Street safety: Volunteer helpline, Strut Safe, reports a 28% rise in calls in a year

National World - LocalTV

More people are also changing their behaviour, with four in ten women taking precautions to feel safer, like carrying alarms or avoiding certain areas.

Transcript

00:00Pretty much everyone, certainly I can relate to this feeling of walking on the street at

00:05night and there's no one around and I'm just not quite sure, I don't feel quite right and

00:09I want someone to keep me company essentially. That is the vast, vast majority of what Strut

00:15Safe volunteers do.

00:17Have you ever skipped a concert, theatre show or sports event because you didn't feel safe

00:21travelling home alone at night? If so, you're not alone. New research shows that concerns

00:26over personal safety are a major barrier to attending live events solo, especially for

00:31women and LGBTQ plus individuals. The biggest fear? Walking alone after dark, with 38% of

00:38people worried about it.

00:39We're a nation of gig lovers. We know that about a third of the country are planning

00:44to go to more gigs this summer than they have in the past. And with that comes a need to

00:49travel home afterwards. And if you don't feel safe doing that, that's going to hold

00:53you back from being able to go and enjoy the things you want to enjoy.

00:57Public transport is another big concern. Nearly three in ten people say they feel uneasy using

01:01buses or trains alone at night, while others worry about waiting at transport stops, losing

01:07phone signal or walking through venue car parks on their own. Volunteer-run helpline

01:11Strut Safe has seen a surge in calls, up 28% in the past year, mostly after 11pm on weekends,

01:18when many gig goers are making their way home.

01:20The increase in calls to Strut Safe reflects an ongoing issue in the UK, which is that

01:26people do not feel safe when they're travelling alone on our streets. And we know that that

01:32feeling of safety is really, really essential to people being able to live their lives.

01:38But despite the growing need, many still aren't reaching out for help. 40% of women and over

01:43a third of LGBTQ plus individuals don't even know the Strut Safe helpline exists.

01:49And those who do often hesitate to use safety services, worried about disturbing loved ones

01:54or being judged for asking for help.

01:57That's where Strut Safe comes in really. Because when you're reaching out to Strut

02:01Safe, you don't have to worry about bothering us or being a nuisance, because we specifically

02:06are there to speak to you. Our volunteers are sat in their homes, usually with a cup

02:11of tea, maybe Netflix is open, waiting for your phone call.

02:14And now a new initiative aims to change that. Strut Safe, Via Gogo and Uber have teamed

02:19up to break the stigma around seeking support and to spread awareness of Strut Safe's

02:24free helpline. Their message to gig goers, you're not alone, and help is just a phone

02:28call away.

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