Case study · Community Safety

Safer Streets South Worcestershire

You Do Better project-managed the South Worcestershire Safer Streets campaign for 2021/22, coordinating West Mercia Police, three councils and a dozen partners behind one programme to make public spaces safer.

Partners since: 2021
Scope: PR & Comms · Social Media · Project Management

The challenge

The brief

In 2021, You Do Better were commissioned as Project Manager to work on a multi-stakeholder project with Worcester City Council, West Mercia Police and partners across South Worcestershire. The aim was to deliver the Safer Streets campaign 2021/22. The team delivered pull-up banners, cards and social media packs for all of the stakeholders. Those included the University of Worcester and the Worcester BID, highlighting the Hollie Guard and Callmy apps as well as the Ask Angela initiative. More details can be found here.

The South Worcestershire Safer Streets project will redesign public places to be more welcoming. In addition, the project has a view to improving the perception of the areas and improving safety for women and girls but also for the wider community. In addition to the physical measures, there will be a series of educational inputs for a wider audience.

The combination of all of these interventions is to increase education and awareness about the issue of violence against women and girls. Furthermore, it is also to support the prevention of anti-social behaviour (ASB), Public Order offences, other violent crime and retail crime.

Investment for the project work was secured through the Government’s Safer Streets Fund. This was following a successful bid endorsed by West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner, John Campion.

Nearly half of the total £1 million secured for projects in West Mercia has been invested by West Mercia Police. In addition to local partners in the South Worcestershire Project, together, to make our public spaces safer.

The approach

The project

Education

School sessions for 11–18-year-olds.
Sessions for university students
Guardian Bystander programme workshops to staff within the Night-Time Economy hospitality and retail industry.

The term ‘night-time economy’ (NTE) is used to describe a wide range of activities from a trip to the theatre or a family meal to a night out at a club. Night-time economies are an important part of our towns and cities and are estimated to bring in over £60 billion to the UK economy every year. The vast majority of people enjoy a night out safely and sensibly. We will be working with the night-time economy to tackle sexual violence and harassment and victim-blaming attitudes.

Lighting

The project has been improving lighting to aid natural surveillance in key areas. This further reduced both crime and the fear of crime by making paths and alleyways more user-friendly.

CCTV

Funding has been used to install CCTV cameras in areas that are more vulnerable including additional and mobile CCTV cameras monitored 24/7.

Canals

The Canal and Rivers Trust have carried out landscaping and maintenance to improve the look and feel as well as visibility for people using entrances onto the canals. The project funding has also been used to install new, clear signage for safety messages.

Underpass artwork, Droitwich

Parks/Underpasses

That the combination of all of these interventions will help address concerns raised by members of the public. In addition it will increase education and awareness and will support the community.

The reach

Area & partners

Area

The South Worcestershire area encompasses three local authority districts.

Worcester City is a mixture of urban and suburban residential areas. It is the most densely populated district within South Worcestershire. The University of Worcester is located in various campuses around the city and has a high ratio of female students of 69.1%.
Wychavon district consists of towns such as Pershore, Evesham and Droitwich.
Malvern Hills district consists of towns such as Upton-Upon-Severn, Tenbury Wells, Kempsey and Great Malvern.

Partners

*Purple Leaf is a trading name of West Mercia Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (WMRSASC). WMRSASC has been supporting survivors of all types of sexual abuse and sexual violence for over 35 years and provides a range of services including advocacy, therapy, online and a helpline service.

Purple Leaf is a team of specialist sexual violence counsellors, advocates and support workers who come from a range of backgrounds. These includes social work, counselling, play therapy, youth offending and the police.

Coverage

South Worcestershire showcase their Safer Streets project at partnership event

Results

What the work did for Safer Streets South Worcestershire

£0msecured through the Safer Streets Fund

0partner organisations coordinated

0local authority districts covered

Highlights from the Safer Streets South Worcestershire work

Ruby is really brought our Safer Streets multi-agency project to life. She engaged with all the partners, understood our various requirements and outcomes and turned this into one co-ordinated project; designing branding and multi-media assets to help partners promote our work. Ruby wrote editorial and press releases for online information and traditional press, designed social media assets for partners to use and create materials for officers to use and distribute at events. Ruby always has a smile, coaching officers to meet copy deadlines and making sure projects stay on target. Thanks Ruby, for delivering a very worth while project.