‘Surreal’ award for group tackling male violence

This Ends Now was launched following a protest in Stroud in 2022

The director of a group working to tackle male violence towards women and girls (MVAWG) said it felt “surreal” to be honoured for her work.

Sydney-Anne McAllister, 25, co-founded This Ends Now in 2022 with friend Nikki Owen, in response to rapes and sexual assaults in Stroud, Gloucestershire.

Ms McAllister said it was a “huge honour” to win Young Volunteer at the Gloucestershire Volunteer Awards.

The trainee solicitor said “concerning behaviours are prevalent” and is working with police to change how incidents are reported.

She was also highly commended in the Equality and Diversity award at the Stroud Town Council Awards.

“I found out I was nominated for the Young Volunteer Award earlier this year, and it was an incredible surprise,” Ms McAllister said.

“Winning the award felt surreal and was a huge honour, especially considering the other nominees, who were all incredibly inspirational in their own right.”

Ms McAllister said winning the awards felt "surreal"

Ms McAllister and Ms Owen organised a protest in 2022 to take action over “harmful narratives and the focus on women’s safety instead of prevention”, after experiencing misogyny while out running in Stroud.

More than 400 people turned out, which inspired them to launch This Ends Now as a not-for-profit organisation two months later.

“Over the past two years, the organisation has grown into a robust educational organisation with a focus on prevention," said Ms McAllister.

The group has worked with Gloucestershire Police and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) on a set of reporting guidelines called 'Words Matter.'

The guidelines will be published this Autumn and are the first of their kind in the UK to revolutionise the language used by UK police in addressing sexual offences, ending victim-blaming and misogyny.

It is part of work to address what Ms McAllister has called a “serious and ongoing issue” in Gloucestershire.

“We know from stories shared by members of the public that concerning behaviours are prevalent in the Stroud area,” she said.

Hundreds of women protested in 2022, holding their keys up to show how they prepare to defend themselves if attacked

Ms McAllister said the organisation has continued to "thrive and grow" under her leadership after Ms Owen stepped back as co-founder in May.

She is talking at this year's Cheltenham Literature Festival in October alongside Gloucestershire Police, PCC Chris Nelson and MP Jess Phillips.

“We’re excited to officially publish our Words Matter reporting guidelines this Autumn, and we’re looking forward to working with other police forces across England and Wales to improve their reporting of instances of MVAWG," she added.