Educational Action Challenging Homophobia

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Educational Action Challenging Homophobia (EACH) is the award-winning charitable organisation in the United Kingdom established "to challenge homophobia through education". Founded in 2001, EACH offers support services to young people and adults affected by homophobic bullying or harassment and training to institutions and organisations committed to creating a safer and more equal working and learning environment for lesbian, gay and bisexual people.

EACH's thriving, UK-wide, freephone helpline for young people affected by homophobia has been funded by Comic Relief since 2003 whilst EACH's actionline for adults similarly affected, its Homophobic Incident Reporting Service, exists for everyone who lives, works or travels throughout Bath and North-East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Somerset. EACH has a dedicated caseworker who works one-to-one with the targets of homophobic incidents or crimes.

EACH's Executive Director is Jonathan Charlesworth M.Ed. a former Head of English and Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE). EACH delivers and co-delivers consultancy and training for the Department for Children, Schools and Families, the Education, Health, Libraries, Housing and Fire services plus the Criminal Justice System, Local Government and other statutory and third sector agencies, on sexuality and homophobia issues.

In 2006, Surrey Police commissioned EACH to undertake research and produce a report on the under-reporting of homophobic crime across its county. Jonathan has delivered training to 25 of the 43 UK police forces plus the Crown Prosecution Service and associated professional bodies. He is included within the National Policing Improvement Agency's (NPIA) Expert Advisers' Database as an investigative trainer. Most recently EACH was invited to join Avon and Somerset Crown Prosecution Service's Hate Crime Scrutiny Panel: the body which assesses the outcomes of hate crime trials.

In 2007 the DCSF commissioned EACH and Stonewall to create the web-based guidance to all schools - "Safe to Learn: Homophobic Bullying" which has generated considerable interest in EACH from Local Authorities eager to see homophobic bullying challenged in their localities.

Jonathan Charlesworth is currently providing consultancy to the Rural Media Company's "Sticks and Stones" project. An initiative which will see a film short produced on homophobic bullying created by young people, for other young people, to reflect the severity of this form of bullying.

EACH is regularly invited to contribute to conferences, seminars, consultations, national and local media discussions plus various publications on the topic of sexuality and homophobia.

Office 01179 46 76 07. Helpline 0808 1000 143.

Paste into a browser the following link to go to the (DCSF) Department for Children, Schools and Families' web-based guidance "Safe to Learn: Homophobic Bullying" co-authored by EACH and Stonewall:

www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/behaviour/tacklingbullying