Special safety training for pubs and clubs

JADE Thirlwall’s South Shields bar has hosted vulnerability training in order to help keep people safe this winter.

- By OWEN YOUNGER

Staff from the popular venue Arbeia, which is owned by the pop star, were among the first to take part, alongside colleagues from nearby pubs, clubs and restaurants.

Northumbria Police’s Violence Reduction Unit delivered the training, with Police and Crime Commissioner Susan Dungworth also in attendance, as those working in the South Tyneside town were told how to spot risks and how to keep more people safe as a result.

The practical sessions give bar staff, door supervisors and club managers the skills to recognise signs of vulnerability, assess risk and step in to support someone when they are needed most. This marks the start of a programme of activity from the Violence Reduction Unit over the winter months, in a coordinated effort to raise awareness, prevent violence and build safer, stronger communities.

The planned activity includes:

Taxi marshals, extra visible patrols and youth diversionary activities funded through the Seasonal Violence Fund, ensuring resources are directed where they are needed most.

Online awareness sessions on topics including knife crime, joint enterprise, gangs and youth violence, and hidden harms - building a growing network of nearly 300 Violence Prevention Ambassadors, one year on from the programme's launch.