’s not where it stops. Locally, the Revd Tori Silletti (in the video above) will be sharing stories, statistics, encouragements and challenges in a short film series as we look to help our churches see what part they can play.
Tori is a curate at St Andrew’s Church in Cobham and has 20 years of experience as a trained Social Worker, working for local authorities and supporting those who have been affected by domestic abuse. She also collaborates with the Diocesan Safeguarding Team running training across the board.
Reporting a concern is one of the steps that can and should be taken where domestic abuse is suspected. From 4 December the Diocesan Safeguarding Team will be introducing a new telephone number to make this process more streamlined and effective, so please keep an eye out for further news about that. In the case of a child or adult being at immediate risk of harm, please call the police on 999.
For now, do keep a lookout on our website and social media channels – @cofegildford on X, Facebook and Instagram – for these 16 Days of Activism as we share the videos and journey through the steps we can be taking to against domestic abuse.