Huge Reclaim the Night event coming to Huddersfield - how to get involved

-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


The ongoing battle for safer public spaces for women and girls after dark will come to Greenhead Park in Huddersfield later this month.

Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin will be hosting a free event on Sunday, October 27, aimed at "empowering women and girls to stand up for safer public spaces after dark".

Everyone is invited to Greenhead Park to hear from guest speakers and to call for an end to violence against women and girls and find out more about the many community services available at a range of stalls.

READ MORE: Date you’ll get extra hour in bed as clocks go back for autumn

The ‘Reclaim the Night’ event will run from 2pm to 5pm and has been organised to coincide with the clocks going back as women can feel particularly vulnerable at this time of the year.

Pictured, from left, are Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin, former Lord Mayor of Leeds Al Garthwaite and West Yorkshire's Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Alison Lowe -Credit:West Yorkshire Combined Authority
Pictured, from left, are Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin, former Lord Mayor of Leeds Al Garthwaite and West Yorkshire's Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Alison Lowe -Credit:West Yorkshire Combined Authority

Mayor Brabin said: "I want West Yorkshire to be a safer, fairer place for all our women and girls. It is unacceptable that so many of them are forced into changing their normal routines as the nights become longer.

"With this in mind, I would welcome everyone to join us for what promises to be an empowering, uplifting and inclusive event where we can all renew our commitments to building a future free from violence against women and girls."

The event has been organised in collaboration with Al Garthwaite, last year’s Lord Mayor of Leeds, who played a pivotal role in the first Reclaim the Night marches in the city back in 1977. Al Garthwaite said: "It's nearly 50 years since we first took to the streets to Reclaim The Night for women and girls, asserting our right to go out without fear.

"The need sadly remains today, so I really welcome Mayor Brabin's event at Greenhead Park, where once more I shall be striding out to Reclaim The Night."

Alison Lowe, West Yorkshire’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, said: "We continue our vital work with West Yorkshire Police to ensure robust measures are in place for the safety of all women and girls. At the same time we are looking closely at the barriers stopping them from feeling safe when out in public, especially at night, and what we can do to overcome them.

"These are not issues we can address on our own, which is why this event is the perfect opportunity to bring partners and members of the public together as we strive for long-term change across West Yorkshire."

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