Teesside women's safety organisation prepared for increased need
People are being reminded to not to overlook the risks when out in the dark this winter as clocks have gone back an hour
As the nights get darker, a Teesside women's safety organisation say they're prepared for an increased need for their presence.
The clocks went back at the weekend meaning we'll see evenings getting dark much earlier, which can leave people feeling vulnerable walking home from work, or going about their daily routines.
Earlier this month, Cleveland's Police and Crime Commissioner did a survey which revealed most women in Teesside feel unsafe at night in public spaces.
Bethany McLean is from Women's Street Watch in Middlesbrough and she said: "As soon as women walk out of their door to go to the gym, to a pub or to work, there is a constant risk assessment that they have to do. They constantly have to be thinking at least three steps ahead. They have to be thinking, 'well, what if my battery runs out? What if this happens, or that happens?' So the threats are so different.
"On a night out, it could be that you don't want to walk down a specific way because there's a group of lads there, or there might be someone from another bar, or it could be that it's not very well lit down a certain area. So, yeah, I'm not surprised at all, but it's a really good step that the survey has been done, because I think it will give way to a lot more work in terms of looking at how to make women feel safe in the night-time economy.
"I think every shift we'll have multiple women coming up to us. They say there are a lot of lads who hang around outside specific bars, who are vaping or inhaling laughing gas, or who are driving really fast and unsafely around corners. This is really intimidating for a woman because, again, you have to risk assess constantly.
"You might think that if one of those men from that group makes an unwanted comment, that might just be the end of it for that man who made the comment. But for us, we have to think, "well, what if they follow me home? What if they know what I look like? What if they see me get into a taxi?' And we're just constantly having to risk assess and create a safety plan for everything.
"We get asked all the time: 'Can you wait with me while I sort out a taxi?', 'Can you help me find my friend?', 'Can you walk me to the train station?', 'Can you walk me to the bus station?', 'Can you walk me to a taxi ran because I feel unsafe?' It could be because of off-road bikes, men hanging around in groups, or unwanted attention - all sorts.
"We get really busy on a night out, usually after midnight. We hand out probably about five to 10 bottles of water per shift. We hand out about 40 to 50 pairs of flip-flops per shift to reduce any injuries, but also it's a lot easier to speed-walk away from a situation in flip-flops than it is in heels.
"So we hand out flip-flops and foil drink covers, and we provide minor first aid. We can charge people's phones up enough - to about 20% - to get them a taxi. We hand period products out for free to anyone who needs them. And we're generally a safe space for women, if they would prefer a women-only presence.
"Just make sure your phone's charged up. Share your location if you need to. Take a portable charger out with you. If your friends get really drunk and you need to go home, just go home with them. I know it's a nightmare. When I was 18, my friends constantly had to leave nights out early because they needed to get me home, and I'm so grateful to them because they did it a lot. And make sure you've got a spare tenner if you need to get a taxi."