To improve safety in the city, a new Safe Space has been opened to provide a place for access to help and resources on nights out.

Exeter Safe Space has opened to offer a safe place to go during the night in the city. The University of Exeter’s violence against women and girls survey in 2021 found that many women do not feel safe on a night out, inspiring Safe Space to be established.

Safe Space is open on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, from 11pm to 3:30am, and is located in St Stephen’s Church on High Street. With paramedics on site, light medical treatment can be offered throughout the night. The service also offers welfare support, including phone chargers, water, bottle tops, changes of clothes and a safe place to wait for transport home.

The project is funded by the Home Office’s Safer Streets Fund. A vast £680,250 has been allocated for numerous projects to reduce violence against women and diminish anti-social behaviour at night.

Safe Space will contribute to making our streets safer and protecting people and students in Exeter. The aim is that this project will help prevent the tragic loss of lives, such as Sarah Everard, a woman who was not safe walking home at night.