Rising Sun Domestic Violence and Abuse Service has been announced the winner of The Biggest Impact Award at the UK Youth Hearing Unheard Voices Campaign Awards 2011, which were held on Tuesday 29 November at St James Palace in Westminster, London. The award was received for the innovative work the Rising Sun has been doing in its Love Shouldn’t Hurt schools project which they have been running in schools and youth centres across Kent since 2009. The award was presented to the young people by actress Brooke Kinsella and they were also congratulated by the patron of UK Youth, HRH Princess Anne, The Princess Royal and the president of UK Youth, ex-racing driver Nigel Mansell OBE.

The aim of the project is to create awareness of healthy relationships and to help educate young people about the early warning signs of domestic abuse so they can ensure they will have the skills and knowledge to exit any unhealthy relationship before it spirals out of control.

Chief Superintendent Mark Nottage, from Kent Police, said of the project:

“The work Rising Sun Domestic Violence and Abuse Service is doing is fantastic and is making a real difference to people’s lives in Kent. I know my officers find the services they offer key to helping us in the work we are doing to tackle domestic abuse. I am so pleased they have received this national recognition for the awareness work they have been doing with young people through the Love Shouldn’t Hurt project. If they can help even one young person avoid being a victim of domestic abuse then that has to be a big success.”

For more information on Love Shouldn’t Hurt, visit the website for the service.