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Shout Out February: Victim Support Kent launch month-long campaign to raise its profile

Victim Support in Kent has launched a month-long campaign to raise awareness and funds for it cause.

Shout Out February is an initiative which started last year which aimed to raise the charity's profile within the community.

Victim Support staff and volunteers will be shouting out proudly about the services the organisation provides to those who have been impacted by crime.

Cakes made for Shout Out February last year
Cakes made for Shout Out February last year

Scroll down to hear from David Naylor contract account manager at Victim Support

The campaign, which will run for the entire month, has an added bonus of raising money for it cause.

This could be providing individuals with security items to enable them to feel safer within their home and the neighbourhood after a crime has been committed.

During February, staff and volunteers will be arranging events, some will be big and others will be small to boost funds and raise awareness of its cause.

Last year alone the more than 85,000 people being offered support by the charity.

Rebecca Avery, volunteer and community lead at Victim Support Kent said: "All staff and volunteers were asked to arrange an event (albeit big or small) of their choice.

"The idea was for individuals to tailor their event to their immediate sphere of contacts, hobbies or groups."

Last year, some examples of staff going that extra mile was woman who started training in February, and completed the Gatwick Half Marathon May, she raised £453.83 for he cause.

One volunteer promoting Victim Support in the Amazon
One volunteer promoting Victim Support in the Amazon

One volunteer visited Amazon exposing the brand Ms Vela-Castro collected and packed 40 bags with Victim Support information and some essentials for the homeless charity, Maidstone Day Centre.

The organisation also has stalls at events across the county and Victim Support volunteers who study at Canterbury Christ Church university raised the profile and promoted volunteering opportunities with their university.

Another volunteer, helped Victim Support gain bus tickets, to help victims of crime travel to court, counselling sessions or to the police station.

Bags packed last year at the Maidstone Day Care Centre
Bags packed last year at the Maidstone Day Care Centre

The tickets were donated by transport group, Stagecoach.

One employee enlisted her son's heavy metal gig in Folkestone to raise funds for the cause.

The headline band Brightlight City kindly donated their fee for the evening to Victim Support.

David Naylor, contract account manager at Victim Support
David Naylor, contract account manager at Victim Support

Ms Avery added: "This year we are already starting to see some events taking shape including presentations to groups such as Neighbourhood Watch delivered by some of our volunteers.

"All staff members will receive a collection pot to place in a venue accompanied by information on Victim Support.

"Victim Support have also been named chosen charity for a number of token schemes across Kent, to date we have managed to raise £968 with Waitrose and Asda.

"We would like people to see our logo and recognise that our brand stands for as accessible, tailored service to help individuals move beyond crime.

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David Naylor contract account manager added: "Shout Out February is something we piloted last year did last year and it worked really really well.

"It is about raising visibility of Victim Support within Kent and we are asking people if they are going to a coffee morning or meeting friends or a drink after work just talk about Victim Support if you can and pop something on your Twitter feed on Instagram or Facebook, just let people know that we exist."

"We are looking at a calender of events across the year to try raise funds to increase the kind of service we can offer to victims of crime and to make it little bit more initiative and try out different things and provide different services.

"So if you are good at shouting out - shout out for victim support."

For more details about the charity’s work and if you need support call 0808 1689276, when the local office is closed call 0808 1689111 or visit www.victimsupport.org.uk.

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