A NEW initiative focused on keeping women safe on a night out is to be rolled out at venues across the city following the death of Sarah Everard.
The 33-year-old vanished as she walked home from a friend’s house in Clapham, south London, in March.
The case sparked a debate about women’s safety in public spaces.
A new scheme set up by Brighton-based events company Rox will see Whatsapp helplines, called Roxy Hotlines, set up at events for anyone who feels unsafe or threatened.
People will be able to access the hotline by scanning a QR code, which will be placed on posters in the venues and will also be accessible of Rox’s social media platforms.
There will also be two staff members at every event organised by Rox who will be on call and ready to respond to any messages or calls that come through the Roxy hotline.
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Partygoers will be able to choose either to remain messaging the hotline until they feel safe, or they can request a member of the Roxy hotline teams meets them and accompanies them to safety.
The company says that all the venues it works with, including Shoosh and The Arch on Brighton seafront, are fully committed to using the Roxy hotline.
Rox says it will only be working with clubs and venues that subscribe to its values and facilitate its campaign.
Janelle Sultana, general manager at Rox PR, says she is “incredibly proud” to have been involved in the campaign, which she hopes to see rolled out across the nightlife industry.
She said: “As a young female working in a male dominated industry, it wasn't hard to soon discover that safety and vulnerability was a concern when attending events in Brighton.
“Girls who were a similar age to me started to open up about feeling unsafe within Brighton clubs.
“I decided it was time to use my position to make a difference and convince clubs to review their policies and facilitate and support our communities' safety.
“I am honestly over the moon to be releasing this campaign with so much support and to be making a difference.
“I can confidently welcome our Rox Residents to all our nights in the safest form, knowing there is support from every angle.
“I hope to enlighten the rest of the nightlife industry about the importance that this campaign holds and the power we have to make a difference.”
Earlier this month Met Police officer Wayne Cuzons pleaded guilty to both the kidnap and rape of Sarah Everard at the Old Bailey in London.
The next plea hearing is due to take place on 9 July.
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