AFTER her own horrific experience of being stalked, Ann Moulds made a brave decision.
Outraged at the way the victims were treated, she waived her right to anonymity and dared to challenge the system.
Ten years later, the charity Action Against Stalking, founded by Ann, has supported more than 1,500 clients, developed training programmes for the police and other professionals, and set up its own research centre in partnership with the University of the West of Scotland.
The Ayr woman’s drive and determination led to tougher sentences and changes to anti-stalking laws in Scotland, across the UK and across Europe, and she was named Scottish Woman of the Year by the Glasgow Times in 2013.
Ann-Kathrin Schimmel (Image: Newsquest)
“When I started this charity and presented myself to the public in this way, there was no expression in my vocabulary like ‘this won’t work,’” explains Ann.
“It had to be a success.
“I had and still have a vision of a world in which all victims of stalking feel safe and free from threats and harassment.
“It’s not just about the victims, but also the criminal justice systems that serve them. Are the voices of these victims being properly heard?”
She adds: “There is still a lot to do, but the vision remains the same – and we will not stop now.”
In a special edition of the charity’s 10th anniversary podcast, Surviving Stalking, Ann and new AAS Chief Executive Hayley Tennant look back on the last decade of the groundbreaking charity’s work.
Karen and Shelcy, who present the award-winning podcast (Image: Colin Mearns/Newsquest)
The podcast, presented by Karen Fullerton-Chalmers and Shelcy Garcia, won a Glasgow Community Champion Award in 2023 and Ann said she was proud of the recognition.
“We were thrilled to receive this award,” said Ann.
“The podcast not only reflects the hard work of AAS over the last 10 years, but also the fantastic team of dedicated and passionate people who have helped make AAS the charity it is today.”
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Entries are now open for the Glasgow Community Champion Awards 2024, organised by the Glasgow Times and supported by our generous partners Glasgow City Council and Allied Vehicles Charitable Trust.
You can nominate online by visiting the website. https://newsquestscotlandevents.com/events/glasgowcommchamps/ or email [email protected]
In the special edition of the podcast, Ann reveals that the charity has received requests from other countries around the world interested in developing an anti-stalking model similar to the AAS.
She adds: “This is a huge vision. We have been pioneers in this area and we must maintain this position.”
“Stalking is not just about crimes of a physical nature.
“It is a psychological crime, characterized by behavior that can last for months, trickling, trickling, trickling, slowly destroying the victim’s world, financially, socially, his security…
“It is one of the most devastating crimes a human being can ever experience and that is the message we need to spread.”
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Hayley says: “I am honoured to be the new CEO and to be working with a great group of people who are passionate about making a difference. I have learnt so much in the six weeks I have been here and now it is time to look up and out. This is the vision for the next 10 years.”
Nomination procedure
Who do you know who deserves recognition for their work in the community?
We want to hear from you. There are 10 awards up for grabs this year, including Community Champion, Champion Team, Sporting Champion, Champion School of the Year, Youth Champion (for teenagers), Senior Champion (for over 60s) and Health and Wellbeing Champion.
There are also three new awards for 2024: Little Champion for children under 13 who demonstrate outstanding courage, citizenship or hard work; Environmental Champion for an individual or team who is passionate about tackling the climate crisis and biodiversity loss and improving local areas for the benefit of all; and Arts Champion for a musician, theatre group, singer, dancer or poet who is making a positive impact through projects or performances.
The deadline for nominations is Thursday, September 12th.
You can nominate anyone. Just tell us why they should win and remember to support your entry with as much detail and photos as possible.
You can nominate online by visiting https://newsquestscotlandevents.com/events/glasgowcommchamps/ or by emailing [email protected].
For further information please call 0141 302 6046.
A shortlist of winners from each region (Northeast, Northwest and South) will be determined in a public online vote, and will then advance to the grand finale in Glasgow City Chambers on 4 December.
A jury made up of representatives of the award partners will determine the winners of the grand finale.
