Safeguarding street patrol appeals for volunteers

Northampton Guardians helps vulnerable people get home after nights out

A charity that helps people get home after nights out is appealing for more volunteers to help support its work.

Since its inception in 2021, the Northampton Guardians have been patrolling the town at the weekend, supported by the Safer Nights Out (SNO) initiative.

The group, which has about 15 volunteers, was established following the murder of India Chipchase, 20, in 2016.

Gill Goodship, a trustee of the Northampton Guardians, said there was "always" a need for more people to support its work.

Volunteers typically operate from SNO vans based in the town on shift from about 22:00 until 05:00.

The crew offer a safe space, check on people's wellbeing, walk them to a taxi rank and charge their phone.

The SNO vans was launched by the county's police, fire and crime commissioner in 2021, in partnership with West Northamptonshire Council.

Ms Goodship said a recent focus of the group had been to support new students arriving at the University of Northampton.

"We also go to [university] open days when prospective students come to have a look around and speak to them and their parents [about staying safe on nights out]."

She also revealed that on Saturday two of the group's volunteers had helped a "quite intoxicated" woman get home safely after stopping her from getting into a car with "four unknown males".

Ms Goodship described the incident as "scary" and said that while "we don't know [whether the men] had bad intentions... she wasn't sober".

"The history of why we're there comes to out mind in those sorts of situations."