project jointly funded by Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has been rolled out across Greater Manchester to raise awareness of gender-based violence and further support those affected by it.
Mother Mountain Productions has been funded to deliver an innovative training programme that uses virtual reality headsets to immerse those working in professional sectors into the shoes of those experiencing gender-based violence.
Mother Mountain’s training programme is called ‘Unbroken’ and works to raise awareness and understanding a specific form of gender-based violence: coercive control. The programme comprises two parts: Insight and Flourish.
‘Insight’ is based on the real-life accounts of 15 survivors and interviews with five agencies that support victims. Aimed at professionals, such as legal, health and social care sector staff, it immerses them into scenarios so they can fully understand the impact of this behaviour.
The other part is ‘Flourish,’ which includes inspirational interviews with survivors and experts, animations, mindfulness meditations and life coaching, and aims to promote resilience and recovery for people affected by gender-based violence. ‘Flourish’ is being rolled out to agencies who support women across North Wales and Greater Manchester.
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester said:
“We are proud to endorse the work of Mother Mountain and to see this innovative work be delivered across the city-region. We truly do things differently here and this is a great example of how we are prepared to support forward-thinking programmes so that Greater Manchester can benefit.”
Kate Green, Deputy Mayor for Policing, Crime, Criminal Justice and Fire said:
“The signs of domestic abuse and coercive control can so often be hard to see, both for those affected by it and those close to them. And we know that it is often difficult to speak out and seek help. That’s why Mother Mountain’s work is so important. It’s vital that we improve understanding of gender-based violence wherever we can, but particularly amongst professionals who come into contact with a wide range of people in our communities, and of course continue to provide support for those that ask for help.”
