People who find themselves vulnerable on nights out in the Village will now be able to get support in a night time safe haven which launches this weekend (20th October).

The Village Haven, run by Manchester’s LGBT Foundation, will provide assistance to people who are not able to keep themselves safe and are therefore more likely to be the victim of a crime. This may include people who have drunk a little more than they can handle, or who are lost and not quite sure about how they are going to get home.

The centre will operate every Friday and Saturday night between 11pm and 5am from a base at the “The Beacon” on Bloom Street, thanks to the kind support of local charity Barnabus. The launch follows a successful pilot in the summer of 2016 which resulted in an additional 3 years funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner to extend the programme and set up the new base. The Bloom Street centre will be officially launched by the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police Ian Hopkins.

Commenting on the launch of the Village Haven, Jessica White, Project Co-ordinator for Community Safety at LGBT Foundation, said:

“The main aim of the Haven is to look after people who might not be able to get themselves home safely without coming to harm. This often involves helping people to sober up or arranging for people who aren’t sure how to get home to be collected by friends or relatives. The response to the Haven has been extremely positive from the start. Since the initial pilot, it has received the support of local businesses in the Village who help the Haven volunteers to keep people safe by donating vital resources such as water and first aid equipment.”