The BID team recently visited The Elizabethan Academy secondary school in Retford to promote the benefits of using WalkSafe, the latest crime prevention measure from the North Notts Business Crime Reduction Partnership (NNBCRP). Available to everyone as a free download, the WalkSafe app enables users to track their location and set timings so that chosen friends and family are aware of when a person is expected to arrive at a destination. The app can send automatic alerts to their contacts on the app if they do not finish their journey close to their anticipated time.
Sally Gillborn MBE, chief executive of North Notts BID, said: “As a community we have a responsibility to protect our student population navigating to and from school as well as during their free time. The WalkSafe app provides a free and immediate resource to spot potential signs of danger and will play a vital role supporting pupils in the district so they can make safe decisions, enjoying the remainder of the school term and summer holidays. “It was great to speak with pupils at The Elizabethan Academy to hear their enthusiasm for one another’s welfare and they took great interest in how WalkSafe could be a vital tool to look after themselves and their friends.” We will be engaging with further secondary schools across the district at the start of the next school year, doing drop in sessions so the students can discuss the app with us at their own ease.
WalkSafe also highlights safe venues and refuge points so that people can choose the safest route to their destination, wherever that may be in the district, day or night. By providing information on crime hotspots, WalkSafe users can make an informed choice on their journey, which also includes an SOS function. As well as schools, the BID is also calling out for more hospitality venues to become registered WalkSafe venues. Eligible venues must provide at least one of the following: Ask for Angela, Best Bar None accreditation, active bystander trained, security present, available mobile charging points, available sanitary products, or LGBTQIA+ friendly.
The WalkSafe app is available to download for free on the App Store and Google Play Store!
