£5 million Fund to Support Safety of Women at Night

A new fund is available to organisations in England and Wales to support interventions which focus on preventing violence against women and girls in public spaces at night.

In March, the Government announced measures to protect women and girls in public spaces, including the rollout of initiatives to improve the safety of women in public spaces at night. This will be delivered through a new £5 million Safety of Women at Night Fund.

The Fund will sit alongside the £25m third round of the Safer Streets Fund which was launched on 3 June 2021.

The Safety of Women at Night Fund will support initiatives focused on preventing violence against women and girls (VAWG) in public spaces at night, including:

  • In the night-time economy (economic activity taking place in the evening and night time)
  • In venues
  • On related routes home

The main aims of the fund are to:

  • Reduce incidents of violence against women and girls in public spaces at night, including in the night-time economy
  • Reduce the fear of VAWG and improve feelings of safety in public spaces at night, including in the night-time economy
  • Build an evidence base for what works in improving women’s safety in public spaces at night, including in the night-time economy

The night-time economy is defined as economic activity taking place in the evening and night-time. A night-time economy area is one where there is a concentration of such economic activity. Night-time economy venues are any premises offering food, drink, entertainment, cultural or sporting events at night (between 6pm to 6am).

The fund is open to:

  • Police and crime commissioners in England and Wales
  • Local authorities
  • The British Transport Police
  • Civil society organisations (charities, community and voluntary organisations, social enterprises and cooperatives)

The total amount available for this fund is £5 million.

Applicants are eligible to submit one bid with a maximum value of £300,000.

Bids must be submitted by the deadline of 1 September 2021 (23:59).