Special female safety programme to be launched for girls aged 11 to 13 in Milton Keynes schools

Almost £100,000 is to be ploughed into a pioneering project to teach personal safety to young schoolgirls in Milton Keynes.

The city’s Safety Centre is launching the girls’ education programme in a bid to reduce violence against females. And it could save lives, they say.

Thanks to a £98,170 grant, the programme will be delivered to 20,000 11 to 13 year olds across the city over the next three years.

It will ensure that local children, young people, parents and teachers recognise the importance of equity, respect and personal safety. And it will help to create a “culture of positive behaviours” amongst young people, empowering and enabling students to discuss what’s acceptable and how to react if they see something they know isn’t right.

The Safety Centre received the finding from the Milton Keynes Community Foundation to pilot the project in MK. But now the charity is seeking additional support from regional and national funders to deliver the programme into schools across the entire country, educating more young people in this vital subject.

Maya Joseph-Hussain, CEO of the Safety Centre, said: ‘We’re excited to announce the launch of our new Violence Against Women & Girls safety education programme for primary and secondary school students in our hometown of Milton Keynes.

"This education programme will create an empowered community to have courageous conversations, increasing their understanding of the individual impact of their actions, which can make a big difference in their communities and wider society and support women and girls for years to come.

"As a White Ribbon accredited organisation the Safety Centre is committed to supporting and empowering young people across MK and the country to understand the risks around Violence Against Women & Girls, for victims and perpetrators.”

The Safety Centre hopes other funders will now be inspired to support the programme.

"We are launching a fundraising appeal to ensure we are here for children and young people today and in the future. Without ongoing support children and young people will miss out on education that could save their lives,” said Maya.

Samantha Snelus, Philanthropy Manager at MK Community Foundation said: “The project has the potential to not only transform lives, but more importantly save the lives of many women and girls in Milton Keynes and beyond. We hope that the three-year funding gives the team at the Safety Centre everything they need to launch the programme successfully.”

The Safety Centre is this year celebrating 30 years of lifesaving learning, delivering safety education to children, young people and adults.

It started in January 1994 with its interactive safety education centre, the first in the world, Hazard Alley which still operates today at Kiln Farm.

The charity works to create safe flourishing communities for the future, teaching children, young people and adults safety skills for everyday life and emergency situations.

It speciialises in teaching children, young people and adults about how to stay safe, understand risks and avoid accidents using realistic learning experiences. As pioneers of invaluable immersive safety education, it has spearheaded the development of a UK wide network of safety centres.

To support the charity visit here or speak to the team on 01908 263009.