Local YMCA raises awareness and support for National Child Sexual Exploitation Awareness Day.
ON March 18 2015, YMCA DownsLink Group (YMCA DLG), a new organisation formed in a merger between Sussex Central YMCA and Guildford YMCA, is joining a national campaign calling for everyone to unite against Child Sexual Exploitation.
National Child Sexual Exploitation Awareness Day aims to highlight the issues surrounding Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE), encouraging everyone to think, spot and speak out against abuse, and adopt a zero tolerance approach to adults developing inappropriate relationships with children, or children developing inappropriate relationships with their peers.
YMCA DLG currently runs an established project called WiSE (What is Sexual Exploitation), which began five years ago and operates across Brighton & Hove and East Sussex.
WiSE has been integral in raising awareness of CSE, undertaking different strands of activity including:
• Delivery of training sessions to over 3,000 professionals including those in the Night Time Economy.
• Support to 1,677 children and young people (through direct casework, providing support to other professionals to deliver their work, and group work and outreach activities).
The project’s specialist workers are skilled at building trusting relationships with vulnerable children and young people who don’t always immediately understand the harm that has occurred to them or the risks that they have taken. It works in partnership with Sussex Police, Children’s Services and health providers to share intelligence about perpetrators and where possible help disrupt activity and support prosecutions.
YMCA DLG is asking you to support National Child Sexual Exploitation Awareness Day and the WiSE project by:
• Raising awareness in your workplace about CSE – everyone should know how to spot and report it locally. To report CSE call 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
• Taking the ‘Stop CSE’ pledge and raising awareness up to, and after the National Awareness Day. Go to http://www.stop-cse.org/national-child-exploitation-awareness-day for more info.
• Talking to your own children about the risks.
• Donating to WiSE to keep this specialist service running in Brighton and Hove and East Sussex.
To make a donation, click here:
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