Nottinghamshire’s Police Commissioner has reiterated the importance of women’s safety at night by continuing to implement safe space strategies in the city centre.
This comes after Nottinghamshire Police received a £250,000 grant from the Home Office’s Safety at Night Fund which is to help find practical solutions to reduce the vulnerability of women in the area.
This has included at ‘safe space’ refuge area in the City Centre where anyone, particularly, women, can receive medical help and support if they feel in danger or at risk.
Commissioner Caroline Henry, 53, said: “We’ve had encouraging feedback about Safe Space and want to help other women who find themselves in vulnerable or risky circumstances on a night out.
“Nottingham already is a safe place to visit, and Safe Space is helping us to make it even safer. This facility provides both reassurance and practical need and shows how committed we are to the wellbeing of women and everyone visiting our wonderful city.”
The hub is based in Old Market Square and, with the support of St John’s Ambulance volunteers, stay open until the early hours each weekend to ensure the safety of women in and around Nottingham.
Jade Quittenton, a Community Operations Manager at St John Ambulance, said: “Our night-time economy programme offers safe treatment spaces where St John Ambulance teams provide medical help for revellers seeking help during a night out, and we’re seeing greater demand for our services as more suspected spiking incidents are reported.
“Having highly-trained first aiders and healthcare professionals on hand, close to pubs and clubs, means treatment is available when people need it most”.
The initiative has been run by Nottinghamshire Police in conjunction with a range of partners, including Nottingham BID, to reduce crime and violence against women in the City’s night-time economy.
The project saw great reviews after beginning on the run up to Christmas and will help people with a variety of issues including alcohol intoxication, assault-related injuries and help for pre-existing medical conditions.
Following the success, more drop-in points are likely to be placed around Nottingham City Centre which will be heavily publicised.
If you require the services of St John’s Ambulance, you can contact 0344 770 4800 for support.
