Holding, and feeling safe doing it
Attendees are anonymous and holders are named. That's on purpose, because it's what protects the nervous person walking up. It also means the holder carries the not-knowing. Here is what the board does about that, and what you can do.
What the board does
- Only your first name and how to spot you are visible. Not your surname, number, workplace or where you live. Your mobile is stored encrypted and never shown to anyone.
- Nobody can message you. There is no channel through which a person can contact you, pressure you, or move things somewhere private.
- Public places only, daylight or lit hours outdoors. Notices at private addresses are impossible.
- Council-checked places show plain facts on the notice: lit, seating, toilets nearby, mobile signal, step-free access, staff nearby.
- Nobody can see how many people looked at your notice, and neither can you. There is no zero, and nobody watching.
- Take it down in one tap. From your notices page, at any moment, from your phone in the park. Re-post at a different time and place whenever you like.
What you can do
- Holder with someone. There's a co-holder field when you post. Two names on a notice changes how it feels for everyone.
- Start at a staffed place. The library, a community centre, a café holding under the pledge, or a busy park at a busy time. Weekend mornings and after school are full of people.
- Say who it's for. If a happening is genuinely for women and gender-diverse people, over 55s, beginners, or parents and carers, say so when you post. It goes on the notice and sets the tone.
- Keep your own transport. Don't accept a lift, don't offer one. Everything happens at the place.
- Don't give a surname, a workplace or an address. First names are the whole convention here.
- Tell someone. Where you'll be and when it ends. Ending on time is a feature, not rudeness.
- Trust the feeling. If someone makes you uncomfortable, leave. You don't owe anyone an explanation. Take the notice down from your phone and tell us.
If something happens
If anyone is in danger, call 000. Then, or for anything that fell short of that, tell us the same day and a person will reply the same day. Holders get a direct line that attendees don't.
That form is anonymous unless you leave an email for a reply. It is read before anything else on our side.
Becoming a registered holder
Holders who hold Tasmanian Registration to Work with Vulnerable People and have done a short induction, which the council can run, carry a "Registered holder" mark on their notices. It tells a nervous first-timer a bit more about who they're walking up to. The registration is free for volunteers until 2028. Ask on the feedback page and we'll point you to the next induction.