MORE VENUES PLEDGE TO ELIMINATE SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN NEWCASTLE NIGHTLIFE AHEAD OF FRESHERS' WEEK
Nearly 40 venues, promoters and collectives have been certified by the scheme so far this year
As Freshers’ Week approaches in Newcastle, nearly 40 venues are now Shout-Up! Certified - the largest number to have participated in the scheme to date.
A total of 39 organisations across Newcastle are currently Shout-Up! certified, with nearly 800 nighttime workers now Shout-Up! trained.
The Shout-Up! scheme works with venues and promoters to provide comprehensive training and support, ensuring that staff are able to identify and address sexual harassment.
The news comes ahead of Newcastle’s two universities welcoming freshers for the start of the academic year later this month. 7,000 maps showing all the Shout-Up! venues in the city have been given to freshers arriving at Newcastle and Northumbria universities.
So far in 2022, 36 venues and four promoters have all gone through the Shout-Up! training.
Backed by Newcastle City Council, Shout-Up! seeks to upskill those working in the nighttime economy so they can identify sexual harassment and intervene safely.
As part of Shout-Up!, which started in Newcastle in 2017, certified venues must:
have all staff complete Bystander Intervention Training
write and share sexual harassment policies protecting staff and patrons
have a publicly available procedure for dealing with incidents of sexual harassment
commit to making their venue a sexual harassment-free zone
display visible signage explaining their participation in the scheme and what patrons can expect to happen in the event of sexual harassment
commit to undertake six-monthly reviews on policies, procedures and training in order to retain certification
The programme is proving so impactful that it has expanded outside of the region, with a scheme now running in Northamptonshire and more locations planned for 2023.
Cllr Lesley Storey, Newcastle City Council Cabinet Member for Vibrant City, said: “It’s fantastic to see more bars and pubs supporting the Shout-Up! campaign, with hundreds of staff across the city now trained to recognise the signs of sexual harassment so they can intervene in a safe manner.
“The campaign has been very successful since its launch in 2017 and having more venues onboard reinforces our message that we will not tolerate anyone being left feeling uncomfortable, frightened or threatened by this type of behaviour.
“Newcastle is a city renowned for its brilliant nightlife and we want to keep it that way so we will continue working closely with partners and listen to our communities to ensure everyone can enjoy their nights out safely.”