Dan Price, Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) has funded a consent campaign, aimed at young people in Cheshire, encouraging conversations around consent.

The PCC has given Cheshire Constabulary £18,000 to part fund a thought-provoking and impactive campaign, that will inspire young people to talk openly about consent. Shifting the societal attitudes that conversations around sexual activity are taboo.  

Since 2019, there has been an increase of just over 60 per cent in recorded sexual offences in Cheshire where the victim and the suspect/offender are both under the age of 18. 

Data shows that offences are most likely to be peer-on-peer, and just over 85% of all recorded sexual offences are carried out by boys. 

Research suggests that the data held on sexual offences is only a fraction of the wider problem, as a large percentage of victims do not report their experience. 

Sexual activity is an uncomfortable subject to talk about, but research shows that encouraging effective communication and empowering young people to have positive conversations with their peers and their partners is essential to helping reduce sexual offending. 

This is through impactful video content that speaks directly to young people in their language; emulating the content they consume every day, and in a format they understand. 

The campaign features five scenarios that young people could find themselves in, and they all play out in different ways – some positive and some negative. These scenarios have been shown to groups of young people and their thought-provoking reactions and discussions captured on camera – all packaged together to be used as educational tools in the classroom. 

These resources act as conversation starters.  

The campaign will initially be launched to schools across Cheshire and will be supported through social media and digital advertising, targeting teenagers and parents to continue conversations at home. 

Dan Price, Police and Crime Commissioner, said: 

"As the voice of the public on police and crime matters in Cheshire, I know that lack of consent is an issue that our schools face all too often. I hope that offering schools and students the education and tools they need about this topic will help to protect young people, and especially women and girls, something that is a real priority for me." 

The campaign has been developed in consultation with Cheshire's Youth Commission and Winsford's New Images Youth Centre to gain early support from young people, encourage them to help shape the campaign and ensure it is something that will resonate with them.  

It is also supported by Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre – Cheshire and Merseyside and MyCWA (formerly Cheshire Without Abuse) who were also consulted throughout to ensure it reflected their guidance and was appropriate for the audience. 

According to Police.UK figures, there were 21 violence or sexual offences in the SK10 area for 2024. 

For SK11, 16 of those offences were reported in the same period. 

The office of Dan Price added: "If you have experienced sexual violence report it to us through our online reporting tool on our website or via 101. In an emergency always dial 999. 

"If you want extra support, there are lots of people and services who can help. Please visit the victim services hub for a list of organisations who can support you. 

"You can follow the campaign on Cheshire Constabulary's social media channels, and follow the hashtag #ItStartsWithAConversation  

"The video resources can be found on the Constabulary website.

"You can also find more about sexual offences in Cheshire on the Constabulary website."