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Your Best Friend

Educating and empowering young women, girls and non-binary people to spot abuse in relationships and support their friends.

Your Best Friend took place between 2020 and 2022, involving 10 partners. It was part of our Safe Young Lives project and funded by the Tampon Tax Fund (TTF). It aimed to equip girls, young women and non-binary people aged 13-24 with the knowledge to spot red flags in intimate relationships, and to give them the confidence to get support and offer support to their friends. The approach built on our earlier My Story Matters research which showed that young people primarily talk to their friends about their relationships.

Your Best Friend resulted in #FriendsCanTell, an integrated campaign reaching 5 million young people and a £300,000 grant programme providing funding to grass roots projects that supported the overall aim of the project.

Your Best Friend website

Find out more about the Your Best Friend Project, what we learned and access resources to use with young people.

Go to the website

Your Best Friend research

The project started with focus groups and a survey involving hundreds of young people, to help us better understand the challenges their friends face in their relationships.

I've been in a situation where my best friend has drifted away from us completely... he used to comment on her body, how it was fat and that. But I can just remember that I was so helpless, I couldn't do anything because we were only about fourteen. I didn't have any knowledge; I didn't have any education on where to go

Young person, aged 17 to 19

9 in 10 young people we surveyed had talked to a friend to try and help them with a toxic relationship but 83% said they would hold back from speaking to them if they thought it might damage the relationship.

See more about what we learnt

#FriendsCanTell campaign

Young people designed and launched a multimedia campaign called ‘#FriendsCanTell’ comprising of a film, podcasts, workshops, animation, and graphics, placed on social media, shopping centres and cinemas. It reached over 5 million young people.

The #FriendsCanTell campaign aimed to de-normalise the controlling behaviours that hundreds of young people told us are so common that they are considered normal.

Watch: Opening Her Eyes

Co-created with young people at PODS CIC, this film aims to raise awareness of red flags in relationships.

Destiny is a teenage college student in a relationship with boyfriend Kamari but red flags begin to appear with his increasingly controlling behaviour. Destiny’s friends become concerned by Kamari’s actions and her inability to see the signs. Will they be able to open her eyes before it’s too late?

Peer support sessions

Young people told us they want spaces to talk to each other about toxic relationships.  With the Your Best Friend partners and young people we developed peer supporter packs so young people can lead their own peer support spaces or with a youth worker who could support young people to run them.

Watch the webinar to learn more

 

Your Best Friend Fund

The Your Best Friend Fund has helped fund grassroots projects for women, girls and non-binary people on friendships & relationships, as part of the #FriendsCanTell campaign.

We awarded £300,000 worth of grants to grassroots and youth organisations across England and Wales so that young people, where ever they spend their time can have access to support for themselves and their friends in abusive relationships. Young people were at the heart of the process, sitting on the panel that awards the grants.

Find out more about the projects

Project partners

Your Best Friend was made possible by our partners

Stori (previously Hafan Cymru)

In 2023, Hafan Cymru transitioned into Stori. Stori is a charitable organisation operating across Wales, providing housing and support services to vulnerable women, men and...

Stori (previously Hafan Cymru)

In 2023, Hafan Cymru transitioned into Stori. Stori is a charitable organisation operating across Wales, providing housing and support services to vulnerable women, men and their children, particularly those escaping Domestic Abuse. 

Llamau

At Llamau we believe that no young person or vulnerable woman should ever have to experience homelessness. Our mission is to eradicate homelessness for young...

Llamau

At Llamau we believe that no young person or vulnerable woman should ever have to experience homelessness. Our mission is to eradicate homelessness for young people and vulnerable women. 

The Mix

The Mix is the UK’s leading digital charity for under 25s. The Mix provides free, confidential essential support for young people under 25 through social,...

The Mix

The Mix is the UK’s leading digital charity for under 25s. The Mix provides free, confidential essential support for young people under 25 through social, web, a helpline and counselling. They are unique in reaching over 5 million young people across the UK every year through the technologies they turn to first.

Super Being Labs

Super Being Labs is a social innovation agency that supports charities across the UK with their strategic vision for, and implementation of, digital services. 

Super Being Labs

Super Being Labs is a social innovation agency that supports charities across the UK with their strategic vision for, and implementation of, digital services. 

Galop

Galop is a UK charity supporting LGBT+ people who’ve experienced hate crime, domestic abuse or sexual violence.

Galop

Galop is a UK charity supporting LGBT+ people who’ve experienced hate crime, domestic abuse or sexual violence.

Muslim Youth Helpline (MYH)

At a time when young Muslims are being bombarded with negative media portrayals, and an increasing number are suffering Islamophobia and discrimination, mainstream service providers...

Muslim Youth Helpline (MYH)

At a time when young Muslims are being bombarded with negative media portrayals, and an increasing number are suffering Islamophobia and discrimination, mainstream service providers are unable to meet the specific needs of young Muslims. There is an urgent need for faith and culturally sensitive support services. Muslim Youth Helpline was set up to meet this need.

Lancashire BME Network

At Lancashire BME Network (LBN) our mission is to ensure we are enabling communities in accessing opportunities that will allow us to strive towards a...

Lancashire BME Network

At Lancashire BME Network (LBN) our mission is to ensure we are enabling communities in accessing opportunities that will allow us to strive towards a Lancashire where diverse communities can achieve equality together, through the spirit of collaboration, respect, integrity, inclusivity and empathy.

PODS (Protecting our Daughters and Sons)

Naomi is a former SafeLives Pioneer, an expert by experience, community leader and youth mentor. She designed and runs PODS, a peer-mentoring programme to protect...

PODS (Protecting our Daughters and Sons)

Naomi is a former SafeLives Pioneer, an expert by experience, community leader and youth mentor. She designed and runs PODS, a peer-mentoring programme to protect young black men and women from abuse and violent crime. 

On Our Radar

On Our Radar is a specialist group of journalists, technologists, digital storytellers and development practitioners. We work together to tackle voicelessness, surfacing stories from unheard...

On Our Radar

On Our Radar is a specialist group of journalists, technologists, digital storytellers and development practitioners. We work together to tackle voicelessness, surfacing stories from unheard groups worldwide. 

YANA

YANA Project delivers training and empowerment programmes for young people who have directly been affected by gang related violence, sexual grooming, exploitation, domestic violence and...

YANA

YANA Project delivers training and empowerment programmes for young people who have directly been affected by gang related violence, sexual grooming, exploitation, domestic violence and abuse.

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