Partners, organisations and businesses have come together with a common goal, to give the city’s young people a place to go where they feel welcome, have access to safe adults and can get support.
Safe Place is a city centre base in the Arches offering free food and drink and activities, but the main goal is for young people to have a place to call their own. It was the result of a joint effort from Worcester BID, Worcester City Council, Worcestershire County Council, West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner, Catch 22 and local businesses.
The new scheme, started at the beginning of the summer holidays when young people are away from school and are at higher risk of harm, exploitation or becoming involved with anti-social behaviour.
In a joint statement partners said: “We knew groups of young people were being identified by police and also highlighted in the media for anti-social behaviour in the city and that this was causing problems for businesses and visitors, but we also know that this behaviour is often a symptom of something bigger. When we spoke to young people in Worcester a lot of them said that they simply wanted a place where they could go, where they didn’t have to pay, weren’t at risk of being told to leave, and felt like they belonged.
“This to us didn’t seem like too much to ask, and thanks to a muti-agency approach with partners, Safe Place was born! When we first started this work, we were engaging with young people facing a range of challenges, many of which reflect wider issues being experienced in communities across the country. Some were disconnected from positive opportunities, while others lacked trusted adults they could turn to. Through Safe Place, we have been able to provide support, stability and a sense of belonging.
“In August we were able to put on a scavenger hunt where young people had to go around different historical landmarks in Worcester, after some of them had told us they didn’t know what the Guildhall was, watching them do this activity with joy and dedication was just incredible.
“Throughout we have witnessed real transformation, including young people interacting positively with staff, helping clean and take care of Safe Place, challenging their peers when behaviour was inappropriate, and apologising after incidents.
“On one occasion we were expecting a group to visit Safe Place, but they didn’t attend. We found them in the city drinking alcohol, after a conversation, they decided to dispose of it and come to Safe Place where they engaged with the activities, which was just fantastic. We couldn’t be prouder of what has been achieved, and we want to highlight that with the right provision and approach our young people can be empowered to make different choices.”
Around 30 to 50 young people are consistently attending Safe Place and partners and businesses are already noticing a big difference in anti-social behaviour in the city. This is further proved by data gathered by patrol officers that show on a day when Safe Place was not operating, three reports were made to police regarding anti-social behaviour.
The project has created opportunities for young people to build trusted relationships with adults, access support, share concerns and participate in positive activities. It has also strengthened the collective response of partners working across the city centre.