Charity hope to secure additional funding to continue the success of their pilot parenting programme

One year ago charity Stopping Unsafe Relationships Together (SURT) was awarded funding from the National Lottery Community Fund to expand its work with children and young people aged 11-24 who are affected by relationship abuse, such as intimate partner abuse, sexual exploitation, criminal exploitation, honour based abuse and stalking and harassment.

 The funding allowed the team at SURT to develop and deliver their Parenting And More Project (PAM) to help the community thrive.

 The project offered a specialist education programme to the parents and carers of those whose children had been affected by various types of relationship abuse. 

As well as group teaching sessions it also included a range of team building and well-being activities. Aria Arts and Movement, Realign Hypnotherapy and Massage and Kooth UK all contributed to the project by offering free sessions as part of partnership work and SURT sponsorship. 

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Just 12 months later a celebration event was held with Deputy Mayor Margaret Peacock and Deputy Mayoress Gladys Hobson, service users and sponsor Stan Yannetta of Stan’s Autos to mark the success of the project.

Claire Amans one of the directors of SURT described the parents as ‘brave and inspiring’ and said ‘the event was a very emotional and humbling experience’.

One parent who benefitted from the project said: “I was referred to SURT by a social worker after my daughter was a victim of sexual exploitation. The support we received was second to none, I always felt like I couldn’t connect the puzzle together when it all first happened with my daughter until I was lucky enough to be a parent doing the PAM education programme.”

Another parent added: “Having the opportunity to do the PAM education programme with SURT for me was the missing puzzle piece that I had been looking for, it was like at last everything started to make sense and I started seeing things differently.”

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Leanne, director or SURT said: "The PAM Project is different to most, it offers a combination of specialist relationship abuse education and wellbeing activities as well as opportunities for the parents to bond and to develop their skills and confidence to raise awareness and help others."  

One parent who has completed the project stated: "Being part of the PAM education programme made me feel that I am not alone."

SURT hopes to secure additional funding to not only carry on this programme but to expand it and offer it to more parents and carers across South Tyneside. 

If any parent or carer from South Tyneside is concerned about their child experiencing unsafe and unhealthy relationships and requires support please contact Leanne on 07907560522 or Claire on 07565538165 of for more information via the website www.wearesurt.org, or secure email [email protected]