A Safe Essex Night Out

We’ve all been there. Our waking moments filled with dread as the disjointed flashbacks of the night before come flooding back. Unexplained cuts and bruises cover our body and every muscle throbs as though we’d run like Forrest Gump all night. With the pounding head and having to drink the equivalent of the Atlantic in fizzy drinks, we swear we will ‘never drink again’. Phoning our friends to try to piece together clues – who did we upset? How did we get home?

This makes for some great Monday morning anecdotes, and most of us have ‘forgotten’ how dreadful we felt in time to start all over again the following weekend. In most cases, and thankfully, not too much harm is done, and the more we fall into this cycle, the more gambles we take, not realising the potential risks we are putting ourselves in.

Approximately 85,000 women are raped on average, and 400,000 women are sexually assaulted in England and Wales alone, each year. 1 in 5 women aged 16-59 has experienced some form of sexual violence since the age of 16.

We all think it will never happen to us, until that day it does. We at Safe-Girl are committed to raising awareness and ensuring women’s safety on the streets. Please take just a few minutes to read our safety tips before you head out on your next big girls’ night out. It could save your life.

Take responsibility or yourself on a night out.

Know how you will get home – plan ahead, particularly if you’re going to a part of town you don’t know.

Eat before you go out and drink plenty of water. Drinking a glass of water or a soft drink between alcoholic drinks will help you not to get too drunk too quickly.

Carry a personal alarm with you – carrying a personal alarm wards off 97% of potential attacks. Yet only 3% of women currently carry them. Safe-Girl sell stylish, fashionable personal alarms to match any glamourous outfit.

Let someone know where you’re going and what time you expect to be back.

Ensure your mobile phone is charged and is in credit. Keep the money you need to get home separate, so that you don’t spend it.

Watch how much you drink. It is much easier to do something risky or foolish when you’re drunk; and you’re much more likely to lose your keys, cash or phone when you’ve had too much to drink.

Keep track of what you’re drinking, as well as how much. Drinks do get spiked with drugs, so do not leave your drink unattended or accept a drink from a stranger.

Always leave a club or pub with a friend or a group of friends.

If you use public transport to get home, sit near the driver on a bus, and in an occupied carriage on a train or the underground.

Pre-book a licensed taxi, or know the locations of official taxi ranks.　

Walking may not be the best option, but if you have to, do not walk home alone in the dark. Keep to well-lit, busy streets, main roads and footpaths. Avoid badly lit areas, parks, alleyways and underpasses.

We don’t want to ruin anyone’s fun, or sound like a nag, but staying safe will ensure plenty more happy ‘morning-afters’……

Safe-Girl have 3 of our gorgeous DUSK personal alarms to giveaway. To stand a chance of winning, just take a look at our website www.safe-girl.co.uk and tell us how many DBs are in the female scream in the DUSK alarm?

Email your answer to info@safe-girl.co.uk

Winners picked at random on Sunday 8th June 2014.