In the last two weeks, we have seen the saddening news of another murder of a young woman in London. What followed was a huge police search using CCTV footage. It highlights once again, how unsafe our streets can be.
In today’s podcast, we talk to Nick Gazzard who founded the ‘Hollie Gazzard Trust‘ following his daughters death. This podcast was pre-recorded before the saddening death of Sarah Everard.
Hollie Gazzard was murdered in 2014 outside her place of work by an ex-boyfriend at just 20 years old. Sadly, she had reported her concerns to the police two days before her death. Nick details in the podcast the controlling behaviour her ex-boyfriend displayed in the run up to her death.
The Hollie Gazzard Trust was subsequently set up by her family to deliver programmes on domestic abuse and promoting healthy relationships in schools and colleges. A further aim is to raise awareness of stalking. In addition, the charity also funds hairdressing training for individuals.
The charity also aims to tackle knife crime and anti-social behaviour, having funded several initiatives delivering workshops in schools and youth organisations.
The charity has also developed a fantastic app called ‘Hollie Guard‘.
The app allows the user to set up emergency contacts and is activated by the user, for example when walking home at night, so emergency contacts can see the users location. The app allows the user to set up numerous contacts who get a text alert if the user is in trouble, which is sent when the user shakes their phone. When activated, the phone will also begin to film and record audio. The footage is then saved in the cloud, therefore, even if the phone is stolen, the data will be kept.
The app also has a 24/7 monitoring service which provides direct access to a dedicated emergency response team who are fully equipped to assess your situation and are trained in appropriate escalation procedures.
During the podcast, Nick discusses some of the success stories that have already come from the use of the app.
More information on the app and Holly Gazzard Trust can be found here.
There are also a number of fantastic guides on the website for friends and family including workshops for the workplace.
We encourage anyone who has concerns about sexual abuse to get in touch. You can contact Alan Collins or Danielle Vincent.