Southwark Council Unveils Women's Safety Alliance Center to Combat Rising Harassment
Southwark has launched a new dedicated center to provide specialized support for individuals who have experienced abuse or harassment, particularly women facing increasing incidents in public spaces. The Women's Safety Alliance (WSA) replaces and expands the borough's previous Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) service, offering assistance for domestic abuse, stalking, harassment, forced marriage, and sexual exploitation. This service is available to all Southwark residents, including men and boys, marking a significant step in community safety efforts.
A Comprehensive Hub for Support and Recovery
The WSA operates from a purpose-built center designed exclusively for those in need, integrating multiple services under one roof to eliminate the need for victims to navigate multiple agencies. Services include legal advice, housing support, therapeutic counseling, and substance misuse assistance. The center features safe consultation rooms for private appointments, safeguarding assessments, and one-to-one support, ensuring a trauma-informed approach tailored to individual needs.
Cllr Natasha Ennin, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Neighbourhoods, emphasized the transformative nature of the service. "Anybody who needs to access the service won't be bounced around having to repeat the same information," she stated. "It's a trauma-informed service where from the start of the journey, it's needs-led and specific to that individual." She highlighted that this approach addresses the frustration of victims having to recount their experiences repeatedly across different organizations.
Addressing a Growing Crisis with Community Collaboration
The launch of the WSA comes in response to data from Southwark's annual Women and Girls' Safety Survey, which indicated a rise in public space crimes affecting women across the borough. Cllr Ennin explained that the council aimed to create a dedicated service for those at risk or affected by harassment, sexual violence, coercion, intimidation, and online harms. "WSA recognizes that women alone can't be responsible for tackling Violence Against Women and Girls," she noted. "It's something that we all have to work on."
Southwark Council is collaborating with local organizations such as Southwark Law Centre, Citizens Advice Southwark, Lives Not Knives, and 1st Place Children and Parents' Centre to deliver the service. This partnership underscores a community-wide effort to enhance safety and support. The council's Stand With Her campaign continues to promote male allyship, encouraging men to speak out against sexual harassment and online harms.
National Context and Future Impact
The introduction of the WSA is timely, as national data reveals increasing demand for specialist support services. According to a recent Office for National Statistics survey, an estimated 3.8 million people aged 16 and over experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2025. Kaya Comer-Schwartz, Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, praised the WSA as an important new service that simplifies access to tailored support for victims and survivors. "The Mayor and I continue to prioritize preventing and reducing VAWG in London," she said, "and I look forward to seeing the success of Southwark’s service as we build a safer London for everyone."
In addition to immediate support, the WSA center offers community engagement spaces for workshops, confidence-building sessions, and skills development, fostering long-term recovery and empowerment. The service can be reached by phone at 020 7232 0860 or via email at wsa@bedehouse.org, with all conversations kept confidential. Individuals in immediate danger are advised to call 999.
