Wandsworth partners with local businesses to launch Safe Havens 

Local businesses have signed up to be part of the Safe Havens scheme where they agree to provide a temporary place of safety for anyone that needs it.

If anyone feels intimidated, harassed, unwell or just in need of assistance, staff at the Safe Havens can help by providing a temporary place of safety, calling a friend or a taxi, offering a drink of water, charging a phone or calling emergency services.

The reaction from local businesses has been positive, with venues signing up so far including libraries, Battersea Arts Centre, restaurants including MEATliquor and Oddono’s in Battersea and pubs including the King’s Head, Roehampton and the Prince of Wales, Putney.

Participating venues display the Safe Haven logo inside their windows or on a noticeboard. A full list of Safe Haven venues can also be found on the council website.

John Busuioc, deputy manager of the King’s Head, said: "We are proud to join the Safe Haven scheme and welcome its positive impact on our community. Our participation demonstrates a clear commitment to work in partnership with the council, keeping people safe, supported, and connected when they need it most."

Cabinet Member for Health Graeme Henderson said: “Wandsworth is the safest inner London borough, but we recognise there are times that people, especially women and girls, might feel concerned about their safety or insecure. This scheme enables our community to have a place of safety where they can easily get help from some of the local businesses that are such an important part of our community.”

We have also partnered with WalkSafe+, which will highlight Safe Havens on its free personal safety app. The WalkSafe+ app also offers digital features including journey sharing, automatic notifications if users don’t arrive home on time, and an SOS button should they feel unsafe.

The Safe Haven initiative is closely linked to the council’s broader work on preventing and responding to Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). We have doubled our investment in tackling VAWG, including ‘Active Bystander’ awareness raising sessions, which upskill members of the public so that they feel more confident to intervene if they witness sexual harassment in public spaces, when it is safe to do so; the monthly Safe Space outside Clapham Junction station; a range of specialist services for victim-survivors of domestic abuse including One Stop Shops and therapeutic support, and dedicated staff posts to engage with victim-survivors and communities.

Residents can also join the White Ribbon Torch Parade in Roehampton on 25 November to show solidarity with women. The parade is supported by the council and organised by the SW15 Women’s Network.

Find out more about the torch parade, book onto an upcoming Active Bystander session or access our e-module.

Venues that would like to become a Safe Haven can find out more on our website.

If you or someone you know has experienced abuse or violence, confidential, free support services are available.