Victim Support NI

Being an active bystander means you will step in to try to prevent something bad happening to another person. It's a really useful societal tool, as once one person steps in, others will follow suit. It just takes one person to bravely and safely intervene, then others will learn how to do the same. The more active bystanders we have in the population, the better, as this will bring about more early interventions and stop situations from escalating to crimes. Learn the 5 'D's that help make interventions safe and successful - Distract - Delegate - Document - Delay - Direct
You can learn more about how to be an active bystander at:
https://righttobe.org/guides/bystander-intervention-training

We're looking for some new Team members in our Belfast and Foyle Hubs. In Belfast we have 1 full-time and 1 part-time permanent posts available, while in Foyle we're recruiting a full-time post on a fixed term contract.
Give us a shout if you meet the criteria and feel like you'd be a good fit!
https://www.victimsupportni.com/get-involved/jobs/

We were pleased to attend the launch of the End Violence Against Women & Girls at Stormont Castle yesterday. Great to see so many of our sector partners there to welcome the strategy as we know so many of them have dedicated years of work to this cause. Of course, now the hard work really begins, with limited resources available to implement the strategy pillars. But it is work that MUST be delivered to make our society safer for women and girls. We look forward to doing what we can to help bring about positive change.


NSPCC Northern Ireland Women's Aid Federation Northern Ireland Police Service of Northern Ireland Nexus Relate NI Northern Ireland Rural Women's Network Women's Resource and Development Agency

Calling all solicitors or barristers who fancy a change! Want to be involved in a groundbreaking new service for young victims of serious sexual crime? Check out our job description for a brand new position working as a Children's Sexual Offences Legal Adviser (CSOLA). An expansion to the current successful SOLA service, this will offer free legal advice and support to young victims of serious sexual offences. We have 2 full-time positions available.
Please apply before the closing date of October 1st.
https://www.victimsupportni.com/2024/09/13/childrens-sexual-offence-legal-adviser-csola/

We often speak about the impact of delays on the justice system. This is a really interesting take from the incoming head of the Criminal Bar Association, Mary Prior KC, speaking to The Times about the harm of delays to victims and the justice system as a whole.

‘I’m scared about what will happen without investment in justice’ Mary Prior KC, the new head of the Criminal Bar Association, tells Catherine Baksi she fears the consequences of allowing court backlogs to grow

The Public Prosecution Service have created a new video to help explain what special measures are available in court and how they can help victims and witnesses to access them.
Special measures are a series of interventions that can be used to help vulnerable and/or intimidated witnesses to feel more comfortable and give their best evidence. This can include giving your evidence from a completely separate building called a Remote Evidence Centre, or from a live link room within the courthouse. Screens can be placed around the witness box so that you don't have to see the defendant or their supporters. There are a range of different communication tools that can be used, including Registered Intermediaries who are communications experts who can assist the witness with their testimony. The judge and barristers can also be asked to remove their wigs and gowns to help make the court feel less formal. There are a range of measures and the Public Prosecution Service, the Victim Witness Care Unit or our Witness Service can help you to explore these if you qualify.

Special Measures for vulnerable or intimidated witnesses (subtitles) This is "Special Measures for vulnerable or intimidated witnesses (subtitles)" by Public Prosecution Service on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos…

Around a third of domestic abuse victims are men. Men's Advisory Project provide a confidential support service to male victims of abuse in Northern Ireland. If you're going though it and need to speak to someone to ask for help or explore your options, please get in touch.

The Men's Advisory Project have been supporting abused men living across NI for 26 years. Domestic abuse poses a serious risk to your life, health and to your family. Abusive relationships rarely end simply, many men require support to exit an abusive relationship safely and to navigate life post abuse or as the forms of abuse change.

Our service continues to offer risk assessment, safety planning, 1-2-1 emotional support, empowerment and resilience based therapy, 1-2-1 counselling. We offer support with housing solutions and understanding benefits and explain how to access the criminal and civil justice systems.
We are always here to support you at point of crisis and at every other step of your journey afterward.
If you need support please always phone or email us - you can call and if we are unable to answer the telephone please leave a message detailing how we can safely contact you.

Help is available to abused men 24/7 from a variety of sources.

All of these agencies will listen to you and they will believe you - they will work with you to offer you the help you need.

Domestic & Sexual Abuse Helpline will support any man who calls or uses their webchat facility. They are excellent and will welcome your call.
Police Service of Northern Ireland should always be called in an emergency on 999 or 101 in other circumstances. Police can also accept Web based contact if phoning feels too unsafe.
Housing Executive have a duty to house anyone made homeless by domestic abuse. If you can no longer live in your home because of the abuse you face NIHE will find you accommodation.
Lifeline 0808 808 8000, is staffed by fully trained trauma therapists who offer care 24/7 - this service is for anyone aged over 13 and can support you through any crisis. Public Health Agency

New BBC programme 'Dead & Buried' examines the trauma victims can feel if they have a chance encounter with the person who committed a serious crime against them, following their release from prison. Written by Bangor author Colin Bateman, this 4 part series is available now on BBC iPlayer
The Probation Board for Northern Ireland and Prison Service for Northern Ireland run special Victim Information Schemes which can notify victims about probation orders and prisoner releases. Victims must opt-in to receive this information and for the prison release schemes the offender's custodial sentence must be 6 months or more.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0022lng

Scams are becoming so sophisticated that even those who are trained to spot them can be fooled. Interesting read from Sam McBride about his personal experience with a scam. Follow Scamwiseni for tips and info on scams currently doing the rounds in NI and if you are scammed, we can support you through the fallout.

"With the growing power of AI, these scams will become more sophisticated by building an accurate picture of us to the extent that it will increasingly sound like only our bank could know this information about us."

This is an extract from Uncovered with Sam McBride, a subscriber-only weekly newsletter from the Belfast Telegraph’s Northern Ireland Editor, sent directly to email inboxes on Wednesday evenings.

https://tinyurl.com/y9zewwdc

Apologies but we are experiencing some tech issues with our phone lines this morning. Please bear with us while we try to get them up and running again. You can email [email protected] or use live chat if you need to get in touch
Many thanks

We would love to find some detail-oriented, paperwork-loving people to volunteer to help out victims of crime who are applying for criminal injuries compensation.
This would be a specific role in which you'd help victims to complete the application forms, which some people can find a bit overwhelming, especially if they're still recovering from the crime.
If you're an admin wizz and can spare a couple of hours per week, we'd love you to get in touch! This is a really definitive way you can help people in need in your community.
Email [email protected] to express your interest.

If you're joining the hordes trying to get Oasis tickets in the morning, you need a masterplan to avoid scammers. Official tickets for the tour will be sold through ticketmaster, gigs and tours, and SEE tickets ONLY. If you're trying for Dublin, be aware that the ticketmaster.ie sale opens at 8am, an hour earlier than UK sales.
If you buy from anywhere else, you might look back in anger next year when you find out your tickets are duds.
Scammers will be mad fer it during this sale as with standing tickets going for approximately £150, and so much demand for this reunion tour, there will be lots of criminal opportunities to commit fraud, steal people's financial information, and generally cause havoc.

As we always remind you, if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is! So put yer money where yer mouth is only when you're sure the sale is official!

Victim blaming is so entrenched in our society that sometimes even victims come to us believing that they are somehow at fault for the crime. They're ashamed for falling for a scam, or they're annoyed that they left something valuable on a car seat in full view of passers-by. But we need to drum it in to everyone - crime is NEVER the victim's fault. The perpetrator of the crime chooses to commit the crime. They have a choice not to scam vulnerable individuals, or to break that car window to steal a laptop.

If you need support to help you recover from the impact of crime, get in touch. We can help.

There is a very official looking HMRC letter scam doing the rounds in the UK at the moment, so please be on the look out for this piece of correspondence. The letter states that they need you to 'verify your financial information' and asks that you do this by sending them copies of your bank statements along with photos of either your driving licence or passport. And what will they have then? Your account details and your full name and date of birth - exactly the sort of information they need to steal your identity and steal all your savings!
Be on your guard, and remember, if you do fall for a scam, we are here to help.

Our offices will be closed tomorrow for the Bank Holiday. If you need urgent help or support during this closure, please get in touch with one of the amazing helplines listed below. And remember, if you believe your life to be in danger, always call the emergency services on 999.
We reopen on Tuesday morning at 9am.

We're looking for a new trustee to join our Board of Governors. This is a voluntary post and our trustees are a vital part of our organisation as they use their professional skills, experience and knowledge to make sure that our charity runs efficiently and in line with our internal policies, as well as sticking to rules and procedures set by the Charity Commission.
If you would like to donate some of your time and skill to help guide our management team, please go to https://www.victimsupportni.com/2024/08/21/board-member/ to find out more about the kind of people we're looking for.

We have a busy weekend ahead of us with and happening on Saturday and Sunday. If you're attending either event, please come find us and say hello. We'll be at Pride Village in Foyle from midday-ish on Saturday and we'll be at the Mela festival in Belfast's Botanic Gardens during the whole event.
At both events we'll be spreading the word about our services and the work Hate Crime Advocacy Service does to support victims of hate crime.

We'll be at the Foyle Pride celebrations this Saturday with our Hate Crime Advocacy Service colleagues, spreading the word about our services and supporting the Foyle LGBTQ+ community.
Pop along to see us at the village or give us a wave if you spot our flags and t-shirts in the parade.
Happy Pride everyone!

We use the Community Resiliency Model techniques and tools when delivering our support services to help victims of crime recover from the impact of the trauma caused by crime, build resilience and move on with their lives. CRM is a trauma-informed practice developed by the Trauma Resource Institute which uses a set of six wellness skills to help victims learn to track their own nervous systems in order to bring the body, mind and spirit back into balance. This model helps individuals to understand their reactions to traumatic events and teaches them how they can reduce their stress reaction and increase their resilience. It also reassures people that what they are experiencing is a simple biological reaction to trauma, not a mental or psychological weakness. This can help reduce shame around the feelings a person experiences.
Our support is tailored to each individual - one of the first things we will do is a needs assessment to find out how you are doing and what you need to recover from the impact of crime.
If you would like to access our support, get in touch at Belfast 028 9024 3133 or Foyle 028 7137 0086 during office hours.

We're looking forward to Mela in Botanic Gardens this coming weekend. It's a joyful celebration of culture, music and arts from all round the world and we'll be there alongside our Hate Crime Advocacy Service colleagues to spread the word about the services we offer.

Are you ready for a party at the Mela World Stage? 🥳

Gospel grooves, funky tunes, sizzling Salsa, Hip Hop beats and Bhangra pop! The biggest and best acts around are on our World Stage hosted by UTV’s Paul Reilly and u105’s Carolyn Stewart with music from Discovery Gospel Choir, Anna's Number, Bhangra Smash Up and The Dhol Foundation.

Round off the festival with a spectacular finale performance by the South Asian Dance Academy 💃

Check out the line up ➡️ https://loom.ly/_oBvr9k

Newry court has been very busy in the last few months and to cope with the increased demand in the area we hope to recruit some new volunteers from South Down. If you can spare a day per week/fortnight/month and would like to help people coming to court as a witness, then we'd love to hear from you! Full training is given and we reimburse out of pocket expenses.
Email [email protected] to express an interest, or apply online at https://www.victimsupportni.com/volunteer

We have been encouraged to see people all over Northern Ireland condemning the recent racist violence on our streets. Residents of the areas affected have chased thugs out of their streets, or protected businesses that are under attack, and have made it known that they do not find the violence acceptable. Fundraisers have raised thousands of pounds to help businesses repair premises and restock. There are more of us who are shocked and appalled at the violence than there are supporters and perpetrators of it.
with our sector partners and the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland who want a society which is enriched by a wide range of diverse cultures.

Anyone affected by hate crime of any type can contact the Hate Crime Advocacy Service for specialist advice, help and support.

Volunteering has been proven to have long-term health benefits, with volunteers having reduced stress levels, higher self-esteem and better general health than non-volunteers.
These benefits increase for volunteers over the age of 60.
If you can spare some time and want to meet new people, get a renewed sense of purpose, and increase your dopamine levels by helping others, get in touch with us at [email protected] for information on our current opportunities!

A timely message for our anti-hate crimecampaign from Police Service of Northern Ireland Hate Crime Lead, Superintendent Sue-Ann Steen. In this video, Sue-Ann explains that the PSNI take hate crime very seriously and encourages victims to report all incidents to the police so that they can do what they can to help.
We work together with our partners in the PSNI and our advocacy partners to make sure that hate crime remains a priority and that we are all working towards the goal of a society which is a

- YouTube Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

Civil disorder in Belfast following an anti-immigration protest on Saturday has left us shocked and saddened. There was violence on our streets and many businesses that were thought to be run by people of ethnic minorities were attacked. This is unacceptable. Our society must be a
Our thoughts are with the victims and the first responders who were injured during the unrest.
with our sector partners against hate crime in all its forms. The Hate Crime Advocacy Service is here to support victims of hate crime, and can be contacted on the email address [email protected] or by 028 9024 3133. You can also self-refer at their website www.hcasni.com

We've got an exciting new volunteer opportunity which would suit people of a practical nature, who have a good eye for detail and want to do something concrete to help victims of crime. Our criminal injuries compensation service needs some volunteers to help victims with their applications. We will provide full training and make sure you have all you need to complete the task, which you can do from home or from one of our Hubs in Belfast or Foyle.
The volunteers who are currently doing this tell us they like it as it's a very practical thing they can do to help someone who is struggling, and they know it can save victims lots of money as our help is free and victims get to keep their whole award if successful.
If this sounds of interest to you please give us a shout via email to [email protected]

Our anti-hate crime campaign is something we won't stop shouting about! Hate Crime is a scourge on our society and we want to make Northern Ireland into a
You can read the We Stand Together Manifesto at https://www.victimsupportni.com/types-of-crime/hate-crime/
to find out what we're asking for from our partners and what we commit to do in order to reduce hate crime in our communities.
Show your support in the comments, or use the hashtag in your own posts.
Judge Marrinan completed the Hate Crime Review for the Department of Justice in 2020 and we're hopeful that his recommendations will influence new legislation in the current mandate. Listen here to his thoughts on the essential things we need to do to combat the rise of hate crime in NI.
https://youtu.be/JKHvUQodcv0

#WeStandTogether anti-hate crime campaign - Judge Marrinan An interview with Judge Marrinan, who led the Hate Crime Review in 2020.

Victim Support NI is currently experiencing technical difficulties with our telephone system. Please leave a voicemail and we will return your call when the issue is resolved. We apologise for the inconvenience.

The RapeCrisis Northern Ireland is open Monday-Thursday evenings between 6-8pm on 0800 0246 991

Wellness Wednesday Reminder ✨

Healing is not linear~ It is weird, it is a process & it can be messy.

Make sure you go easy on yourself at every stage. You are doing better than you think.

❤

We had a wonderful time at on Saturday, despite the weather. It's such a positive event, with so many people filling the city centre with colour, energy and a welcoming spirit. Thanks to the organisers for putting on another great event, and to everyone who took the time to come and speak to us in the Pride Village about the work the Hate Crime Advocacy Service team do to support victims of hate crime.


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