Southend Night Time Safety Charter

A Commitment to Safer, Inclusive, Supported Nights

What is the Night Time Safety Charter

The Southend Night Time Safety Charter is a voluntary pledge that brings together businesses, venues, and organisations across Southend’s evening and night-time economy.

Inspired by successful initiatives in cities like London and Manchester, this charter reflects Southend’s unique character and addresses the challenges of a vibrant coastal city with seasonal tourism and diverse community priorities.

Pledge

We believe everyone deserves to enjoy a night out free from harassment, fear, or violence. We commit to taking practical steps to promote safety, foster a culture of respect and inclusion, and demonstrate that Southend-on-Sea stands united against violence.

Who Is It For?

The Night Time Safety Charter is open to evening and night time economy businesses and organisations including:

Bars, pubs, clubs, and restaurants

Cultural venues and late-night retailers

Transport providers and security teams

Event organisers and community groups

By signing the charter, participants publicly commit to upholding high standards of safety, customer care, and staff wellbeing.

Eight Commitments for Safer Nights

All charter venues agree to uphold the following commitments:

Lead with accountability - Senior staff champion safety and set clear expectations for their teams.
Design safe spaces - Venues create environments that reduce risk and support wellbeing.
Train and empower staff - Teams receive regular training to identify, prevent, and respond to harm.
Zero tolerance to harassment - Harassment, discrimination, and violence are not tolerated in any form.
Support reporting - Venues encourage and assist customers and staff to report concerns safely.
Work together - Businesses collaborate with partners, police, and support services.
Champion inclusion - Venues promote a welcoming environment for all communities.
Be transparent - Venues communicate openly about their safety measures and improvements.

Becoming a Charter Venue or Organisation

Venues can join the charter by completing a short self assessment form to identify what actions they need to take. Once the required steps are completed and the form is submitted, the venue will be listed publicly as a Southend Safety Charter Venue.

To maintain standards, random spot checks will be carried out throughout the year by the Evening and Night Time Economy Group (ENTEG).

Self Assessment Form

Return your completed self assessment form to: info@southendnights.co.uk