Jewish Women’s Aid launches scheme to help young people in relationships

Jewish Women’s Aid (JWA) launched its Safer Dating programme on Monday with a fun evening of bowling, karaoke and cocktails.

Safer Dating, which aims to help 16 to 25-year-olds avoid identify the signs of an unhealthy relationship, will run at JSocs, schools and youth movements across the country.

Guests from schools, youth movements and universities, who attended the launch at All Star Lanes in Holborn, praised the new initiative.

Sixth former Debbie Kaye, said: “People don’t just want to sit and hear lectures. This is a fun way of approaching the subject.”

Dr Pam Alldred of Brunel University, London, who specialises in education and youth studies, said: “It’s a great idea to have this event in a social space – the kind of space where these conversations need to be had.”

JWA chief executive, Naomi Dickson, said: “We thought we should start working on campuses talking to students, because that’s when the first proper relationships often happen.”

Joel Salmon, parliamentary officer for the Board of Deputies, also attended the event.

Bassy Cohen, a representative of Noa Girls, an orthodox-Jewish support group for adolescent girls, said she felt the event was important and much could be learnt from the new initiative.

JWA’s latest scheme hopes to reach further than the 2,500 pupils they are already in contact with in schools across the UK.

Sarah Manuel, Safer Dating co-ordinator, said: “Every movement will need to approach this subject in a different way, but the conversation can be had everywhere. It’s our job to make it more relevant and accessible for this age group.”

JWA was recently awarded the Women’s Aid National Quality Mark for the high-quality service it delivers to women and children across the Jewish community who have experienced domestic abuse.

The charity provides a helpline, refuge spaces, counselling and legal support for women in abusive relationships.