Keep safe in Wokingham campaign launched

Involve Community Services and Wokingham’s Community Safety Partnership will launch the Keep Safe in Wokingham campaign, a series of engaging webinars throughout February which raises awareness and promotes safety for borough residents. 

Keep Safe in Wokingham will bring together voluntary sector groups, local government professionals, schools and other key stakeholders to collaborate, learn and share resources for keeping our community safe.

The webinars are free to attend and each session is targeted for different audiences including parents and carers, local practitioners, with some open to people of all ages. 

Keeping Wokingham safe

The campaign hopes to increase awareness about challenges such as cybercrime (e.g. scams and hacking and how to avoid being a victim), domestic abuse and exploitation, technology enabled abuse and how everyone can keep safe online. The aim is to help residents navigate the digital world and understand its impact on the real world.

The mother of murdered teenager Olly Stephens will be one of the speakers. Amanda Stephens’ 13-year-old son Olly was murdered by three teenagers in 2021, in a crime linked to social media. Speaking at the campaign’s launch event, she will tell her family’s personal story of losing their son Olly.

Chief Executive of the Council and Chair of the Community Safety Partnership, Susan Parsonage said: “We’re delighted to be working in partnership with Involve Community Services to launch the Keep Safe in Wokingham campaign. The webinars will empower residents to become confident about safety, especially for young and vulnerable people, helping to build a more resilient borough, both online and in the real world. Our priority is to build and maintain great communities, and we want to help everyone in the borough feel safe and supported.”

Leader of the council Cllr Stephen Conway said: “Partnership working is a council priority and we have been working with Involve Community Services on the Keep Safe in Wokingham campaign since last September. The line-up of speakers are committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of everyone in our community. 

“I’d like to encourage as many people, including parents, carers and local practitioners, to sign up to these informative webinars. The topics are on current, day-to-day online matters. There is something for everyone.” 

Chief Executive Officer at Involve Community Services Philip Bell said: “I am delighted that our charity is working with Wokingham’s Community Safety Partnership to bring the borough’s first Keep Safe month.  If we manage to keep just one resident safe from harm as a consequence, our unified efforts will be more than worthwhile.”

Event speakers

Event speakers include Involve Community Services, Cyber Choices, Kaleidoscopic UK, NSPCC, Thames Valley Violence Reduction Unit, Youthworks Consultancy, Reading Students’ Union, South East Regional Crime Unit, Tellmi Mental Health App and Amanda Stephens. 

February's webinars

The online events can be booked on the Involve website and include: 

• Monday 3 February at 4pm - Campaign launch event
• Tuesday 4 February at 4.30pm - Young people and sense of safety
• Wednesday 5 February from 1pm to 2pm – From surviving to thriving 
• Thursday 6 February from 9.30am to 11.30am – Technology enabled abuse (requires a Learning Pool account to book)
• Monday 10 February at 10am to 11am – Online safety for parents and carers
• Monday 10 February at 4pm to 5pm – Engaging with students in safety campaigns 
• Tuesday 11 February from 4.15pm to 6.15pm – Cyber protection for individuals
• Wednesday 12 February at 1.30pm to 2.30pm – Online safety for parents and carers
• Thursday 13 February at 6pm to 7pm – Online safety for parents and carers
• Thursday 13 February at 6pm – Positive choices parents evening (invite only for schools)
• Wednesday 12 and Thursday 13 February – Positive choices for Year 7s at The Oakwood Centre in Woodley (invite only for schools)
• Monday 17 February at 6pm – Online safety for parents and carers
• Monday 24 February at 6pm to 6.45pm – Avoiding hacking and scams 
• Tuesday 25 February at 4.30pm to 5.15pm – Child exploitation awareness 
• Wednesday 26 February at 2pm to 3pm - Digital mental health support for young people
• Wednesday 26 February at 4.30pm - Knife crime awareness for parents and carers - run by The Ben Kinsella Trust

To find out more and book your place, visit the Involve Community Services website.