We were delighted to be invited to attend and exhibit at the first ever Victims’ Awareness Conference in Hertfordshire, organised by Beacon – Hertfordshire’s Victim Care Centre, which is staffed by professionals from Hertfordshire Constabulary and Catch 22, an independent organisation commissioned to support victims of crime in Hertfordshire.
The inaugural annual conference took place on Friday 24th February, to mark Victims Awareness Week and focused on:
- raising awareness of victim experiences
- sharing expertise
- highlighting best practice for supporting victims
- introducing and providing networking opportunities to bolster joint working around victims’ needs.
Speakers included Dr. Madeleine Storry, Victim Commissioners Office, Mark Brooks, Trustee Chair of the Mankind Initiative, Kevin McGetrick, Victims Commissioning, Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office, and Charlotte Calkin, Restorative Engagement Forum.
They were joined by a number of Lived Experience Speakers sharing their stories and experiences as victims and survivors.
Other stallholders included Herts SARC, ISVA service, OWL, Beacon, Fraud Hub, Herts Refuge (IDVA service) and SADA.
To find out more about Beacon visit: https://hertfordshirebeacon.org.
Since 2020 over 800 Hertfordshire users have registered on the WEPROTECT app. Over this time the DA Alliance has received almost 6,500 referrals from frontline professionals, in Hertfordshire, on behalf of victims seeking legal advice and protection. Over 500 court orders have been secured to help victims in Hertfordshire break the cycle of abuse.
