Permanent safe space to open in Reading town centre
The space will offer support and medical help
A Safe Space, the home of First Stop and Street Pastors, will be officially opened in Reading this week.
The initiative will allow residents and visitors to access medical assistance and on the spot help from a permanent place in the town centre.
Reading Safe Space is located at St Mary’s Church House on Chain Street. First Stop provides a vital service to those enjoying the town centre on Friday and Saturday nights, administering first aid supported by paramedics from the South Central Ambulance Service. It allows those in need of medical help to gain immediate access to the help they need through on the spot assessment and treatment. This additionally takes the pressure off of hard pressed A&E departments by reducing the number of visits required to Royal Berkshire Hospital.
Reading’s Street Pastors are a team of volunteers who patrol the town centre on Friday and Saturday nights to care for, listen to and help people who are out for the evening.
In addition to housing these services, Reading Safe Space will deliver a range of community safety related services including crime prevention advice and training, and resources and support for victims of crime. The space will be multi-functional, so it can be used for both night-time safety services and day-time training and events.
Karen Rowland, Lead Councillor for Environmental Services and Community Safety, said:
“I’m delighted to see Reading Safe Space open in the town centre as this is a vital element of our collective work in Reading around ensuring safety for women and girls in the night-time economy. It will give a vital permanent home to both First Stop and the Street Pastors, two crucial town centre services whose work is so greatly valued. We’re proud that this partnership approach is able to ensure both residents and visitors that they can feel safe here and have a safe place to turn to should they need it. Importantly, this also removes pressure on the NHS, saving trips to A&E by treating those in need of help on the spot.”
Sally Leonard, Reading Street Pastor Co-Ordinator, and Penny Meadley, Specialist Practice Manager for South Central Ambulance Service NHSFT, said:
“First Stop, Street Pastors and South Central Ambulance NHSFT are delighted to be moving in to the new Safe Space. We’re excited to have a permanent home for our services where we will have the space and facilities to help see and treat any patients who need our help on a Friday or Saturday night”.
The First Stop service was previously run on a temporary basis from Minster Church, and before that from a bus, so a permanent home provides many advantages. The new building is self contained and provides a much bigger space, will be better equipped, and allows the Council to deliver other safety services there alongside partners.