NEW collaborative project between Thames Valley Police, HWBIDCo, All Saints Church & Street Angels, launches this weekend, providing a dedicated ‘safe space’ initiative, operating alongside High Wycombe’s nighttime economy…
With the welcome return of High Wycombe’s popular weekend bar & club scene, a NEW ‘Community Hub’ facility is being launched within the town centre, offering a safe & welcoming place for those seeking respite & sanctuary during their evening. Launching this Friday 24th September, ‘Wycombe Sanctuary’ – based in All Saint’s Church – will be opening its doors from 10pm – 2am and promises ‘recovery, respite & refreshment’ for all those in need.
The joint initiative between town centre organisations including Wycombe Homeless Connection, HWBIDCo, Thames Valley Police, High Wycombe Street Angels & All Saint’s Church, has been developed as a means of implementing support for the town’s nighttime economy, as well as ensuring the safety of visitors to High Wycombe each weekend.
Stephen Bobbett, from Thames Valley Police, believes ‘Wycombe Sanctuary’ will be of huge benefit in ensuring High Wycombe is safer destination, “We are delighted to be working as part of the new safety ‘Hub’ and are confident it will represent a place of safety for some of our most vulnerable people, offering warmth, support and a friendly welcome to all those in need.”
Staffed each weekend by a team of caring volunteers, Gareth Morley, a curate at All Saint’s Church commented,“This is a vitally important project which will help those in need of extra support or anyone feeling vulnerable whilst out in the town centre. We have a great team in place to engage with visitors but welcoming more volunteers to assist on weekend evenings is also crucial to ensure longevity of the project.”
Chief Executive of HWBIDCo, Melanie Williams, recognises it will be an important addition to the town’s weekend offer, “Development of ‘Wycombe Sanctuary’ has been in the pipeline for a while, and it’s wonderful to be able to support licensed premises in the town with this venture, the night time economy is in need of a boost and ensuring that visitors to the town centre feel safe is absolutely imperative.”
Following its launch, ‘Wycombe Sanctuary’ will open every Friday between 10pm and 2am with a view to increasing opening hours to include Saturdays in due course.