Visit our new platform The Northern Guide 
Community
New night-time safety scheme launching to keep people safe in Liverpool
1 hour ago
The charter includes a list of different pledges that bars, restaurants and clubs agree to sign to help combat public safety concerns.
The night-time safety charter is designed to help tackle public safety issues within venues open from 6pm – 6am. Employers signing the charter are signalling their dedication to a zero-tolerance approach to harassment as well as improving the safety of staff and customers.
The new charter helps promote the ‘Ask for Angela’ scheme, which allows anyone feeling unsafe or vulnerable to be able to ask for help discreetly.
Working with partners such as Merseyside Police and Nightlife CIC on the night-time safety charter, Liverpool City Council will offer:
- Free staff training
- Advice on how to help customers and staff, report harassment and unacceptable behaviour
- Promotional material about the scheme to communicate with customers and staff
Businesses are asked to commit to seven pledges:
- Champion: Appoint a champion to lead any action and offer support
- Communicate: Create a positive communication campaign for the public and staff. Both online and in your spaces
- Support your staff: Give clear ways for staff to report unacceptable behaviour at work. Support cultural change
- Support the public: Make sure customers know how to report any unacceptable behaviour they experience in your space
- Train to respond: Train staff on how to respond. Bystander training is key. Include any relevant policies
- Train to record: Train staff on how to record the right information, and how to share confidential details
- Design for safety: Audit your space regularly. Make the environment safer and reduce the risk of misconduct.
Liverpool’s Purple Flag status encompasses this new charter as part of its wider work, acknowledging the range of initiatives that are aimed at keeping people safe after dark. The city has been accredited with the status for 16 years now.
Cabinet Member for Safer Stronger Communities, Cllr Laura Robertson-Collins, said:
“We are proud of Liverpool’s reputation as a safe and welcoming city, each year for millions of people from around the world.
“This new scheme is designed to build on the strong partnership that already exists in our city and work hand in glove with our night-time economy businesses to ensure their staff and customers have the best possible experience.
“Everyone deserves the right to work or have a night out without being harassed and feeling threatened, and our Night- Time Safety Charter aims to help keep them safe.”
Sergeant Craig Carmichael, from Merseyside Police’s Licensing Team, said:
“Through initiatives such as Ask for Angela training for licensed premises, our new Operation Halo deployment, and Operation Empower patrols in the night‑time economy, officers are taking proactive steps to protect anyone who may feel vulnerable and tackle Violence Against Women and Girls. These efforts, alongside the new Night-Time Safety Charter, help create environments where both staff and the public know how to seek support and feel confident that concerns will be taken seriously.
“Merseyside Police will continue to work hard to keep people safe, and we welcome every business that signs up to the charter as another vital partner in building a safer Liverpool for all.”
Iwona Kossek, Co-director of Ask for Angela, said:
“The Night-Time Safety Charter is a positive step that brings venues and partners together to take a clear stand against harassment and unacceptable behaviour. We’re proud that Ask for Angela is part of this work, giving people a discreet way to seek help if they feel unsafe.”
University of Liverpool student, Leia-Rose Mills, who has helped shape the charter, said:
“Liverpool’s student population will benefit beyond belief with the Councils Night=Time Safety Charter. Having venues that you feel safe in when you move to a new city is undoubtedly a priority.”
Subscribe
Follow Us
Follow Us
Follow Us
Follow Us
Follow Us
