The Newcastle Knights have stood in solidarity behind White Ribbon’s ‘Have a Night in to get the Word out’ campaign that aims to unite communities to bring an end to violence against women.
It’s a cause very close to Knight Clint Newton’s heart who has been a White Ribbon Ambassador for the past four years and has committed himself to speaking out about the issue.
“It’s about raising awareness about domestic violence and the effects it has in the community and the effects it has on women,” Newton said.
“I’m involved with White Ribbon because I just think it’s the right think to do.
“I’ve been a White Ribbon ambassador for four years, not just because I’m passionate about domestic violence, but the role men can play in preventing it and raising awareness.
“The fact that this is such a massive issue in society and in our community, it just feels like the right thing to do because there’s one woman every week dying in the hands of a current or former partner."
The effect that has on society and kids, parents, brothers and sisters is having a huge drain on society and I think it’s time it stops.
Newton and his teammates took time out to speak about the issue of domestic violence after training this week and reflected on their own personal reasons for supporting White Ribbon’s campaign.
“The last couple of years that I’ve been here at Newcastle they have really gotten on board and they know how passionate I am about White Ribbon,” he said.
“They (teammates) also share the same passion as a lot of them are fathers, husbands, they all have a woman in their life that they love.
“That’s what I always try to boil it down to, every man out there has someone in their life that’s a female that they love and they will do anything for.
“You have to try to put in perspective of what would happen if something happened to that person that you loved and that’s where you have an opportunity to try and create change.
“The boys got on board by writing their slogans of what it means to be a part of this campaign and why they are involved."
Newton encourages people to get involved with the ‘Night in to get the Word Out’ event and to support the valuable work White Ribbon does in strengthening communities.
“It’s about bringing together your group and the people you hang around…and coming together to start conversations that will raise awareness about what it means to have respectful relationships, how important it is to not just your relationship with females but also the young generation,” he concluded.
For more information about White Ribbon or the Night in, visit the website CLICK HERE.
