Make Wales a safer place for women and girls – sign up for our free training

We are offering two free taster sessions of our Lead The Change Wales bystander training, funded by the Welsh Government – for booking details and lead trainer Luke Sellers reflections on the project read on ...

When I joined Kindling one of the things I was most excited about was the opportunity to deliver training that could have a real and tangible impact.  

As a key part of the Welsh Government’s mission to end violence against women and girls (VAWG) our Lead The Change Wales programme does exactly that. 

More than 1200 people have already taken part in the free workshops, with clear evidence that it improves participants’ confidence to step in and speak up if they witness harmful situations. 

But you don’t have to take my word for it. If you are an individual living, studying or working in Wales you are able to access free training, funded by Welsh Government. We are offering two, online taster sessions for individuals to take part in the training and see it for themselves. If you are based in Wales, click below to book before places run out.

As we look to roll out the training to more organisations in Wales, it has been fantastic to hear the positive effect we have had so far. 

Cerri Dando-Thompson, senior consultant with the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) really summed it when she said that: “What stands out most about Lead The Change Wales is its clear focus on shifting attitudes as well as behaviours. The programme addresses the root causes of abuse by challenging myths surrounding sexual violence, domestic abuse and harassment, and by reducing tolerance of victim-blaming and sexist beliefs. 

“Equally important is the programme’s emphasis on empowering individuals as active bystanders. From the training, it was evident that participants left with increased confidence to intervene, a stronger understanding of relevant legislation, and practical strategies to respond appropriately to concerning situations.” 

The training – which can be done in-person or online – approaches the issues of VAWG (or VAWDASV as is more commonly used in Wales) from the perspective of a bystander and provides practical tools to notice potentially harmful behaviour and stop it from escalating. The learning can be applied to workplaces, public spaces and social settings. It is this ability to turn theory into action that first drew me to Kindling. My professional background is in sports coaching and leadership development, where you are constantly striving to create positive behaviour change. Kindling’s bystander approach is one of the clearest examples of this that I have experienced. 

The Wales Rugby Union (WRU), North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Newport City Council and Dyfed-Powys Police are among the many organisations who have endorsed our training. Their feedback is supported by the academic evaluation carried out by Dr. Anastasiia Kovalenko from Exeter University. Dr. Kovalenko found that after taking part in the training, participants were significantly less likely to believe harmful myths about rape, sexual harassment, and domestic abuse. They were also less likely to hold sexist beliefs. The programme also produced substantial improvements in participants’ ability to act as active bystanders.  

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service’s people development manager Janina Smith said: “The training gave staff the tools and techniques that empowered them to feel able to speak up and intervene. Staff particularly felt enabled by the idea that small actions can play a part in preventing more severe harms like sexual assault. 

“The training is seen as an important part of the Service’s cultural journey and will support staff in addressing inappropriate behaviour of all kinds, but particularly those where sexism and misogyny is evident.” 

The programme is open to everyone from councils to community groups, sports teams, businesses and service providers.   

If your organisation would like to find out more or take part in the Lead The Change Wales programme before the funding ends in March 2027 please see our website page and complete the expression of interest form. Courses are being filled fast so please get in touch ASAP to avoid missing out.  

Lead The Change Wales is an essential part of the Welsh Government’s strategy to make Wales the safest country in Europe to be a woman and to de-normalise sexual harassment and violence. The UN found that 71% of women in the UK reporting experiencing sexual harassment in a public space while 1 in 3 women will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime.  These statistics are discussed during the training along with some of the cultural and societal issues that may contribute to this. These include looking at the way both men and women are represented in the traditional media and online platforms. This is an area that can create a lot of debate and discussion. 

Rosey Stonehouse, learning and development office at Cardiff and Vale Drug and Alcohol Services (CAVDAS) said: “The feedback we’ve received following this training has been immense. The course got everyone talking in the days following the session and the discussions were interesting to hear. 

“One of the safeguarding leads advised our Learning & Development Lead that it was so well done and sent such an important message, that we should make it part of mandatory training.” 

If your organisation is interested in finding out more about being part of the Lead The Change Wales programme and booking Kindling Interventions for training please get in touch today.