Five leisure centres across Kingston borough have become Safe Havens to offer support to anyone experiencing intimidation or harassment.

Places Leisure's Malden Centre, Tolworth Recreation Centre, Weir Archer Athletics and Fitness Centre, Albany Outdoors and Chessington Sports Centre became part of the Safe Haven scheme from Monday, 10 August.

The initiative is being introduced by Kingston Council in partnership with Safer Business Network, which supports organisations across the UK to tackle crime, violence and antisocial behaviour.

It is also being supported by Places Leisure who are an agent for Kingston Council and operate the five leisure facilities.

Safe Havens are premises such as shops, cafes, pubs, libraries or leisure centres which provide a temporary place of safety for anyone who needs it.

Staff will receive practical training to ensure they can offer effective support to those feeling intimidated, harassed, or just in need of some help.

As part of the Safe Havens project, Kingston Council has partnered with imabi's Travel Guardian app, which features an interactive map of Safe Haven locations across Kingston, helping residents quickly find a place of safety when needed.

The support offered at Safe Havens can range from help to call emergency services, family or a trusted person, use of internet, phone or charging facilities, to something as simple as providing water to drink, access to toilet facilities, ordering a taxi home, or sharing information on specialist support services.

Having assurance that there is easy and safe access to basic support in designated places could make a huge difference to someone in a vulnerable situation.

Safe Havens are particularly important in improving safety for women and girls in the borough, particularly those who may have experienced abuse or find themselves in high risk situations.

Councillor Sabah Hamed, Kingston Council's Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Health, said: "We welcome the introduction of the Safe Havens to Kingston, bringing us closer to achieving the objectives set in our Kingston's Ending Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy 2025-2030.

"There's already a range of support in our borough, including a Safety Zone and patrols by Kingston Street Pastors, Kingston Women's Hub, Kingston One Stop Shop and the Willow Centre specialist Violence Against Women and Girls and Domestic Abuse service.

"Safe Havens will further enrich local support and help make Kingston safer for all."

Mark Balaam, CEO and Founder of imabi added: "Kingston's new Safe Havens scheme is a strong example of practical community safety in action, bringing local venues together to provide visible, immediate support to anyone who may feel unsafe or vulnerable.

"We are delighted to support the scheme by mapping participating Safe Havens within Travel Guardian, making trusted local support easier for residents and visitors to find when they need it."

Kingston has been named as one of the safest boroughs in London, and the council says it is "committed to working with partners and communities to make it even fairer and safer for everyone".

Any business with suitable premises can register to become a recognised Safe Haven site by completing this form.

If you or someone you know has experienced abuse or violence, find information free, confidential support services available in the borough.

You can find Safe Havens' locations in Kingston on the council's website as well as on the imabi app.

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