Game-changing new app launches to make sure Manchester is ‘a safe city for everyone’

A new free app aimed at ensuring Manchester is a safe city for everyone is set to launch, and it’s being described as “game-changing”.

In what has been dubbed “another positive step” in the city’s ongoing journey to making sure everyone is welcome and feels safe, following the of publishing a 10-year plan to protect women in 2021, and the launch of the Women’s Night Time Safety Charter in 2022, Manchester City Council has announced that the brand-new WalkSafe app will go live next week, and it’s going to be free to download.

WalkSafe is an initiative aimed at helping people make safe journeys, no matter the time of day. 

The app lets people pick known ‘safe routes’ through Manchester city centre, as well as allowing them to share their location with family or friends, and send an automatic alert out if a person fails to reach their intended destination. 

The Council says it’s “understandable” that in the years following the “tragic and avoidable” murders of both Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa, that a huge amount of focus has been placed on how cities can be made safe for people at night, and now, with the launching of WalkSafe, it’s hoped this will “help and empower” even more people to feel safe, no matter who they are or where they are going, day or night.

The launch of the app – which is the brainchild of Emma Kay, the daughter of a Metropolitan Police officer – will also work to promote venues and businesses that are making womens’ safety a priority too.

Councillor Joanna Midgley, who is the Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council said, the arrival of WalkSafe to Manchester is “a huge development” and one which she believes will “strengthen” the work the Council is doing around safety.

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“In an ideal world, anyone should be able to go where they want, when they want,” Cllr Midgely commented, “but until then, it is important we put measures in place to protect and empower our residents. 

“In the coming months, we will be working with partners across the city, as well as within our burgeoning nighttime and events sector, and our universities, to make sure that anyone has the tools to keep themselves safe.”

Read more:

• Council pledges to put women’s safety ‘at the heart’ of Manchester’s night time economy
• Greater Manchester publishes 10-year plan to protect women
• Wolf whistling and cat calling could be made illegal under new plans to tackle street harassment

WalkSafe will launch in Manchester on Wednesday 4 September, and you can find out more here and download it on the App Store and Google Play.

Featured Image – Manchester City Council