Young men and boys from further education colleges across South-west Wales will come together at Gower College Swansea on 28 September for a powerful regional event aimed at tackling misogyny, challenging harmful attitudes, and promoting respectful relationships.
Organised by ColegauCymru with funding from Medr and support from Our Voice Our Journey (OVOJ) and Gower College Swansea, the event will feature internationally recognised speaker Matt Brown, founder of She Is Not Your Rehab, whose work encourages young men to break cycles of violence, build healthier relationships and take responsibility for creating positive change.
The event will bring together learners from Gower College Swansea, Pembrokeshire College, NPTC Group of Colleges and Coleg Sir Gâr / Coleg Ceredigion. The initiative builds on a growing programme of work across Welsh FE colleges in response to concerns highlighted by Estyn around peer-on-peer sexual harassment and harmful attitudes towards women and girls.
Building on Existing Sector-Wide Action
Since 2024, colleges across Wales have been working collaboratively through a ColegauCymru-led programme focused on tackling misogyny and promoting respectful relationships. Supported through international partnerships and funded projects, this work has already engaged hundreds of learners and staff in conversations about masculinity, respect, equality and healthy relationships.
The forthcoming South-West Wales event represents the next phase of this work, focusing specifically on engaging young men and boys in meaningful conversations that can challenge harmful behaviours before they become entrenched.
OVOJ will collect evidence of learners’ attitudes after the event to evaluate the impact of Matt Brown’s session. Participating colleges will then receive ongoing support from OVOJ to deliver targeted interventions with smaller groups of learners over a minimum of four sessions. This support will include training, resources and evaluation methods, enabling colleges to embed learning and sustain impact beyond the event itself.
Alongside this regional activity, there is a dedicated £45,000 strand of Medr funding to support exploratory work with young women and girls in both online and face-to-face settings across Wales. The delivery model for this strand of funding will be discussed in more detail at ColegauCymru’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Group. The aim will be to create opportunities for colleges beyond those involved in the Matt Brown event to benefit from the funding, with all learning and effective practice being shared across the FE sector.
Findings from the project will be brought together in a comparative study report, helping to inform future work across the further education sector.
Our Voice Our Journey Director, Anne-Marie Lawrence, said,
"Young people are telling us they want safe spaces to explore issues around respect, relationships and harmful behaviours. This project allows us not only to hear directly from learners, but also to measure the impact of interventions and support colleges to develop meaningful, evidence-based approaches. By working together, we can help create environments where respect, equality and positive relationships can thrive."
ColegauCymru Project Manager, Siân Holleran, added,
"Over the past two years, colleges across Wales have demonstrated a real commitment to tackling misogyny and promoting respectful relationships. We know that lasting change comes from creating space for young people to engage in in open, honest conversations, while providing opportunities to reflect, learn and challenge attitudes. Matt Brown and OVOJ are doing impactful and inspiring work in this space, and we're delighted to see them continuing these important conversations with FE learners across South-West Wales."
Gower College Swansea Principal, Paul Kift, said,
"Real strength is not about appearing unaffected, it is having the courage to be honest, to seek support and to take responsibility.
Colleges have a duty to create safe spaces where young men can talk openly, without shame. Every young man has the ability to influence the culture around him, whether that's challenging a harmful comment or checking in on a friend.
Events like this are only possible through strong partnership working, and we're grateful to Medr, along with ColegauCymru and Our Voice, Our Journey, for helping bring young men from colleges across Southwest Wales together for this vital conversation.
If today encourages even one person to ask for support or reconsider their own choices, it will have mattered."
Looking ahead
Complementing this work is the continuing partnership, supported by Taith funding, between ColegauCymru and the Ending Violence Association of British Columbia (EVA BC).
In June 2026, EVA BC delivered an introductory online session for the FE sector on its Be More than a Bystander programme, helping colleges to understand the approach, identify appropriate staff and secure support for its implementation. The training for selected college staff will take place in February 2027, further strengthening the sector’s capacity to challenge harmful attitudes, promote positive behaviours and embed respectful relationships across college communities.
Further Information
Estyn Thematic Report
Peer-on-peer sexual harassment among 16 to 18-year-old learners in further education
7 June 2023
ColegauCymru
Tackling Misogyny and Promoting Respectful Relationships in Further Education
Building on the work already underway across Welsh FE colleges, this short video highlights how we’re challenging misogyny, promoting respect and supporting healthier relationships. Watch here: Tackling Misogyny and Promoting Respectful Relationships
Our Voice Our Journey (OVOJ)
Siân Holleran, Project Manager
Sian.Holleran@ColegauCymru.ac.uk
