Bolton Wanderers in the Community support the J9 initiative

When 1 in 3 women experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, there are no excuses to stand by, which is why we’ve been working with the EFL trust to train our staff, through the J9 initiative, to spot the signs of domestic violence and provide appropriate support.

The J9 initiative aims to assist survivors of domestic abuse, and the training provides our staff with the tools to help anybody who may not feel safe or have the opportunity to tell anybody else. Simply speak to a BWitC member of staff, recognisable by our BWFC Tracksuits and lanyards, if you require assistance.

The safety of our fans, staff and community is a priority for us so we want to be as well-equipped as possible to provide the right support. Less than 40% of women and girls seek help after experiencing violence, and we want our work with the J9 initiative to help change that.

We’re now working together with UN Women UK throughout their 16 Days of Activism, to raise awareness of domestic violence against women. 16 Days is an international campaign that takes place every November to call people and organisations into action to prevent violence against women and girls. We’re really proud to be an organisation that is tackling that problem. So far, we’ve trained our delivery staff and are proud to be an official J9 Safe Space, meaning anyone in our community can feel safe reaching out for help at any time, should they need it.

This campaign isn’t just for 16 days. Current domestic violence statistics are shocking, so we’re using this opportunity to let anyone in our community facing DV know that we are here, and to encourage more people to pay attention and keep their eye on more than just the ball.