Remembrance Day tribute
On Tuesday 11 November we joined with colleagues from Essex Fire and Rescue Service, and the Office of the Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, to pay tribute to all men and women who fought and died in conflict. Roger Hirst, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, joined Chief Fire Officer Rick Hylton of […]
Deputy PFCC visits Southend Enrichment Programme and Victory Park Academy
On Monday 10 November Deputy Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Jane Gardner, alongside members of the VVU, visited Southend Enrichment Programme, part of Victory Park Academy. Victory Park is an alternative education setting in Southend, where a significant proportion of students have previously had involvement in criminal activity or exploitation, are at heightened risk, or […]
Woodland Warriors at My Own Time and Space
The VVU had a wonderful visit to MyOtas (My own time and space) which is a Basildon based project that helps neurodivergent children of all ages and backgrounds learn basic life skills through outdoor play. Sessions take place at the Memorial Park in Wickford and it was a lovely autumnal morning when the VVU popped […]
Time to talk about exploitation
Organisations working with young people and their families may be interested in the resources the Violence and Vulnerability Partnership have produced on exploitation. Using lived experience and information from conversations with young people and parents we have created downloadable resources on how to spot the signs of exploitation and how to talk to young people […]
Young people talk safety in Essex
The Violence and Vulnerability Unit was delighted to take part in the 2025 Youth Voices Day, held last weekend in Chelmsford. Youth Voice Day gives young people a platform to share their thoughts – with community leaders and key senior figures – on how to make Essex a safer place for young people. The VVU […]
Key findings from the 2025 Home Office VRU evaluation – a public health approach to addressing violence
We would like to share some key findings and strategic insights from the latest VRU (Violence Reduction Unit) evaluation. The latest national evaluation report was published by the Home Office this summer and marks year 5 of VRUs nationally. Essex predates this, with the Violence and Vulnerability framework put in place in 2018 and establishing […]