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Street safety: Volunteer helpline, Strut Safe, reports a 28% rise in calls in a year
National World - LocalTV
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02/04/2025
More people are also changing their behaviour, with four in ten women taking precautions to feel safer, like carrying alarms or avoiding certain areas.
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00:00
Pretty much everyone, certainly I can relate to this feeling of walking on the street at
00:05
night and there's no one around and I'm just not quite sure, I don't feel quite right and
00:09
I want someone to keep me company essentially. That is the vast, vast majority of what Strut
00:15
Safe volunteers do.
00:17
Have you ever skipped a concert, theatre show or sports event because you didn't feel safe
00:21
travelling home alone at night? If so, you're not alone. New research shows that concerns
00:26
over personal safety are a major barrier to attending live events solo, especially for
00:31
women and LGBTQ plus individuals. The biggest fear? Walking alone after dark, with 38% of
00:38
people worried about it.
00:39
We're a nation of gig lovers. We know that about a third of the country are planning
00:44
to go to more gigs this summer than they have in the past. And with that comes a need to
00:49
travel home afterwards. And if you don't feel safe doing that, that's going to hold
00:53
you back from being able to go and enjoy the things you want to enjoy.
00:57
Public transport is another big concern. Nearly three in ten people say they feel uneasy using
01:01
buses or trains alone at night, while others worry about waiting at transport stops, losing
01:07
phone signal or walking through venue car parks on their own. Volunteer-run helpline
01:11
Strut Safe has seen a surge in calls, up 28% in the past year, mostly after 11pm on weekends,
01:18
when many gig goers are making their way home.
01:20
The increase in calls to Strut Safe reflects an ongoing issue in the UK, which is that
01:26
people do not feel safe when they're travelling alone on our streets. And we know that that
01:32
feeling of safety is really, really essential to people being able to live their lives.
01:38
But despite the growing need, many still aren't reaching out for help. 40% of women and over
01:43
a third of LGBTQ plus individuals don't even know the Strut Safe helpline exists.
01:49
And those who do often hesitate to use safety services, worried about disturbing loved ones
01:54
or being judged for asking for help.
01:57
That's where Strut Safe comes in really. Because when you're reaching out to Strut
02:01
Safe, you don't have to worry about bothering us or being a nuisance, because we specifically
02:06
are there to speak to you. Our volunteers are sat in their homes, usually with a cup
02:11
of tea, maybe Netflix is open, waiting for your phone call.
02:14
And now a new initiative aims to change that. Strut Safe, Via Gogo and Uber have teamed
02:19
up to break the stigma around seeking support and to spread awareness of Strut Safe's
02:24
free helpline. Their message to gig goers, you're not alone, and help is just a phone
02:28
call away.
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