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Appendix C - Year on Year Progress

Year on Year Progress

2024 Reflection

The Bexley Community Safety Partnership has been committed to tackling Violence against Women and Girls in line with our 2024 to 2028 VAWG Strategy.

We have developed public communications, tools and resources to raise awareness of VAWG and the different forms, and to ensure that the services and reporting mechanisms available are clear, utilised and that those reporting receive quality response.

As a result of this, here are our top VAWG partnership achievements across 2024:

  1. Training: Delivery of our VAWG training programme to 368 professionals and stakeholders, enhancing skills to identify abuse, respond appropriately, and challenge cultural norms around gender-based violence.


 

  1. Campaigning and Visibility: Creation of a VAWG campaign, including leaflets and posters, which are displayed around the borough including GPs, libraries and local businesses. We also ran a 16 Days against Violence Against Women & Girls Campaign in 2024, with daily training, information, and outreach events in the community.


 

  1. Community Engagement: Engagement with 15 community groups to raise awareness, signpost to local services, and gather resident insight through our borough-wide VAWG survey.


 

  1. Business Partnership Working: Collaboration with the Metropolitan Police to deliver Welfare and Vulnerability Engagement (WAVE) and Ask for Angela training to 77 local businesses, supporting safety in Bexley’s night-time economy.


 

  1. Strategic Recognition: Bexley achieved White Ribbon Accreditation, a public commitment to tackling male violence against women, supported by 9 Ambassadors and 22 Champions in the borough.


 

  • Inclusive Prevention Work:CouRAGEus Project - Adoption of the CouRAGEus programme to support BAME (Black Asian and Minority Ethnic) and LGBTQ+ young women through culturally appropriate and preventative education around VAWG.


 

  • Women only Boxing & Self-Defence Programmes – Bexley’s Community Safety Team commissioned Royal Resistance to deliver women-only boxing and self defence programmes at local leisure centres, for women and girls aged 16+ who had experienced VAWG. This programme gave a safe space for women and girls to increase their confidence and resilience, as well as improve their mental health as well as to participate in a widely male-dominated sport.


 

  • Belvedere pilot – this was an area targeted pilot in Belvedere funded by the Safer Neighbourhood Board to trial different actions and measure how they impact on safety and feelings of safety for women and girls, including the targeted training of businesses and local venues; awareness resources clearly visible; community engagement and awareness-raising; a community Walk & Talk with local Police officers to walk the local area and talk about women’s safety issues among residents; an Environmental Visual Assessment by a design-out crime officer; an area clean-up; and measures such as reporting QR codes in locations people feel more vulnerable in.


 

  • Rotating College Engagement Forums – this consisted of partnership professionals attending a forum hosted by one of the four colleges in rotation, where all students are invited to attend and share concerns, feedback, ideas and recommendations, and to obtain safety advice, information and resources.

These achievements reflect our collective effort to raise awareness, build capacity, and embed a whole-system response to ending violence against women and girls.

Areas of focus for 2025 to 2026

Looking ahead, our focus will remain on ensuring delivery is victim-centred, trauma-informed and inclusive, particularly for marginalised and underrepresented communities. We will continue to adapt and refine our work based on evidence, resident feedback, and national learning. In 2025 to 2026, our focus will be on strengthening borough-wide awareness, improving access to support, and enhancing data-driven prevention. We will:

  • Raise Awareness: Build on the national Enough campaign with an annual borough-wide awareness programme around International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (IDEVAWG), supported by a communications calendar, inclusive resources, and consistent social media activity. VAWG sessions in schools will continue as a priority, alongside public and partner-facing outreach


 

  • Improve Communication and Accessibility: Review and expand our communications to ensure materials are inclusive and accessible across formats. Partner websites will be updated to include VAWG information and referral pathways, and a VAWG Support Directory will be developed


 

  • Data, Insight, and Evidence: Promote and analyse data through tools like StreetSafe, Walk and Talks, and crime reporting. We will conduct our annual resident survey and gather qualitative feedback to guide local needs analysis


 

  • Training and Capacity Building: Deliver an enhanced VAWG training package for professionals focused on legal frameworks, trauma-informed support, and partnership working. We will also build capacity by promoting external training opportunities and expanding our network of White Ribbon Champions and Ambassadors


 

  • Safer Communities and Victim Support: utilise any available funding and resource strategically to improve safety infrastructure, support core VAWG staffing, and enhance community-based victim services. Referral routes and support access will be reviewed and widely promoted, ensuring all victims are signposted effectively


 

  • Perpetrator-Focused Work: Increase awareness of healthy behaviours through the Enough campaign and seek resources for early intervention and perpetrator programmes. We will also explore opportunities for community and school engagement with men and boys


 

  • Partnership and Strategy Development: Update and expand the VAWG Working Group to reflect wider partnership input, with quarterly Action Plan reviews and oversight from BCSP and MOPAC