Hyndburn Local Strategic Partnership

This weekend Hyndburn’s Community Safety Partnership will show domestic violence the red card with the launch of an innovative, targeted campaign to reduce incidents throughout the season.

The, punchy, eye catching campaign, which will run over the next six weeks in the Boroughs pubs, supermarkets, off-licenses and betting shops, will feature lively football themed publicity, including posters, beer mats, and even t-shirts and jackets for bar and door staff featuring the slogan ‘Blow Full Time on Domestic Violence’. 

Red cards with fixture lists and the message ‘Show the Red Card to Domestic Violence’ are also being handed out in local pubs and bars in the lead up to the World Cup and Bluetooth technology will be used to get the message out to fans mobile phones.

Speaking about the move, Cllr Brian Roberts, Chair Of Hyndburn's Community Safety Partnership said: "We set up the campaign in response to research which shows an alarming rise in incidents during big sporting events, with some key matches sparking a dramatic rise in reports of abuse.

"In fact in during June and July of the 2006 World Cup domestic violence reports rocketed by over 25 per cent on match days and when Portugal knocked England out of the World Cup on 1 July there was a massive 37 per cent surge in reports of domestic violence.

"We want people to enjoy the World Cup whilst doing our utmost to stop the domestic violence which the heightened atmosphere can spark."

Sgt Graham Brownsmith from Accrington police added: "This campaign will send out a clear message that domestic violence is never acceptable and it will never be tolerated in Hyndburn."

The Police and HARV domestic violence have agreed to provide additional cover during this period to deal with any surge in reports of domestic violence.

PLEDGE: Fiona says that simple changes can make all the difference.

EAST Lancashire residents are being urged to make a pledge to live more healthily.

NHS East Lancashire's neighbourhood health workers are going into communities in areas such as Burnley, Pendle, Hyndburn and Rossendale to ask people to make one small positive change to their lifestyle as part of its campaign to Save a Million Years of Life (SMYL).

Fiona Muir, neighbourhood health worker in Accrington, said: “We have found that sometimes people don’t realise that even simple changes to their lifestyle can make a big difference to their health and wellbeing, and very often such changes wont cost much money either.

“Our emphasis is on those simple things we can all do to keep us healthy. We call it SMYLing.

“SMYLing is any activity that you do to keep healthy, and making a pledge is a good start.

“A SMYL pledge could be something as little as cutting down the number of cups of tea and coffee you drink and drinking more water. Tea and coffee contain caffeine that makes you dehydrated.

“Another example of a simple inexpensive pledge is walking for 20 minutes a day. Walking gets you out and gets you fit, and 20 minutes walking is a great start to losing weight, and feeling more healthy.”

The pledge consists of a simple form that the neighbourhood health workers are using to help people write down what their pledges are.

They are working in partnership with Lancashire County Council’s Help Direct to help residents identify where they can obtain the support to live more healthily.

Help Direct, along with the trust's own Patient Advice and Liaison Service, will inform residents where to find services that can help with lifestyle changes such as stop smoking clinics, where to get advice about diet, exercise or healthy lifestyles.

To find out more contact 0845 603 1068 or Help Direct 0303 333 1111 or visit www.smyl.eastlancspct.nhs.uk.

For more information on the Action for Children Family Intervention Project please click on the picture below.  Or alternatively contact Andrea Collinge by calling 01254 872732 or emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it