Bracknell Unveils Strong Women's Safety Strategy

Bracknell's council leader Cllr Helen Purnell has made protecting women and girls her personal mission and unveiled a domestic abuse and safety strategy that will roll out over the summer.

She said when she took over she was determined that "something positive" must come out of the situation she inherited, and vowed tackling violence would be central. Cllr Purnell called such violence "an absolute scourge on our society".

She put it bluntly: "I want women and girls to feel safe in this borough and for men that abuse women physically, mentally or emotionally to know that we will no longer stand for it. You are being watched and will be reported."

At the heart of the plan is a Women's Safety Charter for Bracknell Forest, modelled on London's Women's Night Safety Charter and meant to be borough-wide. Gyms, schools and colleges could be urged to sign, and the council wants to go much further.

Through licensing and partnerships the council hopes to get pubs, bars, restaurants, late-night venues, taxi and private-hire firms, bus operators, railway stations, supermarkets, shopping centres, business parks, community and faith venues and major employers on board.

Cllr Purnell will also press formal partners to sign up, including Bracknell Forest Council itself, Thames Valley Police, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, NHS providers and town and parish councils.

The charter is built around seven specific commitments that turn concern into action. Every signatory will be asked to appoint a women's safety champion and run visible communications so people know help is available.

There will be clear reporting routes for staff and the public, training so staff can handle and record reports properly, and guidance to redesign spaces - lighting, layout and management - to make them safer at night.

The work also includes active bystander training and prevention measures, such as supporting schools to become smartphone-free and limiting teenagers' exposure to misogynistic online content. Cllr Purnell said: "We have so many amazing men in the borough who are excellent role models for young boys. They will be celebrated so young boys have a positive alternative to the negative voices online."

Ted O'Neill, Local Democracy Reporter