Domestic violence victims to be remembered at Newcastle service marking White Ribbon Day

Victims of domestic abuse are being urged to reach out ahead of two services to remember victims in the North East.

White Ribbon Day will take place on Monday, November 25 and aims to prevent men's violence against women and girls by addressing its root causes. Services will be held in Newcastle and Hexham that will remember the victims of domestic violence and also highlight the issue of violence against women.

The services have been organised by CADA (Christians Against Domestic Abuse) North East, and will be led by Reverend Rosemary New. It comes as shocking statistics show there were were 39,640 incidents of domestic abuse in the year to March 2023 in In Northumbria. Children were involved in 43% of incidents; 75% of incidents involved a partner or ex-partner; and 40% were repeat victims.

Reverend New said: "'This White Ribbon Day service is part of the church's opportunity to remember lives lost through domestic abuse; to repent of where we have failed to care adequately; and to resolve to change. In the inevitable sadness, there will be hope and encouragement.

"The service will only last about 40 minutes, it will be short and gentle. It will be a time of remembrance, so the names of victims from the past 12 months will be read out. People attending will be offered an orange rose that they can lay at the church as the names are read out."

Rev New said the service will focus on three areas; remembering lives lost through domestic abuse; to repent of where we have failed to care adequately; and to resolve to change.

She added: "We [the church] need to accept we have got things wrong and haven't supported victims of abuse. And there's the renewal bit, how can we change how can we move forward, how can we do it better.

"As with society the church, the culture and thinking needs to change. We need to be more open about the fact these things happen. There is training for people with responsibility within the churches.

"There is this thing about churches being community and family and loving one another. This needs to extend to victims and we need to learn to listen and give them a voice and the kind of healing and recovery that needs to happen for victims, it take a long time. It needs patience and understanding from those supporting victims.

"Churches are learning to close ranks on victims and just be there to support her, which is community, understanding and care."

Reverend New said that while CADA North East doesn't provide services such as refugee, it provides a different resources for women which is unpaid voluntarily love and companionship.

Rev New, who plans to start an online service for woman who feel "too bruised" to attend church, encouraged women who are experiencing domestic violence to find a safe person to talk to.

She added: "It takes a lot of courage to reach out. The way victims typically reach out is to test the waters with little bits of information to see how the person reacts, if the person doesn't react then tend to pull back."

She also urged woman to attend the service and find hope.

"In terms of the services I would encourage any victim of domestic abuse to come to the service and start to find some consolation in their situation that along with the sorrow their is hope," she said. "The hope can grow not just into survival but real recovery and real thriving, there is hope."

A service will be held at Trinity Church, Gosforth, in Newcastle on Saturday, November 23 at 2.30pm. The service will be led by Rev Rosemary New. There will be other participants - everyone will have a small part to play in laying a rose at the altar.

In Hexham, there will be a White Ribbon Day at Trinity Methodist Church, Hexham, on Saturday 7 December at 2.30pm.

Designated 'listeners' will be available at both churches for anyone wishing to talk in confidence after the service.

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