Safe Havens
Helping people feel safer while they are out and about.
At Fitmums and Friends, we want everyone to feel confident and safe when they are being active in their communities.
We know that concerns about personal safety can be a barrier to exercise, particularly for women and girls. Feeling unsafe can stop people from going for a run, walking home from a session or exercising alone. That's why we work with local businesses and organisations to create a network of Safe Havens – places where anyone can go if they feel unsafe, unwell or simply need somewhere safe to stop.
What is a Safe Haven?
A Safe Haven is a participating business or organisation that has agreed to offer a welcoming and safe place for anyone who needs support.
Safe Havens are often places that are open outside normal working hours, making them particularly useful when people are out exercising, travelling home or going about their daily lives.
If you feel unsafe, you can go into a Safe Haven and let a member of staff know that you need Safe Haven support. You might need to use the toilet, feel unwell, need to make a phone call, feel uncomfortable about someone following you or simply need somewhere safe to pause and gather yourself.
You don't need to be a Fitmums and Friends member to use a Safe Haven. Safe Havens are open to everyone.
Current Safe Havens:
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Making exercise safer
We want people to feel able to be active wherever they live. Our aim is to build a network of Safe Havens so that every Fitmums and Friends club has a Safe Haven nearby or located along routes commonly used by our members.
This means Safe Havens can be used:
- During Fitmums and Friends club sessions
- When members are running or walking on their own
- When people are travelling to or from an activity
- By anyone who feels unsafe while out in the community
Knowing that there is somewhere safe to go can provide reassurance and confidence – and may help remove one of the barriers that stops people being active.
We're particularly passionate about making it safer for women and girls to exercise, so that concerns about personal safety don't prevent anyone from enjoying the physical and mental health benefits of being active.
What happens when you enter a Safe Haven?
If you need help, simply enter a participating Safe Haven and tell a member of staff that you need Safe Haven support.
Our participating businesses and organisations will know what this means and will provide a safe and welcoming place for you to pause and decide what you need to do next.
Depending on the situation, this might mean:
- Giving you somewhere safe to sit
- Allowing you to use the toilet
- Providing somewhere to wait
- Helping you contact someone
- Supporting you if you feel unwell
- Helping you access further assistance if needed
The aim is simple: to give people somewhere safe to go when they need it.
Reporting incidents
Safe Havens are an important part of helping people feel safer, but we also want to understand what is happening in our communities. If you experience or witness an incident that makes you feel unsafe, we encourage you to report it through the StreetSafe app.
StreetSafe is a service that allows people to anonymously report safety concerns in public places. Reporting incidents helps build a better picture of where and when people are experiencing concerns about personal safety. The police recommend using StreetSafe to report these types of incidents, and we encourage our members and the wider community to use it.
If you are in immediate danger or a crime is taking place, always contact the police directly.
Could your business become a Safe Haven?
We're looking for more local businesses and organisations to join our Safe Haven network.
You don't have to be a large organisation. Any business or organisation is welcome to get involved, provided you can offer a safe and welcoming place for someone who needs support. By becoming a Safe Haven, you can help make a real difference to the people in your local community.
You could be the place someone turns to when they feel uncomfortable on a run. The place where someone can safely use the toilet when they're out walking. The place where someone who feels unwell can sit down and collect themselves. Or simply somewhere that gives someone the reassurance they need to continue their journey.
How does it work?
We want the process to be simple. Once you register as a Safe Haven:
- Your business will be added to our Safe Haven network
- We'll provide you with a **Safe Haven window sticker** so people can easily identify you as a participating location
- Your staff will understand what the Safe Haven scheme means and what to do if someone asks for support
- Your business will help contribute to a safer, more welcoming community
- The Safe Haven sticker means people know that they can come through your door if they need somewhere safe.
Help us build the network
Our ambition is to create a strong network of Safe Havens across the communities where Fitmums and Friends operates – and beyond.
The more businesses that take part, the more reassurance we can provide to people who are out walking, running, exercising or simply going about their day.
How to become a Safe Haven?
If you'd like to register your business or organisation, or find out more about the scheme, please contact us at: admin@fitmums.org.uk
Together, we can help make our communities safer and help more people feel confident to get active. Because everyone deserves to feel safe when they step outside.