About Us

“Everybody deserves healthy and fulfilling relationships...”

Respected is a charity set up by a local GP to deliver Relationships and Sex Education to secondary schools in Poole, Bournemouth and the surrounding area.

At Respected, we believe that each student is a unique and valuable individual, capable of making healthy decisions when adequately informed and supported. We also believe that everybody deserves healthy and fulfilling relationships. Our programme aims to equip young people with the information they need to make healthy and well informed decisions in this vital area of their lives.

It encourages students to reclaim respect and commitment in relationships and to consider delaying sexual experience until a long term committed relationship.

For local GP Dr Louise Parkin, setting up Respected was a response to her daily work.

“I see patients suffering from long term consequences of past decisions: emotional problems, sexually transmitted infections, unplanned pregnancy... young people struggling with some of the pressures of the media, social media and the internet... there can be so many unhelpful influences out there.”

According to research, young people are increasingly turning to pornography to educate themselves about sex and relationships. Many teenagers regard sexting as a normal part of a romantic relationship. The message of so much media and social media is to look good and to experiment sexually.

With increasing pressure on academic targets and school budgets, local schools no longer have the resources to tackle this increasingly complex area. Respected aims to tackle these issues head on, encouraging young people to develop a healthy respect for themselves and others and supporting them in making informed choices.

It is committed to partnering with schools in the provision of excellent Relationships and Sex Education to local young people.