The council share this latest news, Ed
The Island’s Safeguarding Adults Board were at the Isle of Wight festival once again this year to raise awareness of consent and domestic abuse.
Volunteers from ‘Yellow Door’ Counselling Service (formerly Southampton Rape crisis), the Hampton Trust and the NHS Sexual Health team were on hand to provide specialist support and a ‘safe space’ to anyone affected by the issues.
‘Love Doesn’t Hurt’
Based in Strawberry Fields, under the banner ‘Love Doesn’t Hurt’, the team met hundreds of festival goers over the course of the weekend; who came to the make jewellery, paint stones and discuss any issues or concerns they had.
Isle of Wight Council Cabinet member for adult social care and public health, Councillor Clare Mosdell, said:
“The Isle of Wight Festival has completely taken on board the message of respectful sexual relationships and our annual presence here, for the second year, shows that the organisers take safeguarding seriously.
“It’s essential that the public know that domestic and sexual abuse is unacceptable and it is important that the safeguarding team attends events such as this to provide information and advice in an informal way.“
Everyone felt the event was very well managed
The Isle of Wight Council’s Safeguarding Adults Board manager, Fleur Gardiner, said:
“It was great to return to the festival this year to continue our awareness raising work. We spoke to so many different people over the weekend, many of whom have been affected by these issues in their lives.
“Feedback from the public was overwhelmingly positive about our work and about the priority the Festival gives to safeguarding. Everyone we spoke to felt the event was very well managed and, most importantly, that they felt safe.”
The attendance at the Festival is part of an on-going campaign on consent, further details of which can be found on the council website
