STALKING prevention charity The Alice Ruggles Trust is appealing for volunteers to help deliver impactful awareness assemblies in secondary schools across Northumbria.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Susan Dungworth’s office is funding the project that aims to equip young people with knowledge around healthy relationships and stalking and help them know where to turn to for help.

Alice Ruggles, a Northumbria University graduate, was tragically stalked and subsequently murdered by her ex-partner in Gateshead in 2016. In the wake of her murder, her family set up a Trust in her name and embarked on a mission to put an end to stalking and prevent what happened to their daughter from happening to others.

Their work focuses on long-term prevention by sharing Alice’s story with as many young people as possible to educate them on how to recognise and respond to stalking.

To help raise awareness and spread their message further, The Trust is searching for outgoing and engaging people who want to be part of a team delivering 30-minute-long assemblies across the Northumbria Police force area.

The assembly covers the following:

  • Understanding stalking is an obsessive, unwanted, repeated behaviour;
  • Knowing that stalking includes online behaviours as well as physical;
  • Recognising they can tell someone and talk the police if they are being stalked;
  • Knowing how to support a friend; and
  • Knowing that stalking is a crime.

Stalking is an offence that can completely control the life of a victim because of the obsessive and unwanted fixation shown by the suspect. It can take many forms, such as taking everyday actions to the extreme both in person and online.

Stalking is a crime affecting 1 in 5 women and 1 in 10 men and over 500,000 people under 25 each year. It is often an escalation of harassment, however as the level of obsession builds, behaviour can become more erratic and aggressive.

In the year to March 2023, stalking and harassment accounted for a third (34 per cent) of all police recorded violence.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Susan Dungworth, said: “Stalking is a crime which can cause major disruption to someone’s life, involving them living in constant fear and distress and, sadly, sometimes even murder as was the devastating case with Alice. It’s so important that victims of stalking, and those around them, recognise the seriousness of what is happening and the need to seek help as early as possible. Alice’s family have been tirelessly campaigning since her death, and I welcome the opportunity to get Alice’s story in front of as many young people as possible to help raise awareness and help prevent similar losses in future.”

Victoria Charleston, Managing Director at The Alice Ruggles Trust, said: “We are committed to trying to prevent what happened to Alice happening to others; to bring stalking to an end. We know that education is the key to reducing stalking. We are delighted to be offering our assemblies across Northumbria and would love to work with some brilliant, enthusiastic volunteers who want to make a difference.”

The Alice Ruggles Trust has free lesson plans and assemblies to educate young people.

The volunteering opportunity is great for anyone studying criminology, psychology, or is interested in a career in Violence Against Women and Girls or in education. Anyone interested should contact The Alice Ruggles Trust for further information. You will also