Josh MacAlister MP and Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, David Allen, recently welcomed the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, Jess Phillips MP, to Workington for a visit focused on supporting survivors of domestic abuse and improving online safety for young women, as part of the Government’s commitment to halve violence against women and girls during this Parliament.
During the visit, the Minister met with staff and service users from two local domestic abuse charities – The Freedom Project and Gateway 4 Women – to hear first-hand about the vital support they provide to women and families across West Cumbria, as well as the pressures facing frontline services.
The visit also included a roundtable discussion on online safety with teenage girls from Workington Academy and St. Joseph’s Catholic High School. The students spoke openly about their experiences online, including social media pressures, online harassment, harmful content and the steps needed to help young people stay safe in digital spaces.
The discussions highlighted the importance of early intervention, strong online protections, education, and sustained funding for specialist local services, alongside the need to ensure national policy is informed by lived experience in order to meet the Government’s ambition to halve violence against women and girls.
Josh MacAlister MP said:
“It was a privilege to welcome the Minister to Workington and to showcase the incredible work being done by The Freedom Project and Gateway 4 Women. These organisations are lifelines for so many women locally.
“The Government has committed to halving violence against women and girls during this Parliament, and that ambition must be grounded in what works locally. I was also hugely impressed by the young women from Workington Academy and St. Joseph’s, who spoke so powerfully about online safety and the realities they face every day.”
Jess Phillips MP, Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, said:
“Ending violence against women and girls is a central priority for this Government, and we have been clear in our commitment to halve it during this Parliament.
“Hearing directly from survivors, frontline workers and young women in Workington shows why that commitment matters. Tackling abuse means supporting local services and confronting harm wherever it happens – including online – while listening to young people about what they need to feel safe.”
David Allen, Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, said:
“Keeping women and girls safe requires close co-operation between policing, local services and government. It was valuable to hear directly from charities, survivors and young people about the challenges they face.
“As Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, I am committed to working with partners across Cumbria to prevent violence against women and girls, improve confidence in reporting, and ensure perpetrators are held to account. My office has funded specialist domestic abuse advisers in the police control room to deal with calls related to domestic abuse and I’ve funded local charities including the Freedom Project to continue their vital work supporting women.”
Vicky Pike, Manager of The Freedom Project, said:
“We were delighted to welcome Josh MacAlister, David Allen and Jess Phillips to Workington and to have the opportunity to share the realities facing domestic abuse services on the ground.
“If we are to meet the Government’s ambition to halve violence against women and girls, it is essential that specialist local services like the Freedom Project and Gateway 4 Women are properly supported.”
Josh MacAlister MP thanked the charities, schools and students for their openness and engagement, and reaffirmed his commitment to working with the Government and local partners to ensure women and girls across Workington and West Cumbria are safe, supported and protected – both offline and online.
Josh MacAlister MP 