NEW £300K PLAN WILL MAKE TOWNS SAFER FOR WOMEN
Range of night-time initiatives put in place
MEASURES to prevent violence against women and girls will be introduced in five town centres following a successful £300,000 funding bid.
The Staffordshire commissioner’s office has secured the Home Office cash for a range of initiatives in Hanley, Newcastle and Stafford, along with Burton and Cannock, targeting venues and public transport.
Staffordshire’s police, fire and crime commissioner Ben Adams, right, says the measures being supported through the Safety of Women at Night fund will aim to prevent violence against women and girls, and reduce the fear of violence. The planned initiatives include:
Developing safe places within identified night-time locations where women can seek advice, first aid and support;
Establishing safe routes to and from public transport in busy night-time locations;
Providing marshals / street pastors in busy night-time locations to offer advice, signposting, basic first aid and help in managing the allocation of taxis;
Delivering vulnerability training for staff in the night-time economy;
Developing an accredited Women’s Night Safety Charter for organisations operating at night;
And developing awareness campaigns around different aspects of women’s safety at night.
Commissioner Ben Adams said: “Reducing violence against women and girls – and the fear of violence – is a key priority for me as commissioner.
“This funding is a welcome addition to vital work already underway across the area with our partners.
“It will enable us to invest in a range of practical initiatives that not only increase the safety of women and girls, but also ensure they feel safer too when enjoying nights out in our popular towns and cities.”
The Staffordshire commissioner’s office worked with partners including local authorities, Staffordshire Police, Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce and Staffordshire Women’s Aid in preparing the funding bid.
A consultation with women and girls in June, which received around 1,500 responses, identified a number of measures for improving safety and reducing fear of violence.