Torbay Council and SWISCo leaders have added their signatures to the Safety of Women at Night (SWAN) charter, a pledge signed by Bay organisations to keep women safe in their premises.

The signing comes as the world observes White Ribbon Day today, followed by 16 Days of Action Against Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence, an international awareness-raising campaign.

We support both initiatives, which seek to prevent violence against women and girls. We were the first organisation in the South West to receive White Ribbon accreditation and actively promote the movement.

We protect our staff – particularly those working in the evenings – through our lone working policy and also provide personal alarms. We also have wellbeing and domestic abuse champions.

More than 120 Torbay businesses have signed the SWAN charter since it was launched last year. Most of these are licensed premises like bars, restaurants and clubs operating in the night-time economy but the charter is open to any business or organisation which promises to safeguard women’s safety.

Some have introduced bystander training for staff, so they can spot when customers are in distress. Workers at 18 licensed premises in Torquay and Paignton have carried out Shout Up! training which has helped them intervene safely when they spot sexual harassment taking place.

Recent signatories to the SWAN charter include Devon Clinic, YMCA South Devon, Torbay Communities, More Positive Me, Phoenix Rising CIC, Working Minds CIC, Rising Moments, Brixham Theatre, Frontline Community Protection, Horses4Life and Tomlinson IT Solutions.

Councillor David Thomas, Leader of Torbay Council, said: “I’m pleased to support this initiative and provide reassurance to our staff that their safety is our top priority.

“It’s also good to see that so many varied businesses and organisations across Torbay have signed the SWAN charter. Women should feel safe wherever they are, whether it’s day or night. We want our communities to get the most out of living here and they can only do that if they feel confident and secure.”

The council is also encouraging people to get home safely after a night out by using the festive night bus service. The service, which runs on the number 12 route between Torquay and Brixham, operates until 4:30am on selected nights over the Christmas and New Year period. Find out more about the bus service.

The NHS also offers a Safe Space unit on Torquay’s harbourside. It's a quiet space for people on a night out where they can have a break if they’re tired or feel unwell. They can get first aid, bottled water and charge up their phone if they need to.

The Safe Space operates every Saturday from 10pm to 3am. During December it runs on Friday and Saturday nights from 10pm to 4am. It will also be there on New Year’s Eve from 10pm to 4am.

A number of events are taking place across Torbay as part of the 16 Days of Action campaign. These range from library drop-ins, art therapy and creative writing sessions, webinars, a silent march through Torquay, disco bingo, a bus tour and equine therapy.

For the full list of events, visit the Are you OK? website, which also has contacts if you or someone who know is experiencing domestic abuse or sexual violence.

We work alongside partners including Devon and Cornwall Police, NHS Devon, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, the Probation Service, and the other South West Peninsula local councils; as well as the local community and voluntary sector Standing Tall Partnership, to support people who are vulnerable to all forms of domestic abuse and sexual violence.

We commission the Torbay Domestic Abuse Service to provide support and safe places to stay and Intercom Trust to provide the Safer Rainbow Project delivers specialist domestic abuse support to LGBT+ communities.

We also work with Devon Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Services to ensure people experiencing sexual violence receive support.

Image shows Torbay Council leader David Thomas and Torbay Council Chief Executive Anne-Marie Bond signing the Safety of Women at Night charter