Councillor fights back after safety threats
DONNA TURNS TO CLASSES FOLLOWING AGGRESSIVE APPROACHES FROM PUBLIC
A FEMALE councillor has told how she has begun learning martial arts following the murder of MPs Sir David Amess and Jo Cox and the debate over women’s safety following the killing Sarah Everard by an off-duty police officer.
Donna Williams, who represents Middleton on Rochdale council, said: “While out campaigning I had two dogs set on me, I’ve been spat at, I’ve been approached really aggressively.”
She also recently lodged a complaint with the police after being shouted at and ‘verbally abused’ in the centre of Middleton.
Donna admits that, in the past, she didn’t know how to respond.
“I have just kind of frozen,” she says. “I am a public figure, even if I go to Tesco shopping or into Middleton Arndale, people still approach me constantly.
“It’s not acceptable, but they don’t understand when I’m out shopping with my child, I’m out shopping with my child. Even if it’s not an aggressive situation people can be quite shouty.”
But the techniques she has been shown have proved to be a revelation
– and has urged other women to follow suit.
The women-only self defence course run by Middleton Martial Arts Academy has restored her confidence and left her feeling safe again.
The 43-year-old says the ‘hidden gem,’ in Back
Spring Gardens, has had an incredibly empowering effect on her life.
The gym – run by John Barlow and owner Greg Kubiak – has even offered to host her surgeries so she doesn’t have to worry about hostile customers.
“The safety element of me holding surgeries has obviously been highlighted by the recent murder and attacks on MPs,” says Donna.
Donna’s classes were based on Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai kick boxing – but those who sign up are first taught how to avoid physical conflict if at all possible.
Tactics such as shouting for help and putting distance and physical barriers between yourself and the aggressor are the first line of defence.
She took her teenage daughter along too – and the pair ‘fell in love’ with the place. Donna now regularly takes part in boxercise classes on a Monday night.
“I just thought ‘what an absolutely amazing place.’ A safe place to come and learn things that actually are really simple – and not violent and not aggressive – but can absolutely defuse a situation,” she enthuses.
The women-only sessions were John’s idea. “I just had a penny-drop moment,” he says. “I just thought why not offer something for women to be able to do a bit of self defence. Even if it just helps give them a bit of peace of mind and they can keep calm in a situation – that was the idea.”