May 2020

Award-winning children’s domestic abuse charity Strength With In Me Foundation (S.W.I.M) announces its inclusion in a lockdown fundraising event in the midst of rising domestic abuse. 

Kickoff@3 have devised a lockdown-friendly challenge SpinOff@3, a challenge designed specifically to continue to raise funds during the restrictions of lockdown and social distancing to support crucial charities including S.W.I.M. 

In previous years, KickOff@3 founders Kickoff@3 Michael Wallace and Ashley Levien have bought together the police forces to organise community football fundraiser for key charities. This year, in light of lockdown, KickOff@3 have announced a different fundraising project, the SpinOff@3 challenge, which will be raising money for registered children’s domestic abuse charity S.W.I.M amidst the current coronavirus lockdown’s impact on domestic abuse.

‘As the proud Co-Founders of Kickoff@3 we are excited at launching our new National initiative of Spinoff@3 in good support of SWIM and YouWeMe. We hope lots of money will be raised whilst working altogether for vital causes.’ Michael Wallace & Ashley Levien

Domestic violence is a major issue during lockdown Britain as multiple support services have reported a surge in calls to helplines, while the Metropolitan police said they had made 4,093 arrests for domestic abuse offences – an average of about 100 a day since March 9th, when people with coronavirus symptoms were asked to self-isolate.  The effect on British children and young people is devastating. Two women die every week from domestic abuse; in the past week alone 16 victims have died and 3 of those were children. Without the sanctuary of school and the support of peers and practitioners, children in domestic abuse are experiencing a crisis during the lockdown.

S.W.I.M’s healthy relationship workshops have been raising awareness by sensitively tackling the controversial area of Domestic Abuse and relationships all over the country using a combination of imaginatively designed, empowering and age-appropriate interactive workshops based around empowerment, increasing self-esteem and recognising self-worth. Founded by domestic abuse survivor Dr Diahanne Rhiney BCAe, the charity won a National Diversity Award for its work with young people and informing an APPG to have healthy relationships taught in schools to children over five years old. Presently, the charity requires urgent financial assistance to manage a 60% increase in calls from distressed young people and to develop a lockdown app that offers support, advice, guidance, and discreet access to the emergency services.

‘These are challenging times for domestic abuse victims; here at S.W.I.M, we have gone from receiving approximately 30 calls per week from young people in domestic abuse households and relationships to 198 per week. As we adapt to the new climate and rising numbers, were seeking to provide support and help via apps and other accessible means during the lockdown, so the charity is in dire need of funding more than ever. I was thrilled when Kickoff@3 contacted me to say they still wanted to support S.W.I.M despite COVID:19 lockdown via their brilliant concept SpinOff@3. We’re taking this situation very seriously at the charity and it’s an honour to receive the support of such a respected organisation.’

SpinOff@3 is a challenge that can be completed on anything with wheels (not motorised) from roller skates to skateboard( whilst social distancing which encourages people of all ages (but especially young people) to be active, spend time with their household members and support crucial charities Strength With In Me and St Albans Action for Homelessness. The challenge is broken down into optional sub-challenges which give people flexibility depending upon their individual circumstances.

Details on how to get involved can be found at https://www.kickoffat3.co.uk

Open to all ages and ability, the challenge is on the 3rd – 10th June.

Nominations roll in for prestigious London inaugural ceremony The Baton Awards 2018 celebrating pioneering BAME women at the Houses of Parliament.

Hundreds of nominations already submitted from all over the world ‘Celebrating BAME women of past, present and future.’ Esteemed panel of pioneering judges gear up to shortlist the UK’s brightest BAME nominees.

Confirmed hosts for the evening are award-winning BAME pioneers, Broadcaster and journalist Charlene White Sky TV broadcaster Gillian Joseph.

The Baton Awards 2018 has been designed not only to inspire BAME women, by celebrating pioneers and innovators, but to actively activate change at a grassroots level and create a surge in the myriad of industries that aren’t being accessed by the female BAME community. Winners will receive their Baton Award 2018, from one of the pioneering predecessors (torchbearers) in the field they have succeeded in and receive ongoing mentoring from their BAME industry pioneer.

‘Not so long ago I was the intern, the green hopeful in the newsroom but now advancing years and experience have placed me firmly in the position of Mentor. It’s a role I actually relish as it is imperative that the baton is passed on, and that is precisely what the awards hope to achieve.’ Sky’s Gillian Joseph, The Baton Awards co-host.

Hundreds of nominations have already been sent in from all over the world and includes distinguished BAME actress Mona Hammond Hammond OBE, best known for her role in EastEnders. In 2018, Hammond was awarded the Women of the World Lifetime Achievement Award for her long and distinguished theatre career, and for championing black British actors with Talawa Theatre Company.
Nominations close at 5pm on October 5th with 12 categories of entry recognising the passion, dedication and challenges faced by BAME women.

This year’s awards – the inaugural event, is being held on November 29th at the Houses of Parliament. Importantly, applications to every category are encouraged from Scotland, Ireland and Wales, as well as England in the main categories with a category for international BAME women. Judges include an array of British BAME Pioneers including former athlete Michelle Moore: who has been featured in The Independent’s 50 Most Influential Women in Sport and won an acclaimed UK Change Maker award in 2015 for her contribution to sport for social change. Also, Dr Shola Mos Shogbamimu, leader at the Women’s March on London in 2017, and co-organiser of the 21 January Time’s Up protest and Stylist’s Woman of the Week.*

Founder Dr Diahanne Rhiney BCAe says, ‘We have been blown away by both the quality and quantity of the nominations we have received so far. We really want to shatter the glass ceiling with this event by paving the way for BAME women so please take the time to nominate as many deserving candidates as you can think of so that we have as many great examples from every level of industry as possible.’

The evenings hosts are, Charlene White, an award-winning presenter and senior broadcast journalist at BBC Look East, Radio 5 Live Morning Reports, BBC Three 60 Seconds and BBC News. White was the first black woman to present ITV News at Ten and occasionally co-presented this until October 2015. Also, award-winning Sky TV broadcaster Gillian Joseph, who has covered the Royal wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton and the death of Nelson Mandela and has been presented with a Commission for Racial Equality award for her reporting.