Local businesswomen are helping keep teenage girls safe.

Debbie Story, director of Sleigh and Story Accountants, and Lidia Shinwell, director of Prego and Waterfront Lodge organised and attended a Stay Safe women’s workshop at Brighouse High School.

The workshop was designed to empower women to reduce risks and stay safe.

Lidia said: “I fortunately haven’t come across many situations where I have felt threatened in my life, but sadly I know this is not the case for everyone.

“Some of the skills and techniques that are delivered in the workshop could make a big difference to a person’s safety and could potentially protect them from being harmed.

“I appreciate that schools are already pressurised to deliver an already bursting curriculum, but feel that young teenagers are the people that would benefit most from acquiring some of the skills that this workshop delivers.

“By sponsoring this course initially with my good friend Debbie at Brighouse High we hope that its success will secure funding to deliver it to other schools in the area.”

Debbie said the workshops were ‘invaluable’ adding: “Empowering people to stay safe is a life skill that needs to be taught in schools and we were delighted when Brighouse High School agreed to work with Freedom Personal Safety to deliver these workshops.

“When Sleigh & Story first set up nine years ago I had to travel to client premises in the evening on my own. With hindsight, I could have found myself in a difficult situation with no personal safety training.”

The workshops, run by Huddersfield social enterprise Freedom Personal Safety, explore issues around girls safety, including body language, self-defence, healthy relationships, grooming and sexual exploitation.

Julie Tweedale, director of Freedom Personal Safety, said: “I was really surprised and delighted that Debbie and Lidia wanted to sponsor the workshops — it had never happened before.

“I know they are both great supporters of business in Brighouse, but now they are supporting the wider community too. I think its fantastic.”

For more information about Freedom Personal Safety visit www.freedompersonalsafety.co.uk