‘Our safety bubble was burst’: Mum launches self-defence classes after teen attack

A mum has launched self-defence classes in north Wales after an attack on a teenage girl shattered her town’s sense of safety.

Janatha Carden said the assault “burst the bubble” that the picturesque tourist town of Bala was immune from such crimes.

She has secured £2,000 in funding from North Wales Police and Community Trust (PACT) to run DefendHER personal safety sessions for women and girls.

The first class will be held at Canolfan Bro Tegid from 2pm to 4pm on February 28 with further sessions, including a refresher course on June 27, planned later this year as part of a pilot scheme.

Janatha said: “The assault broke my bubble of feeling that I lived in a really safe place.

“A lot of my friends felt like that too, they felt this was a safe space. I wanted to do something, I wanted to turn that into something positive.

“We do know that during tourist season we have strangers come into town, and also this for a life outside of Bala whether that be travel or work or going to university.

“This project is really a pilot, we are going to run it for about a year, then we will evaluate how well we have done and hopefully we will get more funding to carry it on here and potentially go to different areas.

“I got in touch with PACT about funding for the self-defence sessions, I thought it would be a perfect fit. The course itself is for women of all ages, from girls aged 12 and up.

“I hope the women who do the course will leave feeling more confident, feel more resilient, more prepared, and become aware of the potential risks.

“To have those pots of funding which PACT provides is crucial. Thanks to that financial support from PACT we are able to offer these sessions for free.”

She added: “We have three mums and daughters, and two couples of friends already booked for the first session and we have space for 10 couples in total.

“We’ve only advertised it on Facebook and we have received those bookings already. That tells me there is a need for this and people want to be involved.

“There is an open invitation to future sessions to bring different friends or different family members.

“This project is about empowerment, not fear. One of the things we are going to do is encourage the women to use their voice to deter somebody. How many times do we practise that? We don’t practise shouting and we should.

“Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC) North Wales have also agreed to come and do a short advice session.”

North Wales PACT Manager Kelsey Reed said the trustees were keen to help the grassroots project.

She said: “This project will not just focus on the physical side, it will build that confidence, it will empower young girls and women.

“It will give them the confidence to allow them to walk down the streets of Bala, or jump on a plane and spend six months travelling the world.

“This is about empowering women to feel safe – it should be a non-negotiable for all of us to feel safe in our communities.

The self-defence courses will be run by martial arts expert and personal trainer Dave Hughes.

Dave, who owns the Alpha Unit Training gym at Rhydymain, said those on the course will be taught basic strikes and moves to fend off attackers and escape.

He said: “The strikes and moves are realistic, nothing over the top, it is something that is quick and easy, something women can do to give themselves time to get away.

“The moves are pretty basic, it’s about learning to grab the right part of the wrist for example. It is not about fighting, I want them to be able to quickly react and then go.

“It is about getting the person away from you and giving yourself time to get out of the situation.

“Unfortunately, it is the sort of thing women need to know, whether it is in a small town like Bala or anywhere.

“The course is about passing the knowledge onto people and the younger generation. It is very friendly, very relaxed, a lot of stopping and talking and going through scenarios.

“It is about just having the confidence and knowing what to do.”

The DefendHER project is just one of the schemes supported by PACT, an independent charity launched in 1998 to aid community initiatives, particularly those in which the police are involved.

In that time it has helped over 2,500 projects, investing in communities across north Wales.

Kelsey Reed added: “For many who are involved in the projects, this is their first interaction with the police, so making this a positive experience can have profound consequences on their future life choices.

“From Gwynedd in the west across to Flintshire and Wrexham in the east, PACT continues to support projects that enable positive and sustainable community development and this has never been more important than right now.”

To book onto the self-defence session, visit thealphaunit.co.uk.

PACT offer a range of grants of up to £2,000 for community projects. For more details and how to apply, visit their site here.