Congleton Town Council's White Ribbon Ambassador Jonathan Dakin joined the All Saints Parish Breakfast Group at St John's recently to give a talk about the White Ribbon campaign.

White Ribbon engages men and boys, in particular, to challenge the attitudes and behaviours that lead to men's violence against women.

Several members of the Group made their White Ribbon promise after the talk and there was an interesting discussion of the points raised.

Churchwarden Peter Houldsworth reflected on the session saying: "A unhealthy English breakfast is an attraction on a relaxing Saturday morning to many people who don't normally have a cooked meal to start the weekend. 

"The speaker adds an element of surprise, as the topic is not always obvious from the title. The White Ribbon title didn't strike me as that significant but sounded interesting. 

"The realisation that I, as a male was the target of this talk made me listen more intently and take note of my own cultural prejudices in what I think and say in male circles.

"I don't believe that all males are bad but I learnt that our behaviour needs improvement within male circles. Hopefully, we can all recognise that we are part of the problem and really need to be part of the solution. 

"Change management usually takes time but I do think that old dogs can alter their ways for the better."

Spreading the White Ribbon message will not be easy but we all should play a positive role in this endeavour."

Congleton Town Council is a White Ribbon Accredited organisation whose ambition is to eradicate men's violence against women and all gender-based violence in Congleton.

The White Ribbon Group consists of Town Councillors, Council Officers, and volunteers from the community who are all White Ribbon Ambassadors or Champions.

If any other organisations would like a session with the White Ribbon team, please contact [email protected] and a member of the group will get in touch.