The South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) and Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) have supported the launch of a Sheffield Women and Girls Night-Time Safety Charter.
The Charter, led by Sheffield City Council and launched at Sheffield Town Hall, sets out seven commitments for bars and venues in the city to sign up to and follow.
The commitments include the appointment of a champion to drive forward work in this area; the development of communications around existing campaigns, such as Ask for Angela; and support for staff and customers.
The PCC spoke at the launch of the event, and has welcomed the Charter as part of countywide efforts to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls in South Yorkshire.
Dr Alan Billings, South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner said: “Violence Against Women and Girls is a hugely important issue, and is something which can only be addressed through partnership working between different organisations.
“I welcome this Charter as another step forward in our countywide efforts to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls.
“This follows on from and sits alongside other initiatives, such as the Violence Against Women and Girls Partnership Statement of Intent which we launched in September.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to speak at the launch of the Charter. I was pleased to see so many people there from different partner organisations. This speaks to the real collective determination to tackle these issues here in South Yorkshire.”
Graham Jones, Head of the South Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit said: “Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls and improving safety in the Night-Time Economy are both priorities for the VRU.
“We have taken a number of steps in these areas, from providing grant funding through our Violence Against Women and Girls Reduction Fund, to supporting the development of the Statement of Intent, and helping to set up a Countywide Night-Time Economy steering group.
“The Sheffield Women and Girls Night-Time Safety Charter crosses over a number of those areas of work, and is an important step in building the collaborative working which is crucial to addressing these challenges.
“I’m pleased that the VRU was able to support the launch of the Charter, and look forward to continuing our work with partners on these important issues in the months ahead.”
