‘Domestic abuse needs to be spoken about more with young people’ – Portsmouth High School’s chosen charity for next academic year

Back (from left) Larry, Olivia (Deputy Head Girl), Priyanka (Head Girl), Emma and Tabby (Deputy Head Girls Day School Trust). Front: Headmistress Jane Prescott, Claire Lambon (CEO Stop Domestic Abuse), Katie Wood (Head of Sixth Form)

Portsmouth High School’s Head Girl team will be supporting local charity Stop Domestic Abuse as their Sixth Form charity for the next academic year.

Claire Lambon is the CEO of the charity and an alumna of the school, based in Southsea.

‘We are delighted to have been chosen as the Head Girl team’s charity and we look forward to raising awareness and funds to support the work we do,’ Mrs Lambon said.

Stop Domestic Abuse supports and protects victims and survivors of domestic abuse and provides a range of flexible and accessible services across Hampshire. The charity also helps offenders, the police and other agencies.

In 1977 a group of local people saw a need in Havant for a refuge for women and children. They established Havant Women’s Aid, which later became Southern Domestic Abuse Service.

In 1978 the first refuge opened, initially run entirely on a voluntary basis with the help of an annual grant from Hampshire County Council.

In 2018 it rebranded to the new name, Stop Domestic Abuse, and last year celebrated its 45th anniversary.

‘We have one clear vision: a world without domestic abuse,’ Mrs Lambon told pupils at an assembly.

‘We work to ensure that domestic abuse is ‘everyone’s business’, that victims are supported to recover and perpetrators are supported to change their behaviour.’

The Head Girl team will spearhead fundraising activities throughout the year to generate money and raise awareness of the charity.

Larry, 17, Deputy Head Girl responsible for charities, said: ‘Domestic abuse is such an important topic that needs to be spoken about more with young people.

‘We’re so excited to start our fundraising for Stop Domestic Abuse and can’t wait for our first chance to raise money at our Sports Day.’

Portsmouth High School’s Charity Week – running for over 30 years and always organised entirely by the Sixth Form – will take place in November.

The week is made up of talent shows, live music events, an annual netball match versus boys from Portsmouth Grammar School and other events.

It culminates in a two-night Fashion Show where the Sixth Form use business and entrepreneurial skills to negotiate with local shops and companies to put on a spectacular show.