The north star

Creating safer futures by preventing violence

Services

Sectors

Justice, rights and democracy

Client

Violence Prevention Unit

Project Name

Wales Without Violence Framework

Credits

Dan Sargent, a man with short curly brown hair and a goatee, smiles whilst standing indoors in a plain white long-sleeved shirt. Flowers and large windows brighten the background.

A smiling woman with long brown hair and tattoos on her arms stands indoors, wearing an orange dress. Amy Garrett-Williams holds her hands together and appears to be enjoying a conversation.

Jen Burns, a woman with curly hair and glasses, stands smiling in a brightly lit office. Dressed in a white shirt and jeans, she shows excitement with hands raised near her chest, pink-painted nails, and a watch.

Kirsty Bowen, with long, wavy blonde hair, wears a light blue and white striped blouse with lace details as she stands indoors, smiling at the camera. Plants and glass walls create a fresh backdrop behind her.

Paul Dean, wearing glasses and a maroon t-shirt, stands indoors with his arms folded, smiling at the camera. There are plants and a window with natural light in the background.

Rhi Leedam, a woman with long blonde hair, stands smiling indoors in a red-and-white chequered sleeveless dress. Flowers and office decor can be seen in the background.

A person with short light brown hair and glasses, wearing a brown jacket over a black shirt, smiling whilst standing indoors in front of a glass wall and some plants.

A smiling woman with long blonde hair, wearing a grey sleeveless dress and a blue cap, stands outdoors with her hands on her hips in front of yellow flowering plants and green trees under a blue sky.

Launching the Wales Without Violence Framework

The challenge

Preventing violence among children and young people is one of the biggest challenges facing Wales, but also one of the greatest opportunities.

We partnered with the Violence Prevention Unit and Media Academy Cymru to support the creation of a pioneering framework that could inspire long-term change across sectors and generations.

Our approach

Working closely with VPU, we designed a strategy that would connect with the people who matter most – young people and the professionals who work with them every day.

We transformed a Cardiff high street retail unit into a safe, welcoming space to run workshops and gather real insights. What we heard helped shape not just the creative direction of the campaign, but the Framework itself.

A stylised illustration of two hands clasped together in a handshake against a black background, symbolising unity and support. The hands are outlined in white with minimalistic detailing.

A bright green tote bag hangs on a black railing. It features a graphic of a mobile phone with the text Good vibes ONLY and doodle-style lines and a heart. The bottom corner reads WALES WITHOUT VIOLENCE in white text.

A person wearing a black shirt with WALES WITHOUT VIOLENCE printed on the back above a green outline of a hand making a peace sign, surrounded by white star illustrations.

A stylised line drawing of a person with headphones dancing joyfully, wearing a patterned shirt, on a black background with green accents and lines.

A black mobile phone case with white and green doodles, including a shooting star, heart, and the phrase Good Vibes Only, lying on a textured grey surface.

A stylised illustration of a hand holding a phone with the words GOOD vibes ONLY on the screen. Green accent lines surround the hand and phone, all set against a black background.

Designing a movement

We created a bold, youthful and aspirational brand, one that could confront serious issues while showing the positive future Wales can move toward.

The campaign microsite sat at the heart of the launch, acting as both an inspirational hub and a practical resource. It highlighted stories from organisations already putting the framework into action, a powerful way to show what’s possible when we work together.

We also designed the Framework publication to be clear, hopeful and easy to implement. It includes nine evidence-based strategies spanning early years to early adulthood, offering guidance and practical tools for individuals, communities and whole systems.

Bringing the vision to life

At the national launch event, more than 500 students, teachers, professionals and ministers came together to celebrate the vision of a Wales without violence.

We created interactive displays to communicate the Framework’s strategies and collaborated with our Takeaway programme to involve young creatives in the production of a high-energy launch showreel. It was crucial to capture the moment, but, even more important, was putting the next generation front and centre.

A web form titled Download the Handbook asks for name, email, organisation name, and location. A green Download button is at the bottom. Decorative icons and text are in the background.

A promotional graphic for Wales Without Violence shows diverse young people smiling, interacting, and using mobiles. The text highlights a framework for preventing violence among children and young people.

A page titled How we developed this Framework explains how evidence and research were used to develop a framework to prevent violence among children and young people, with an illustration of a person holding a flower.

A smiling young person in a light grey hoodie stands outside. On the left, a purple box states “47% of children and young people... have experienced violence.” Text discusses forms of violence and links to other forms of abuse.

An infographic titled Developing a public health approach to violence prevention that works for Wales explains four stages: Find out what’s happening, Explore solutions, Adapt and scale up what works, and Implement and evaluate.

An infographic titled Understanding violence among children and young people in Wales uses icons, statistics, and coloured boxes to present data on bullying, violence, and abuse experienced by young people in Wales and England.

An infographic on violence and inequality among children in the UK, showing statistics on age, disability, employment, education, sexuality, and income, using icons, graphs, and colour blocks to illustrate the data.

A page from a report discusses how social norms influence gender-based violence, with bullet points on interventions and a yellow box stating, Modifying harmful norms would help ensure that we stand up for each other regardless of gender or beliefs.

Two young people sitting on a bus smiling and looking at a mobile phone together. Overlay text discusses developing a theory of change for a framework, with emphasis on outcomes, impacts, and planning.

A black background with green and white outlined doodles of stars, leaves, and a rainbow, featuring the text Wales Without Violence and contact information for the Wales Violence Prevention Unit in the centre.

Impact

The Framework has become a trusted resource across Wales, a catalyst for organisations and individuals working to prevent youth violence in their communities. For us, it’s a reminder of what’s possible when you give people the tools, the voice and the belief to help create a better future.