Dec 14 • Gabrielle Fiori Rauchfeld and Adam Waugh

Keeping Women Safe at Night

Night Time Economy Solutions and SafeUp announce exciting partnership.

As festive celebrations begin and daylight hours shorten, people often feel more vulnerable when walking alone: 63% of women reported feeling unsafe ‘always’ or ‘often’ when walking by themselves, and 49% reported feeling unsafe walking alone after nightfall in busy public places. The fact that so many women feel unsafe on our streets is everyone’s business, everyone’s problem and everyone’s responsibility. 

To increase the feeling of safety and to help women, girls, and genderqueers feel empowered and supported, SafeUP and Night Time Economy Solutions Ltd (NTES) are excited to announce a new partnership where we will be creating safe havens in cities across the United Kingdom and working together to make public spaces safer for women.
We are proud to partner with NTES to develop our SafePlaces initiative, a community that enables businesses to become safe havens throughout the city and support women, non-binary, and genderqueer freedom of movement in their everyday lives. Our mission is to empower as many people as we can to feel safe, confident, and free.

Our exciting partnership with SafeUp builds on our successful track record of working with towns, cities and businesses to improve the safety of women at night through strategies, charters, projects and training. We are fully committed to doing all we can to work on innovative solutions that support women, non-binary, and genderqueer people to feel free, safe and welcome to use our cities and towns at night in a way that brings them joy and not fear. This partnership fully aligns with this vision and our internal women's safety charter.

What is the partnership?

SafeUP is a community safety network that enables women, girls, and non-binary people to protect one another in real-time with the aid of technology. SafeUP members can connect to trained nearby SafeUP Guardians, who are members over the age of 18 that have completed training to know how to support women. If someone is going for a run, on a date, or waiting for the bus, and they are feeling unsafe, they can connect with the SafeUP Guardians via call or video, or activate the safety checks. SafeUP’s community helps their members to unlock opportunities and empowers them to take control of their safety, well-being, and freedom, looking out for them every step of the way.

SafeUP has already partnered with over 130 businesses in the UK via our SafePlaces initiative, a community of businesses that have provided their staff with bystander training and vouched to support women, girls and genderqueer people when they feel unsafe.

NTES are a national company offering creative solutions to help make towns and cities more vibrant, attractive and safe. Their Director, Jo Cox-Brown has delivered projects to make towns and cities safe after dark for over a decade. This has included the creation of “Safe Spaces” in cities across England; delivery of anti-sexual harassment, drink spiking, and vulnerability training across the UK; and securing funding for projects which aim to reduce violence against women and girls and make nightlife environments safer and more welcoming for all. 

As part of our partnership, we have created a Safety Ambassador training; about how to be an active bystander and effectively help those in vulnerable situations. Our goal is to train staff members across the country and make them feel empowered to help those who feel unsafe, turning business into a safer environment for customers, employees, and for those who need a refugee to go in the dark street. You can find all the safe places on the SafeUP and Waze apps.
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Final thoughts

As part of our partnership, we have created a Safety Ambassador training; about how to be an active bystander and effectively help those in vulnerable situations. Our goal is to train staff members across the country and make them feel empowered to help those who feel unsafe, turning business into a safer environment for customers, employees, and for those who need a refugee to go in the dark street. You can find all the safe places on the SafeUP and Waze apps.

Our goal is to create safe havens that help create people-centered cities and public spaces that improve everyone’s sense of safety and well-being. SafeUP and NTES are creating a community that enables individuals and businesses to support women, girls, and genderqueer people’s freedom of movement in their everyday journeys.