BRAVE Too Celebrates International Men’s Day

To mark International Men’s Day this year, BRAVE Too held a special event at the Curve in Slough on the 30th of November in partnership with Slough Borough Council. This co-produced event for BRAVE Too, which offers support for men in Berkshire who have experienced domestic abuse, marked the culmination of our first year – one of growth and change alongside reflection and opportunity.

We were very pleased to have a special guest speaker, Professor Ben Hine from the University of West London, who gave a talk on “Male Victims of Domestic Violence and Abuse: What Do We Know? And How Can We Help?” Reflecting on the talk, a BRAVE Too community member said: “It was well researched and it felt like our story… That’s when I realised it fitted. It was nice to be able to academically validate our experiences, to see the statistics… He said we were ‘the same but different.'”

Supported by our BRAVE Too practitioner and clinical psychologist Stuart Farley, our panel of BRAVE Too community members ended the event by courageously discussing their experiences of domestic abuse, in front of the BRAVE network of referrers, colleagues, and professionals in the audience. The community members felt it was a pleasure to see such a wide variety of people from different agencies including Thames Valley Police, Domestic Abuse services, Healthcare, and Local Authorities all coming together to share and learn as a wider community.

Our panel also took thoughtful questions from the audience, and felt empowered to share their experiences. This enriching experience really allowed our attendees to engage authentically with the BRAVE Too community members, with one observing that professionals wanted to stay longer and discuss further after the panel had ended.

“I went away feeling more empowered” – BRAVE Too community member

In raising awareness for the cause, we also raised spirits; our panel reflected that they found the event validating, reassuring, and empowering. With domestic abuse against men still under-represented, it’s crucial that voices like these continue to be heard as we remind everyone that domestic abuse doesn’t discriminate.

To learn more about BRAVE Too, including the specific support we offer and how to make a referral, visit our new BRAVE Too webpage here. You can also visit the main BRAVE page here, contact us on 0118 904 4647, or email BRAVEToo@berkshire.nhs.uk for more information.