We are delighted to announce that the Safe Space Pledge has been given the Best Bar None award for Most Innovative Scheme at the BBN Awards in London.

The pledge was created in partnership with the Consent Coalition, Nottingham Business Improvement District and Best Bar None with funding and support from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire.  It is the first time in the UK that a city has included a pledge to protect women and girls as part of the Best Bar None scheme.

About the pledge

In signing up to the pledge, venues agree to meet eight clear actions to improve the safety of women and girls within their premises.  These include having:

• trained staff to respond and intervene if a woman feels unsafe;
• a safe space where staff can offer non-judgemental support
• having two champions who will lead on women’s safety.

Venues must also display information on what people can do if they feel unsafe in the venue.

The Safe Space Pledge is included as part of the Best Bar None Accreditation for Nottingham.  Since the launch in March 2022, 91 licensed venues across the city have undertaken the work to make this pledge.  Nottingham BID manages the pledge and includes a list of venues that have signed up to the pledge on their website.  They hope that over 100 venues will undergo training, take the pledge and adopt best practice over this next year.

The Consent Coalition are delighted to have worked with partners across the VAWG (Violence Against Women and Girls) sector and Nottingham BID to create the pledge.  This is an innovative way for venues to show that they value the safety of women on their premises.  It helps to show that Nottingham is serious about being the best and safest place to socialise.

The pledge is not just for licensed premises

While Best Bar None Accreditation is only open to licenced venues, other venues can also show their support for the pledge and that they are serious about women’s safety.  These include places like gyms, boardgame cafes and cinemas.  Most recently two Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service vehicles were wrapped in the Safe Space Pledge as well as a Nottingham City Council Community Protection Van.

Speaking about the pledge at the launch of the vehicles Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry said ‘The Safe Space Pledge is a fantastic scheme, which makes the safety of women and girls a high priority in Nottingham.  The initiative provides bespoke training for night-time economy staff, enabling them to have the skills to intervene and challenge perpetrators safely, whilst having the confidence to support vulnerable people.’

Also speaking about the pledge at the vehicle launch, Alex Flint, Chief Executive Officer of Nottingham BID said ‘The Safe Space Pledge and Best Bar None initiatives, which Nottingham BID has supported with partners and championed among licensed premises in the city centre, sends a clear message to anyone who lives in, or visits Nottingham, that the safety of women and girls is a priority.’

Steps you can take to improve women’s safety…

There are several things you can do right now to help promote women’s safety:

• Ask venues if they take will take the pledge and find out more about the pledge if you are a venue
• Give feedback on the Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry’s VAWG strategy (closes 31 March)
• Answer the county-wide survey on women’s experiences in the gym environment (closes 31 March)
• You can raise awareness about the pledge by sharing posts from @ConsentInNotts on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.