With the aim of reducing incidents of Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG), and to assess the need for a permanent service, volunteers braved the cold weather on Friday 31st January and Saturday 1st February.
BID Updates - Press Releases - Protecting - Safety
Expanded Safe Space Pilot records widespread successes
Last month, the Bristol Safe Space project ran a second successful pilot in Bristol City Centre.
26/02/2025
BID Lead
Louisa Briggs
The Bristol Safe Space project, a collaboration between Bristol City Centre BID and Avon & Somerset Police, ran as a second pilot to understand the support needed for vulnerable individuals during busy weekend nights.
The scheme, once again, proved a great success with volunteers assisting the public with everything from medical emergencies to advice, organising taxis to fixing shoes, and safety concerns to directing vulnerable individuals to vital support services.
This latest pilot took place during the busy opening weekend of the Bristol Light Festival and the first significant payday weekend of 2025. The blend of pastoral and practical care, applied to various incidents, further demonstrates the need for a long-term service that can offer safety and wellbeing support for those utilising the City Centre at night.
Louisa Briggs, Project Manager for cleansing, training and safety at Bristol City Centre BID, said:
“I joined the volunteers on Friday night to experience first-hand the types of issues people were presenting to the Safe Space, and to understand clearer the needs of the public at this time. We also spoke to businesses about the project and the work of the BID. Seeing the city so busy at night was wonderful, but it highlighted the need for a service such as this on busy nights. We would like to work closely with the business community, the local authority and the police going forward to develop this into a useful resource for those enjoying Bristol’s nightlife.”DS Emily Welch of Avon and Somerset Police, said:
“I am delighted to say that we assisted over 50 people during our second pilot and that we have proved the concept and the necessity of the project in Bristol. Watch this space for our next steps, but we now need to obtain long-term funding and a volunteer programme in order to (hopefully) make this a more permanent fixture. Thank you to all those who showed an interest.”Bristol City Centre BID would like to give a huge thank you to the dedicated volunteers who gave their time to man the Safe Space across both evenings, and to Avon & Somerset Police and Hope Against Suicide for their continued partnership.
Local businesses are encouraged to provide feedback on the Bristol Safe Space Project- please get in touch with Louisa if you have any thoughts.
