Inspirational Visit – Bal Kaur Howard
On Tuesday 3rd December, Raedwald Trust staff and visiting local high schools attended a very special session led by Bal Kaur Howard at Lindbergh Campus.
Bal is a speaker and trainer in the subjects of domestic abuse, risk assessment, honour based abuse, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, radicalisation / extremism, modern day slavery and addiction. She has developed and delivers training for front-line practitioners in health, social care, the police, education and the voluntary sector.
On her visit to the Raedwald Trust, Bal’s two-hour session centred on ‘Harmful Practice’ training – covering forced marriage, spirit possession and honor based abuse. Bal ended the session with her own extraordinary story.
Born in India and brought to Britain aged one, Bal was forced into marriage at the age of 17. Bal went back to education at the age of 26 after escaping from her forced marriage, and subsequently has been disowned by her family for over 20 years.
For many years, Bal was employed by Suffolk Constabulary as a Project & Performance Officer for honour based violence (forced marriage, female genital mutilation) in a countywide domestic abuse unit. She was responsible for developing policies, procedures and training for police officers and partner agencies to enhance the service to victims and potential victims. For three of her years at Suffolk Constabulary, she was based within the child sexual exploitation / child investigation abuse unit.
The Raedwald Trust invited Bal to speak to staff members as part of its ongoing commitment to their continuing professional development, and also so they could experience how incredibly inspirational she is as a speaker.
Laura Leader, PA for the Raedwald Trust was present at the session. Laura said: “Bal was amazing!
“The issues and experiences she has been faced with in her life (and how she dealt with them) are truly unforgettable. She is a true inspiration.”
For more information about Bal, click here to visit her website.
