Businesses provide support to help make the borough safer for women

Richmond upon Thames is the safest borough in London and we are committed to continuing to work with local businesses to make the borough even safer for all our residents.

Our approach is rooted in prevention and early intervention. We have been working together with Kingston, Merton, and Wandsworth Councils, as well as the Met Police and the South West London Safer Streets Partnership, to tackle violence against women and girls.

In March, the partnership launched a night safety charter, encouraging businesses to make a simple pledge to ensure every resident feels secure in our community and to help create inclusive environments that are welcoming to everyone. These include an organisation demonstrating it takes women’s safety at night seriously, trains staff appropriately, encourages reporting by victims or bystanders, and works on designing safer public and work spaces. 

The latest phase is part of the ongoing #StepUpSWLondon campaign to support local businesses to deliver on their commitments under the pledge. The partnership has developed a business toolkit – a range of digital resources and access to training for night time economy venues. You’ll find policy guidance, advice, intervention guides, and support for employers to promote a safe working environment.

The #StepUpSWLondon campaign aims to educate men and boys about what violent behaviours are and how they can stand up to them in a safe and confident manner. The campaign will also encourage men to become active, continuous allies by signing up for the White Ribbon Promise.

To ensure that our streets are safe for everyone, we are helping women and girls in South West London to feel confident and welcome to enjoy the places where they live and work.

Ending violence against women and girls is everyone’s business. Find events to tackle VAWG in Richmond.

https://www.richmond.gov.uk/news/september_2023/businesses_provide_support_to_tackle_vawg