Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner has visited a Preston-based project to support women and girls in their communities.
Clive Grunshaw met with partners behind ‘Safe to Soar’ to hear first-hand how they are helping to reduce crime and support women and girls at risk in their communities.
The new project, backed by the Commissioner’s Community Safety Partnership Fund, equips vulnerable groups with practical personal safety skills and provides trauma-informed support.
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With the support of Hope Prevails Preston, Lancashire Women, Lancashire Police and The Foxton Centre, it delivers workshops and courses to help participants stay safe and manage risk.
Sessions include personal safety training, self-defence, and targeted support for young women and those experiencing issues such as homelessness, exploitation or trauma.
Following the visit, Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw said: “We know that fear of crime, particularly violence against women and girls, has a real impact on people’s lives. Projects like this are vital in helping people feel safer, more confident, and better equipped to protect themselves.
“By reinvesting money taken from criminals back into Lancashire, we are supporting initiatives that prevent harm before it happens and make a real difference locally.
“It’s been great to meet partners involved in this project today and to get a live demonstration of the work they deliver. Their passion is clear to see, and I am confident that this initiative will have a real and lasting impact on the women and girls they work with.
“Working with partners who understand their communities means we can deliver targeted and tailored activity to help keep people safe.”
The free project is expected to support up to 240 people in its first six months of operating.
