Pubs, clubs and bars in the City of London and Hackney are being encouraged to “Reframe the Night”. It’s part of a poster and social media campaign to combat harassment on nights out over the festive season. The Reframe the Night campaign, led by the City of London Corporation, Hackney Council and Good Night Out, is promoting a safer and more inclusive night-time, and details how to report harassment and to seek support if you have been affected.
Good Night Out, an independent body which works with bars, clubs and student unions to help them better understand and respond to sexual harassment in their venues, has developed the messaging – drawing from their research and experience in tackling sexual harassment in night-time spaces. While the City is known for its financial district, in recent years it’s also grown in terms of residences and pubs, clubs and cafes. Of 900 licensed premises in the Square Mile, over 300 are licensed to sell alcohol after midnight.
Training for City venues has been funded through the Late-Night Levy to be delivered by Good Night Out Campaign. It will be offered to licensed venues signed up to the City Corporation’s Safety Thirst Scheme and will run in February. The aim; to raise awareness of how licensed venues should respond to sexual harassment, and ensuring victims receive appropriate care and support. Similar work goes on in Southwark, as featured in the September 2018 print issue of Professional Security magazine.
Doug Barrow, Chairman of the City Corporation’s Safer City Partnerships Strategy Group, said: “Sexual harassment is completely unacceptable in the City or anywhere else. It has a profound impact on the victim, affecting every aspect of their life. Many people affected by sexual violence blame themselves and question whether they could have done something differently to prevent the incident from occurring. These views are reinforced within society by myths and beliefs about sexual harassment. Reframe the Night aims to challenge these, putting the blame and responsibility back on the perpetrator, not the victim.”
Visit www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/reframethenight.
Meanwhile a record 72 licensed City premises were recognised at this year’s Safety Thirst Awards for their work to reduce alcohol related crime and disorder. Hackney Council’s night time safety charter, Hackney Nights, was launched on November 20 at the boroughwide pubwatch meeting, at Hackney Town Hall. Venues receive a campaign toolkit and specialist training, again from Good Night Out. Visit www.hackney.gov.uk/reframe-the-night.
