Our Safer City remains at the forefront of preventing violence against women and girls (VAWG) and domestic abuse, placing partnership working at the centre of meaningful, practical change.
Following a strong close to 2025, the initiative has hit the ground running this year with impactful events, growing support networks, and data-driven insights that are supporting change in workplace culture and community safety.
What’s happened so far in 2026
Two key events early in the year brought together employers, victim-survivors, police leaders and specialists for honest discussions that left delegates both moved and equipped with clear next steps.
January event: learning from lived experience – how employers can help
On 28 January, we filled the upstairs room at Greene King’s Railway Tavern near Liverpool Street for an event that created the perfect atmosphere for raw, honest conversations. Chaired by Our Safer City Chairman Don Randall MBE, the evening featured compelling five-minute talks from an exceptional line-up: Shital V., Sophie McGuirk from User Voice, Sam L. from We Are Vivere, Andreea Groenendijk-Deveau and Ayesha Fordham from the Employers’ Initiative on Domestic Abuse (EIDA).
March event: inspiring the future – preventing VAWG and Domestic Abuse through the employer lens
Just weeks later, on Thursday 12 March, the historic Livery Hall at Guildhall hosted a packed morning programme that explored the employer role in prevention from every angle. Delegates praised the blend of lived experience, professional expertise and actionable strategies, leaving with tools to strengthen their own organisations.
What’s available now
Several mature initiatives are delivering results every day, with straightforward ways for businesses to get involved and make an immediate difference.
Safe Havens
The network now stands at 57 Safe Havens across the City of London – pubs, restaurants and offices where anyone feeling vulnerable can step inside for help. These spaces offer a quiet moment to make a call, get water, charge a phone or simply wait out a worrying situation. Joining couldn’t be easier or cheaper: just one hour of staff training, some window stickers and a listing on the free Safe Haven app.
For hospitality, retail and public-facing businesses, it’s a low-effort way to demonstrate community commitment while contributing to proven VAWG prevention.
Find out more by emailing safehaven@oursafercity.org.uk.
Taxi Marshalling at Liverpool Street
Operating every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 9pm to 1am, our licensed black cab marshals station themselves near McDonald’s at Liverpool Street station. All marshals are qualified black cab drivers who’ve completed Level 2 safeguarding training, ensuring a safe, orderly queue that deters trouble and encourages more cabs to serve the rank.
User feedback speaks volumes, especially from women travelling alone late at night: “I felt so much more comfortable,” said one; another called it “a very good initiative” for preventing queue-jumping and providing reassurance.
Hospitality data insights from Oxford partners
Through close collaboration with Oxford Partners, the City of London Police and the Corporation, Our Safer City has built a sophisticated analytical tool tracking night-time economy patterns. This covers venue flows, peak timings, usage trends and people density in licensed premises. While accessible to police and the Corporation, Our Safer City delivers deeper quarterly insights to the Safer City Partnership, helping pinpoint true hotspots and guide resource deployment for maximum impact.
Growing our reach online
Our Safer City continues to ramp up its digital presence, building stronger connections with employers, partners and the wider community.
LinkedIn now with 1,200 followers. Follow us here: www.linkedin.com/company/our-safer-city
Our email newsletter has grown to 617 subscribers. Sign up here: https://oursafercity.org.uk/contact-us/
Visit our Free Training and Event Page for latest updates: https://oursafercity.org.uk/free-training/
What’s coming up
Look ahead to the Cross-sector Safety and Security Communications (CSSC) 2026 Charity Dinner on Thursday 27 August at 1 Lombard Street. Proceeds will primarily benefit Our Safer City, as the fight against VAWG and domestic abuse, alongside support for the City of London Police Charity for Children and CSSC itself. We’re keen to build an exciting auction and raffle – donations of prizes would be hugely appreciated. To reserve seats, email Irona Wilson at admin@thecssc.com.
Thanks to our key partners
Our Safer City simply wouldn’t achieve this impact without the unwavering support of the City of London Police, City of London Corporation, and the City BIDs. Sincere thanks also to the Worshipful Company of Security Professionals and our other partners listed on our website, for their continued backing.
