Blackpool is first in country to launch Green Dot safety campaign urging people not to look the other way when they see bad behaviour

Chris, who is an operations manager at Dirty Blondes in Back Church Street, said: “On a Friday or Saturday night when it’s busy, we’re always looking to make sure of general customer safety whether it’s males or females.

“Sometimes if you see something, it’s just about going to the table and clearing the glasses and saying are you ok?”

Chris and his colleague Mollie Hickes were among those attending the launch of Blackpool Council’s Green Dot campaign, designed to promote exactly that type of small intervention which can make a big difference to someone’s safety.

They hope to be among the first to take up Green Dot training, which originates in America and focuses on breaking down the barriers that individuals feel may prevent them from intervening.

Julie Holland, of Blackpool Council’s commissioning team, is one of 20 trainers set to spread the philosophy throughout Blackpool which is the first local authority in the country to officially adopt the scheme.

The ambition is to deliver the training in schools and colleges as well as to door staff, bar staff and taxi drivers around the town.

Julie said: “Any instance of abuse or harassment is a red dot and the aim is to replace it with a green dot which represents a safe intervention.

“It’s about giving people the confidence to recognise a situation and to know they can defuse the situation instead of looking away.

“You might do that by distraction. For example if you see an argument breaking out on a train station platform, you could go up to them and ask to check which platform your train is leaving from.

“Or if you don’t feel confident about getting involved, you might delegate it by speaking to a member of staff.

“It’s not about people stepping into situations where they might be at risk, but giving them the tools so they can defuse a situation.

“And it’s about changing societal norms so people don’t think it’s alright to be shouting and screaming in the street.”

Mollie and Chris at Dirty Blondes hope all their staff will eventually undertake the training.

Mollie said: “Our team is already very good at stepping in and I think everyone working together in the town to stop harassment will create a vibe that it’s not ok to act like that.”

What is Green Dot?

The initiative is part of the #ItStopsHere campaign, which is an ongoing national movement to help create a safer environment for women.

Using a community responsibility approach, the violence prevention strategy depends on the power of bystanders or witnesses to prevent violence and shift social and cultural norms.

The training provides people with the knowledge, skills and confidence to help and prevent an event also known as green dots.

A green dot is pulling a friend out of a high-risk situation, for example by making sure they get a taxi home safely at the end of a night out.

In Blackpool, 20 individuals from various organisations including Blackpool Council, the police, and Fylde Coast Women’s Aid (FCWA) have already received training with plans to roll this out this out to any members of the community.

The programme was created by Alteristic, a US non-profit consultancy, and launched in 2006 at the University of Kentucky.

Why is the council adopting the programme?

Coun Jo Farrell, cabinet member for community health and wellbeing, said: “There is still a lot of harassment of young women especially in the night time economy.

“Men are still cat calling, and one of the things we want to do is make men more aware of how that makes a woman feel.”

She added: “We want the programme to be as far reaching as possible with a shared ambition across the town to make real change for Blackpool which is why we’re urging people to register for training.

“The training will help people to understand the importance of intervening to help prevent violence and will explore the barriers they might face in intervening in incidents.

“Using a community responsibility approach, we will be better equipped to not only handle, but also effectively intervene and prevent red dots from happening.”

Council leader Coun Lynn Williams added: “We are very proud to be the first local authority in the UK to launch the Green Dot programme.

“We are working towards creating a Blackpool that is intolerant of abuse and an environment that is safe for all. Blackpool can and will be a safe place for women, children and families, residents and visitors alike.

“Green Dot will have a lifelong impact to sustain behaviour change, helping to reduce rates of violence and mobilise and empower members of our community.

“With more green dots than red dots, Blackpool will be a safer more inclusive environment for everybody.”

How can you get involved?

To find out more about the training programme, email [email protected]