People of Leeds are being urged to support Women’s Night Safe Space, a static safety bus helping women if they feel concerned, unsafe, unwell or vulnerable on nights out in the city centre.
Run by Women Friendly Leeds and the Safer Leeds Partnership, Women’s Night Safe Space is based in Leeds city centre every Saturday night, providing crucial services and a non-judgemental safe space for women and girls. Due to lack of continuation funding, Women’s Night Safe Space is now facing a threat of closure.
The Women’s Night Safe Space team provides safety guidance, medical assistance, free phone charging, support with ordering taxis, a safe place to report incidents to the police, and help signposting to longer term support. Women can also access free items such as period products, condoms, water, warm drinks and flip flops.
Women’s Night Safe Space has developed trust since its launch in November 2022, having a proven positive impact on women and girl’s nights out, including:
- Supporting a total of 1,006 women
- Preventing 49 admissions to A&E
- Supporting 39 women to make reports to the police
- Ensuring 284 women got home safely
- Finding 43 women who were missing and alone
However, the future of Women’s Night Safe Space is at risk. The impending closure of the project would leave women and girls without the help they need; they would be more likely to be in vulnerable situations when getting home and less likely to access essential healthcare quickly, report incidents or seek help for the violence they may have faced. This means that services such as the police and A&E would be put under further pressure.
Over the 12 months it has been running, there has been overwhelming support for Women’s Night Safe Space from women, partners, businesses, the police and officials in the city. Mark Rothery, Community Cohesion Sergeant for Leeds, said:
“I have had the pleasure to work alongside the bus regularly at events like Carnival and Leeds First Friday. Seeing the staff engage, support and advise the community really shows how much the Women’s Night Safe Space Bus is needed in Leeds. It’s a real asset to communities in Leeds and long may it continue.”
Despite the positive feedback, the safety bus needs essential funds to continue running, and Women Friendly Leeds are now making a public appeal.
Shreena Gobey, Women’s Night Safe Space Co-ordinator, said:
“We are incredibly proud of dedication and passion of the Women’s Night Safe Space team and the public awareness they have built around women’s safety, but we are just scratching the surface of what this project can become. We are now urging the people of Leeds to come together and take action to save this crucial project and keep women and girls safe.”
There a variety of ways you can help:
- You can make a donation to support Women’s Night Safe Space by visiting our JustGiving page here.
- You can raise the issue with your local MP or Councillor, Women Friendly Leeds have created a template letter of support you can download from the Women Friendly Leeds website here.
- You can support the movement to save Women’s Night Safe Space by following and sharing social media content via Women Friendly Leeds: (Instagram, X, Facebook)
Women Friendly Leeds reported that 72% of women in Leeds had experienced harassment or assault in venues such as pubs, clubs and restaurants. 75% of women feel uncomfortable, or very uncomfortable in the city centre at night time.
In October 2023, Women’s Night Safe Space was awarded the BACIL (Business Against Crime in Leeds) Outstanding Contribution to Female Safety (Night-Time) award. This highlights the partnership work happening to make Leeds better for women, better for everyone.
Women’s Night Safe Space runs in partnership with Women & Girls Alliance Leeds, Leeds Women’s Aid, Women Friendly Leeds, Bevan Healthcare, Gough & Kelly Security and The Safer Leeds Partnership.
If you are a business and are interested in corporate sponsorship of Women’s Night Safe Space, please contact Shreena Gobey, Women’s Night Safe Space Coordinator ShreenaG@leedswomensaid.org.uk / 07442 157857 or Emily Turner, Women’s Night Safe Space Project Manager EmilyT@womenslivesleeds.org.uk / 07570 373875.
This post is based on a press release issued by Women Friendly Leeds
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