Women and girls feel safer on their daily commute thanks to free safety tools and advice
Women commuting to work on Northampton’s Brackmills Industrial Estate are feeling safer, thanks to a powerful new initiative tackling personal security.
Brackmills Business Improvement District (BID) has teamed up with Northamptonshire Police to deliver targeted safety patrols, expert advice, and free personal security alarms ensuring those walking or cycling to work feel protected.
Aligned with Northamptonshire Police’s priority to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), the initiative is led by Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Paul Hurst, who is funded by Brackmills BID. As part of the campaign, Paul operates patrols on key routes across the estate, engaging commuters to provide personal safety advice and distribute Defender Slimline Personal Attack Alarms, also paid for by the BID.
Creating a sense of community
We are all about getting to know our neighbours and we enjoy contributing to the estate being a great place to be; whether it’s through well-being groups and bootcamps for mental and physical fitness, planting oak trees in the Brackmills Park, encouraging and rewarding car share to reduce our carbon footprint and traffic on the estate, or offering mutually beneficial spaces for meetings and events.
With the wide variety of businesses, big and small on the estate, we also think there is a great opportunity to open our doors to get to know more about what we all do – for example, we would happily welcome our neighbours to come and immerse themselves in our iguverse – an innovative virtual reality tool that demonstrates the new, fascinating possibilities in product development and prototype production.
Paul says:
We want all employees on Brackmills to feel safe. My targeted patrols enable me to provide practical support, reassurance, and safety tools to those who needed them. The BID’s funding of my role and these safety devices makes a real difference, allowing me to dedicate time to walking the beat and engaging directly with employees
In addition to the alarms which emit a high-pitched sound to deter potential attackers and include a built-in torch for added visibility, the BID has also funded and distributed 40 sets of cycle lights to improve safety for cyclists. The safety and wellbeing of everyone working on the estate is a top priority for the Brackmills BID Team. In 2024 they introduced state-of-the-art mobile and static ANPR CCTV cameras, linked to the police, which are proving invaluable in helping to detect, deter, and disrupt crime. Sara Homer, Chief Executive of Brackmills BID, added: “This personal safety campaign is the latest in a list of crime prevention measures that combine to ensure Brackmills remains a safe and welcoming place for businesses and employees. We are proud to support this important initiative and will continue to work closely with Northamptonshire Police as part of delivering our vision of being the premier business and logistics park in the country.” The campaign is already receiving positive feedback from employees who appreciate the increased police presence and hands-on approach to safety. Looking ahead, Paul will continue patrols and support further crime prevention initiatives, including a targeted traffic operation with Northamptonshire Police. To read the full story and our latest Annual Report
