A new safety campaign to help keep revellers safe during the festive season and beyond has been introduced in Nottingham City.
The ‘Stay with Your Pack’ campaign, led by Police and Crime Commissioner Paddy Tipping, is supported by Nottinghamshire Police, Nottingham City Council and Nottingham Business Improvement District (BID) and is delivered by alcohol education charity Drinkaware and other partners. It will run throughout 2018 as part of a wider strategy to maintain Nottingham’s position as a Purple Flag city.
Aimed at 18-24-year-olds, ‘Stay with Your Pack’ encourages people to stay together, look out for one another and stay safe on a night out in Nottingham.
The campaign, which was unveiled on 29 November, will involve the largest-ever training programme of bar, club and door staff across Nottingham to better manage the welfare of customers and reduce the risks of sexual assault, violence or hospitalisation through over consumption. It sets out to provide support for those who may be vulnerable as a result of drinking too much alcohol and cut drink-fuelled violence and antisocial behaviour in the City.
Action will include:
- Specially developed Alcohol Vulnerability training for McDonalds’ staff and Nottingham BID’s Taxi Marshals to help them identify those at risk and offer help – this is a UK first.
- Training sessions to enable venue staff to operate as Drinkaware Crew – specially trained staff who work inside licensed premises to talk to people and support customers who may have become vulnerable from drinking too much alcohol.
- Alcohol Vulnerability Awareness e-learning for bar staff in Nottingham venues and Drinkaware training specifically for fast food outlets.
- A major poster campaign in venues across the city including Rock City, Rescue Rooms, Bodega, Stealth, Nottingham Trent Students Union and Propaganda, in addition to social media promotion on Facebook and YouTube.
- An awareness video which will be promoted across social media which can be accessed at: https://www.itsinnottingham.com/StayWithYourPack.
This will be supported by:
- Deployment of passive drugs dogs by Nottinghamshire Police to detect illegal substances and knives.
- Use of knife wands by venue staff to detect weapons and reassure customers.
Commenting on the campaign, Nottinghamshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Paddy Tipping said: “Together we’re doing everything we can to ensure young people have an enjoyable and safe night out in our county.
“Alcohol increases vulnerability and leaves young people at serious risk of becoming either a victim or perpetrator of crime. When a young person’s judgement is impeded by alcohol it is vital we have responsible, fully-trained volunteers ready to protect their welfare and prevent harm. This campaign will see an unprecedented level of appropriate training to ensure this happens.
“However, I would stress that young people must always remain accountable for their own actions and this campaign has the double purpose of reminding young people to stay in control and heed our safety messages as well as protect the safety of their friends.”
Elaine Hindal, Drinkaware Chief Executive said: “Nottingham and Nottinghamshire have been leading UK best practice in terms of helping keep people safe on a night out and Drinkaware has been privileged to have been working with them on this agenda since 2014.
“Their commitment to this issue has been exemplary and the region is now providing a model to other local areas, demonstrating that a vibrant night-time economy can and must include practical measures to help keep people safe.
“Drinkaware is committed to finding innovative ways of reducing alcohol harm and we are honoured that Police and Crime Commissioner Paddy Tipping, Nottinghamshire Police, the City Council and Nottingham BID have selected us to join forces with them.
“Building on our success in other parts of the UK, Drinkaware’s Alcohol Vulnerability Training for on-premise staff, our Stay with your Pack campaign and Drinkaware Crew will make an important contribution, alongside other initiatives, to reducing the negative impact that drunken behaviour can have on the local night-time economy. We are also hugely grateful to local operators including DHP Family for their leadership and support.”
Martha Longdon, President of Nottingham Trent Students’ Union said: “NTSU is proud to be part of the Drinkaware initiative in Nottingham City Centre. We are committed to encouraging responsible drinking and prioritise the safety of our members. The Drinkaware Crew and the training they have received have enabled us to strengthen our activities in this area. The Crew members have been welcomed by our customers and are a great addition to the measures we already have in place to ensure people have a safe, enjoyable night out.”
Assistant Chief Constable Steve Cooper said: “This campaign is designed to encourage young people to take a minute and make sure their friends are okay. However, we know that, from time to time, people get separated from their friends, find themselves without phone battery or money and, occasionally, in very dangerous situations. That’s why the vulnerability training is so important – it ensures that there are appropriately trained and empathetic people at every step of your night out, from the bar staff pouring your drinks and door staff checking IDs through to the marshals making sure you get into a licensed taxi and the team in McDonalds keeping an eye out for you.
“We’re also planning work around detecting anyone carrying drugs or knives. Nottingham is a fantastic city for a night out, and it has been awarded the Purple Flag for the last seven years. These operations won’t affect anyone who is coming to Nottingham for a great and safe night out – however, if you’re planning to come into the city with any criminal intention, our message to you is very simple – don’t. We have measures in place to prevent this and we will do our utmost to find you and take appropriate action.”
“Keeping our customers safe in our venues in Nottingham remains our priority – all the initiatives in this new campaign will help to keep people in Nottingham safe on the great nights out we know they enjoy across the city,” said Julie Tippins, DHP Family (Rock City, Rescue Rooms, Stealth, Bodega)
“We are pleased to be working in partnership with these organisations on this important new campaign and we will be ensuring that our members who operate city centre venues are aware of it and involved,” said Andrew Crawford, a director of the Nottingham BID. “We will also help to spread the word so that our young people can have a great night out in the city and are safe.”
Caption to attached image (l-r): (l-r): Elaine Hindal, Drinkaware Chief Executive; Drinkaware Crew team members Alex Sellers, Rebecca Flanagan and Cerys Atchinson; JulieTippins, Head of Compliance at DHP Family which owns Rock City and Nottinghamshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Paddy Tipping
-ends-
Issued by: ShielPorter Communications
For further information: Ros Shiel: ros@shielporter.com or 07841 694137
John Porter: john@shielporter.com or 07734 054389