Female pupils at Warsop school shown how to use safety app

The pupils at Meden School learned about the free-to-download Hollie Guard personal safety app which helps track users and can be discreetly activated to record evidence of real-time events, if a user feels threatened.

Of the 24 students who attended the presentation,18 signed up for the app after the session.

The educational workshop was part of a £300,000 Safer Streets campaign in the Warsop area delivered in partnership with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner in Nottinghamshire, Mansfield Council, Nottinghamshire Police and other support agencies in the area, which is focusing on making women and girls feel safer.

The campaign is also funding a year’s free access to Hollie Guard Extra, an enhanced paid-for version of the free app. The Extra version gives users 24/7 access to a professional police-approved monitoring team who can send help if required.

Of 200 free subscriptions available to residents in the Warsop area, nearly half have been claimed. The rest are available on a first-come, first-served basis by emailing [email protected]

Caroline Henry, Nottinghamshire police and crime commissioner, said: “Through Safer Streets, we have delivered a range of projects to make women and girls feel safer in Warsop, including Safe Spaces in shops and new CCTV cameras in public spaces.

“We are always looking for innovative ways to do more to make people feel even safer.

“By making young people aware of the Hollie Guard app and offering free subscriptions we are trying to do everything we can to support local people – while showing perpetrators that there is zero tolerance for violence against women and girls in Warsop.”

Coun Angie Jackson, Mansfield Council portfolio holder for wellbeing, health and safer communities, said: “We hope this gives people, and particularly women and girls who feel vulnerable or at risk in Warsop, more confidence to get out and about with peace of mind that help is at their fingertips.

“All the Safer Streets measures, we hope, will lead to an improved quality of life for everyone in Warsop.”

As well as the Hollie Guard app, the students also learned about other improvements being made in Warsop to make it safer, including:

• New CCTV cameras which are being installed in Carr Lane Park, Clumber Street, Sherwood Street, Coral Crescent, The Carrs;

• Improved street lighting planned at the The Carrs, Sherwood Street and Clumber Street;

• Youth engagement activities and outreach sessions being run with youth engagement organisation Switch Up at Carr Lane Park and other locations;

• One-to-one mentoring sessions being held with secondary school pupils;

• Healthy relationship lessons being run in schools;

• Businesses in Warsop offering a Safe Space for anyone who feels worried, at risk or in danger. So far Jins Chinese, The Plough Inn, Greetings, Cedars veterinary practice, Warsop Library and Vibrant Warsop are offering Safe Spaces. More will be added in the coming year.