Deputy Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Marianne Kimani has joined Northampton’s largest employer for an early morning Halloween-themed women’s safety walk.
Marianne was invited by convenience food manufacturer Greencore to take part in their Reclaim the Night walk to understand the experience of their shift workers who travel to work during the dark.
Marianne, accompanied by Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) Laura Harmer and Philip Matthews from Northampton Neighbourhood Policing Team, and Greencore staff, walked from one Greencore site in Deer Park Road to their other premises in Summerhouse Place.
During the walk, the PCSOs spoke with staff about personal safety, crime prevention and reporting concerns, while also identifying any environmental issues that could affect how safe people feel when travelling to and from work during the hours of darkness.
As Greencore’s business operates 24/7, the site team wanted to help their night shift colleagues feel more confident about walking to and from work while reviewing environmental security in the area
The walk was inspired after Greencore signed up to the Northamptonshire Women’s Charter campaign this year and took part in the Women’s Charter Survey.
The Women’s Charter is the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone’s call to action for organisations to show they are committed to making their female staff feel safe, taking reporting seriously and creating respectful environments where women thrive.
Since the campaign was launched, it has seen members grow to 128 signatories.
Marianne said: “Greencore, who employs 2,700 people across the county, has been so engaged with the Northamptonshire Women’s Charter since they signed up in May.
“Since then, leaders have asked our office along to their summer party to engage with staff where they surveyed their employees to understand changes women want to see where they work.
“Now, they’ve hosted the women’s walk, which is another way of empowering their colleagues and recognising and responding to how their people might feel while travelling to work.”
PCSO Laura Harmer, said: “Women’s safety is a priority for neighbourhood policing teams, and it was really valuable to hear directly from Greencore staff about their experiences and any concerns they may have. By working together with employers and our communities, we can help identify opportunities to make people feel safer and more confident.”
PCSO Philip Mathews, added: “Events like this give us the opportunity to engage with people who may not otherwise come into contact with the police and to listen to what matters to them. It’s important that we continue to build those relationships and work with partners to address any issues raised.”
A Greencore spokesperson said: “We’re proud to be a major employer in Northampton and the wellbeing of our colleagues is incredibly important to us.
“With the days getting shorter, Reclaim the Night is a great way to bring people together, raise awareness and help our colleagues feel safer and more confident on their journeys to and from work.”
