It calls on residents, businesses, schools, faith groups, charities and other organisations to turn the city orange and say ‘No’ to interpersonal violence.
The 16 day campaign highlights efforts to end domestic abuse, female genital mutilation, forced marriage, so called ‘honour based’ violence, sexual violence and stalking and harassment, and the help and support that is available to victims from local and national organisations.
It comes to an end on Friday (10 December) with a walk around Wolverhampton. To get involved, please meet in front of St Peter's Collegiate Church at 10am. Participants will then walk around the city centre, carrying banners and handing out Orange Wolverhampton ribbons, before returning to St Peter's at 11am.
Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said: "We've had another good response to this year's campaign, with thousands of people taking part in one way or another and helping us to raise awareness of both the issue of interpersonal violence, and of the services that are there to support victims. It's not too late to get involved - so please play your part and help Orange Wolverhampton."
The Orange Wolverhampton campaign is coordinated by Wolverhampton Safeguarding Together, the Safer Wolverhampton Partnership, Wolverhampton Domestic Violence Forum and the council. For more information about this year's campaign, please visit the Orange Wolverhampton website.
Anyone suffering from domestic violence, female genital mutilation, forced marriage, so called ‘honour based’ violence or sexual violence, or knows someone who is, should call the relevant helpline:
- The Haven Wolverhampton 24 hour helpline for women - 08000 194400
- Haven Counselling helpline - 08000 308 345 (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 9am to 2pm)
- Haven online Live Chat (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
- St George’s Hub support for male victims - 01902 421904
- Karma Nirvana helpline for victims of so called ‘honour based’ violence and forced marriage - 0800 5999 247
- Wolverhampton Adult Social Care - 01902 551199
- Wolverhampton Children's Social Care - 01902 555392
- West Midlands Forced Marriage and Honour Based Violence Helpline - 0800 953 9777
- National Domestic Violence helpline for women - 0808 2000 247
- National Domestic Violence helpline for men - 0808 8010327
- NSPCC Female Genital Mutilation helpline - 0800 028 3550
- In an emergency, always call police on 999.
The Orange Wolverhampton campaign is held annually between 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and 10 December, UN Human Rights Day, and supports the United Nations’ Orange the World campaign to end violence against women and girls.
The Safer Wolverhampton Partnership has chosen to use the term 'interpersonal violence' to clarify that these crimes will be robustly tackled regardless of the sex of the victim, though the campaign recognises that the majority of victims are female.
