App helps people make safe journeys on foot in the town.
- WalkSafe app launches in Huddersfield
- Huddersfield Town and West Yorkshire Police work with award-winning app
- App designed to make journeys on foot safer in our area
Huddersfield Town has joined forces with West Yorkshire Police and the WalkSafe app to help people make safe journeys on foot in Huddersfield, at any time of day or night.
WalkSafe is a free app for your phone that gives users the power to be in control of their own safety. The app allows you to pick safer routes home, and also share them with family and friends so they can monitor your safe arrival. It will even send automatic alerts if the user fails to reach their destination.
Founded in 2020 by Emma Kay, WalkSafe continues to grow with one goal in mind: to make the world a safer place. Emma was driven to create WalkSafe due to her personal experiences of being subject to catcalling, following, groping, and flashing – events that occur regularly to many women across the world.
As an adult, Emma volunteered at a community centre for people in crisis and saw first-hand the experiences women had, specifically their fear of the streets at night, confirming her fear that personal safety is an issue that affects everyone.
Emma’s career in childcare highlighted the importance of educating young girls and boys about issues like consent, gender bias and the importance of preventative actions. She built WalkSafe as she believes technology, combined with vision, can genuinely save lives.
West Yorkshire Police have also contributed significantly to today’s launch of the WalkSafe app in Huddersfield by identifying over 240 Safe Zones in Huddersfield town centre. A Safe Zone is somewhere you can go to get help if something happens that makes you feel scared and in fear of something or someone. There, you can contact a friend, a family member, or the Police if you are feeling unsafe. WalkSafe have started mapping these Safe Zones as icons on their award-winning safety map, which tell you all about each venue and their safety.
You can download the WalkSafe app for free now by clicking HERE for the App Store or HERE for Google Play!
Huddersfield Town’s Head of Supporter Experience Robyn Kennerdale explained:
“We’re delighted to have played a part in the launch of the WalkSafe app across Huddersfield. This app will help people – particularly women and girls – feel more safe and secure when walking around our town.
“The importance of female safety was a subject brought to us through conversations with our Women’s + Network, so it was a natural fit to get involved with the launch of the app in Huddersfield alongside the amazing team at WalkSafe and West Yorkshire Police.
“Everyone can use the app, but it’s particularly pertinent that it is launching in Huddersfield during Violence Against Women and Girls Week, and as we build up to our ‘Terriers Together’ game against West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. So many women have experienced the same harassment that prompted Emma to create this brilliant app, and we know from their experience in other towns and cities that this will help reduce this unacceptable behaviour.”
Emma Kay, founder of WalkSafe said:
“We at WalkSafe are delighted to be a part of this important Huddersfield Town safety initiative posting Huddersfield’s safe zone premises on our map. WalkSafe is the most downloaded UK personal safety app and our award-winning safety map is already showing safe spaces in over 25 towns and cities. Users of our free WalkSafe+ app can also highlight poorly-lit streets on the Safety Map in addition to using our HomeSafe and Journey Sharing features.”
DCI Lee Fletcher of Kirklees District Police, added:
“We’ve been delighted that our Kirklees Crime Reduction Officers have had the opportunity to work with Huddersfield Town and Walk Safe to launch a Kirklees version of this app.
“This is part of our ongoing work to keep women and girls safe and an opportunity to promote the Kirklees Safe Zones. There are now over 240 across Kirklees and this number continues to grow as new members join the scheme.
“A Safe Zone is somewhere where you can go to get help if something happens that makes you feel scared or in fear of someone or something and are identified by the Safe Zone logo where are those that have received training and or in receipt of our informational newsletters.
“WalkSafe will help women and girls better plan safer journeys and share their routes with others, providing both them and friends and relatives with extra reassurance.
“We’ve been pleased to provide the information necessary to link the App with some of our existing Safe Zones in Huddersfield town and hope that there will be further opportunity to cover further areas of Kirklees.”
