'Building Community Awareness at Grassroots level'
What is the J9 Initiative?
The J9 Domestic Abuse Initiative is named in memory of Janine Mundy, who was tragically killed by her estranged husband in 2003. It was established by her family and local police in Cornwall, where she lived and was originally represented by a pink heart. The core values of the initiative have always focused on raising awareness of domestic abuse to help people access support at the earliest opportunity.
At the heart of J9, is the belief that by educating and empowering communities, families, friends, colleagues and neighbours, all those connections that may surround someone experiencing domestic abuse, we stand a better chance of reaching them at the earliest opportunity before a situation reaches crisis point.
In 2024, Alpha Vesta took over delivery of the J9 Initiative our home county of Essex, introducing a new distinctive purple heart with golden wing. Our revised offering continues Janine’s legacy through awareness training, resources and accreditation model whilst remaining true to the original vision and values established by Janine’s family.
The J9 Initiative is not about asking businesses or individuals to resolve complex situations or replace specialist services. The initiative is about fostering informed, compassionate environments where someone feels acknowledged, understood, and encouraged to access professional support.
“J9 is a powerful logo because J9 was also a person, and her name was Janine.”
Accreditation Model
Our grassroots approach creates J9 Safe People, J9 Supporters and J9 Safe Spaces, empowering public and customer-facing organisations, businesses, groups and services to recognise when someone may need support, reach out with compassion and signpost to appropriate help.
Aimed at:
- Anyone with an interest or working within the community.
Requirement:
- Completion of the full CPD Accredited J9 Awareness Session.
- For those working with children and young people or within the health sector, completion of our enhanced J9 Plus session.
Recognised by:
- J9 CPD Accredited Certificate
- Digital Resources
Aimed at:
- Businesses, organisations and groups looking to raise awareness to support the community they serve.
- Will suit sectors such as retail, hospitality and leisure or community clubs/ groups where staff turnover is high (making full safe space accreditation difficult) or there is no fixed premises.
Requirement:
- One named J9 Champion at management level that completes the full CPD Accredited J9 awareness session.
Recognised by:
- J9 Supporter Heart is displayed
- Digital Resources
- J9 Supporter Toolkit
Aimed at:
- Public facing businesses, organisations or services serving their community and committed to embedding the values of the initiative within their workplace and workforce.
- The workplace can provide a physical safe space at their premises.
Requirement:
- One named J9 Lead.
- At least ⅔ of staff based at the premises complete the CPD Accredited J9 Awareness Session or J9 Plus Session.
- The premises can provide a private space where access to a phone or internet can be made available.
Recognised by:
- J9 Safe Space Accreditation displayed
- J9 Pin Badges
- Digital Resources
- Printed Resources
- J9 Safe Space Accreditation Toolkit
J9 Plus has been developed to provide an extended version of the one hour J9 Domestic Abuse Awareness Session to assist professionals in specialist settings such as:
GPs and Healthcare
Schools and Educational settings,
Job Centres
Local Authorities and Public Sector Providers.
Please contact us at j9essex@alphavesta.com for further information.
Contact us to discuss the best J9 Accreditation for you
Additional Information Section:
Communicating About the J9 Initiative
To support you in promoting and communicating about the J9 Initiative, it is important to recognise that language matters. Many people experiencing domestic abuse may not identify with the term itself, so using the right language can help build trust and encourage conversations.
Direct Communications
Uses clear language to explain the purpose of the initiative and raise awareness of domestic abuse. This approach is often most appropriate for staff communications, training, publicity and partnership work.
“The J9 Initiative is designed to raise awareness and improve understanding of domestic abuse. It helps build confidence and equips people to recognise early signs, respond appropriately and signpost individuals to specialist support.”
Indirect Communications
Uses softer, more inclusive language that focuses on relationships, wellbeing and support without specifically mentioning domestic abuse. This can help engage people who may not identify with the term or recognise that they need support.
“The J9 Initiative encourages supportive and non-judgemental conversations with anyone who may be struggling with the behaviour of a loved one or someone they were once close to..”