'Get Home Safe' campaign to help make Wolverhampton nights out safer

Launched in September 2019, the Get Home Safe campaign was originally aimed at the 4,500 new university students arriving in the city every year, but has now been rolled out to assist all members of the public.

It initially sought to give clear guidance to students on how to travel safely using licensed vehicles, how to differentiate between taxis and private hire vehicles and the importance of always pre-booking private hire vehicles.

Wolverhampton Council’s compliance service lead Glen Moseley told a meeting of the regulatory committee today (Wednesday): “In 2019 Licensing Services attended freshers’ fairs at all University of Wolverhampton campuses in Wolverhampton, Walsall and Telford to promote the Get Home Safe campaign by talking to students and handing out promotional material, such as mugs, pens, beer mats, keyrings and spikeys.

“Over the intervening years this has expanded to the public at large with Get Home Safe for Christmas and Travel Safe.

“The message was also advertised via targeted social media such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as distributing flyers and information leaflets in pubs and clubs across the city and on electronic billboards around the city.

“The taxi licensing council webpage was also updated with the Get Home Safe message and other important safety tips,” he added.

The target audience was later expanded to the public, with successful campaigns such as Get Home Safe at Christmas promoting the safety message online and at a promotional event in the Mander Centre.

“Despite the pandemic and the subsequent postponement of freshers’ fairs, we have continued to promote the Get Home Safe message to all new students enrolling at the university each September, with campaign material going out in student welcome packs and in pubs and clubs across the city,” said Mr Moseley.

The campaign has a budget of £2,000 for promotional material and resource implications for officer time, which is funded from within existing budgets.

Committee members heard that the outpouring of grief and public anger over the recent tragic murder of Sarah Everard showed it was clear that far too many women still felt vulnerable and unsafe in society, making the campaign more relevant than ever.