Southampton awarded funding to improve safety of women at night

Following a successful bid to the Home Office, a further £150,000 has been awarded to Southampton City Council to improve the safety of women at night.

This additional funding will support a number of initiatives focused on preventing violence against women and girls in public spaces at night, including the night-time economy, within bars and clubs, and on related routes home.

Cllr Spiros Vassiliou, Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture & Heritage, said: ‘We as a city strive to do more and will be doing more to make Southampton a safer place. We know through national and local evidence that it is women and girls who face higher levels of violence and harassment in public places and we want to do all that we can to reduce incidents in the city. With this fund, we will be working with partners to deliver several initiatives to improve safety in hotspot areas including extra security, an increased police presence and the creation of safe spaces.’

The funding is expected to enable increased visible security presence in the City Centre through Safe and Well Monitors, Street Security and Street Pastors, alongside increased CCTV operation and radios for more licensed premises to join the existing police/licensing scheme.

It will also help develop best practise for Safe Spaces in night-time venues, pop-up safe zones with St John’s Ambulance, and an increase in night buses to get students home safely.

Inspector Clare Denyer from Southampton Central’s Neighbourhood Policing Team added: ‘We’re really pleased this funding has been secured, recognising that reducing violence against women and girls is a priority. Tackling violence against women and girls is not something the Police can do alone, it requires support from a number of agencies and we can only make Southampton safer for women if we work together.

‘To compliment this work, we have been working closely with many of our partners, including licensed premises, Street Pastors, Southampton’s Violence Reduction Unit and CCTV operators to make Southampton a safer place for women and girls when they are out in public spaces.’

Photo by Louis Hansel