Residents were reassured about the action being taken to tackle violence against women and girls in the Welwyn Hatfield area at a special community event.
The virtual session was hosted by Welwyn Hatfield Unity of Culture Forum, which aims to bring together the diverse communities of Welwyn Hatfield and give them a voice. It is run independently but supported by local partners such as the police who are also invited to attend.
Sgt Dan Bales, from the Welwyn Hatfield Safer Neighbourhood Team, was the guest speaker, and answered questions from the public about the issue of violence towards women and girls.
Also in attendance was Welwyn Hatfield Ch Insp Kash Hussain, who is passionate about improving the trust and confidence that ethnic minority groups have in policing.
Ch Insp Hussain said: “Events like these are a great way of engaging with the community and hearing about their views. We are committed to making sure Welwyn Hatfield is a safe place for women and girls. Please be assured that lots of work is being carried out to achieve this, including working with local partners to improve lighting and cut back vegetation in areas where women and girls feel vulnerable.
“It was great to see so many people dialled in to the forum and I would like to thank the Unity of Culture for inviting us along. The forum presents a fantastic opportunity for those from ethnic minority communities to be heard by their local public services and I encourage residents to get involved.”
Daniella Divina Broomes, founder and chair of the Unity of Culture Forum, said: “This was a really useful event as the public were able to ask questions first-hand to Sgt Bales. We endeavour to have more of these events, providing the ethnically diverse communities and individuals the platform to use their own voice to hear updates and hold all local services to account.
“I want to highlight it is extremely important that we come together as a community to celebrate the differences within the community. Our aim is to support this and uplift this.
"Please contact us by emailing unityofculture@gmail.com or calling 07856 186 605 to volunteer with us or for more information on how we can support individuals and groups.”
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