Council's support for #PurpleSummer campaign
Darlington Borough Council is supporting #PurpleSummer, an online campaign aimed at raising awareness of child sexual exploitation and child abuse.
Today (Friday 12 June 2020) is #PurpleSummer day on social media. Founder David Lean describes the Purple campaigns - which also run over the Christmas/winter period - as a free, simple and inclusive worldwide cause, run by volunteers.
He said: "One in five children suffer from some form of abuse, and we need to raise awareness so this stops."
Staff across Darlington Borough Council's children and adults services teams, along with colleagues in other areas, are supporting the campaign by wearing purple and highlighting it online.
Darlington Hippodrome has been lit up in purple to show support for the cause.
Councillor Jon Clarke, Darlington Borough Council's Cabinet member for Children and Young People, said: "The #PurpleSummer campaign encourages victims to speak out about what has happened to them.
"Thousands of people have supported the campaign, by wearing purple clothes and highlighting it on social media. We hope the campaign will help to end the stigma around talking about child abuse, and encourage victims to ask for help."
One way the council's children and adults services teams have supported the cause in recent years, has been by hosting events and workshops for schools and colleges.