Safe Space opens to offer a city centre haven for women and girls A safe haven for anyone enjoying a night out in Exeter has opened in the heart of the city. Exeter Safe Space has three main purposes - providing light medical treatment (cuts, sprains, recovery, blisters), welfare support (such as phone charging, water, safety alarms, bottle tops, change of clothes) and a safe warm place to wait for night buses. It is open three nights a week Wednesday, Friday and Saturday – from 23:00 to 03:30am. Located in St Stephens Church on High Street, right at the heart of Exeter’s bustling night scene, the Safe Space is funded by InExeter, the Community Safety Partnership and Safer Streets Fund 4. Exeter Safe Space came from an idea by Mat Jarratt, Chair Best Bar None, and Ann Hunter, InExeter BID Manager, a need further demonstrated by feedback from respondents to Exeter University’s violence against women and girls survey in 2021, in which 86% of women said they did not feel safe in the city at night. Creating this Safe Space became a key offer in the University’s latest successful bid to the Government’s Safer Streets Fund from which around £680,000 was awarded. The project, which is delivered under the umbrella of city’s Community Safety Partnership, Safer Exeter, will deliver a number of initiatives to reduce violence against women and girls and reduce antisocial behaviour particularly in the evening and night-time. “I feel privileged and emotional to help deliver this project for the city,” said Ann Hunter, from InExeter, who has led the delivery. “We want everyone who comes to Exeter city centre to have a great, safe, enjoyable night out. “The Safe Space means anyone who needs support knows there is a safe, warm space where they will be welcome. Key to this project is continuous learning and building a sustainable service that is relevant to Exeter.” A volunteer programme will be launched in January for anyone who would like to support the safe space. Mat Jarratt said: “Since the relaunch of Best Bar None at the beginning of the year, the mission has been to elevate the quality and safety of Exeter’s evening economy for both its guests and employees. “The Exeter Safe Space is a significant step-up in caring for those that may find themselves vulnerable on an evening out. “We look forward to supporting the continued development of the Safe Space and thank InExeter for leading the way on this very important project.” Jeanie Lynch, manager of CoLab Exeter Resilient Women Project and deputy chair of the CSP, said: “The safety of women in Exeter is a priority and it is great to see how people from different sectors have come together to deliver the Safe Space, something women who completed out survey last year asked for.
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