AWARENESS assemblies ran by the Alice Ruggles Trust, aimed at enhancing student knowledge and understanding of stalking, have secured continued funding from Police and Crime Commissioner Susan Dungworth’s office.
This year marks 10 years since Alice was tragically murdered after a relentless stalking campaign by her jealous ex partner. The Alice Ruggles Trust was set up in her memory by her parents, Clive Ruggles and Sue Hills, who are dedicated to raising awareness about healthy and unhealthy relationships including how to recognise and respond to unwanted attention.
School assemblies are one of the ways the charity is reaching young people with important messages. Funded through the PCC’s Supporting Victims Programme, the project is being rolled out in schools across the Northumbria Police force area. It aims to help students recognise what stalking is, where to go for support and information, and what to do if you think a friend or family member might be at risk.
Teachers who have supported the programme in their schools have reported increased confidence among students noting high levels of participation and curiosity in lessons. Students themselves have described the assembles as ‘thought-provoking and hard-hitting’.
A formal academic evaluation by a team from three universities has also highlighted the positive impact the assemblies had on student knowledge levels.
Backing the importance and impact of the project, the PCC’s office has announced continued funding to help the project expand its reach raising awareness among more students in the local area.
Speaking during Stalking Awareness Week, Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Susan Dungworth, said: “The school assemblies programme is a great example of prevention work in action. I’ve seen these assemblies being delivered – the young people were presented with emotionally resonant stories and relatable scenarios. It not only helps them recognise harmful and complex behaviours like stalking, but it also helps them see the emotional impact on victims and the importance of seeking support. We need to keep reaching more and more students with these assembles to get important messages out there and help prevent what happened to Alice from happening to others.”
Last year the government added stalking to its RSE (relationships and sex education) guidance and mentioned the work of The Alice Ruggles Trust in its strategy to halve violence against women and girls within a decade – leading to an increase in the number of schools signing up to the assemblies.
Since it launched in Northumbria in October 2024, 3661 students have received assemblies across the region.
Clive Ruggles said:
“Since we set up the Alice Ruggles Trust, raising awareness about stalking amongst young people has become a core priority for us, and school assemblies have shown themselves to be the most effective way of doing this. Only through education will we reduce stalking in the long term: it’s about changing the mindset of future generations.
While our volunteers present assemblies in schools around the country, we are hugely grateful for the support from the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner which has enabled us to establish, and now to sustain, a concentrated project in the area in which Alice lived happily, but sadly died. It is a real boost to our efforts to prevent what happened to Alice happening to others.”
The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner also commissions a range of support services for victims of stalking and harassment including Paladin National Stalking Advocacy Service. To find commissioned services to best meet your needs please search the Victims Services Directory featured on the PCC’s website.
Stalking often leads to emotional, psychological, and sometimes physical harm and has been experienced by 1 in 5 young people in the UK. 47% of young people who reported being stalked experienced it online.
You can find more information about the Alice Ruggles Trust here: Alice Ruggles Trust | Putting an end to stalking.
