Dorset: Safe Space service for vulnerable people in Weymouth loses funding

The council funded service was run by Weymouth Street Pastors at the town's St Mary's Church

Funding for a night time service for vulnerable people has been paused for January and February.

The Safe Space project in Weymouth, funded by Dorset Council, aimed to give people a safe place to go when they were in need of help or unable to get back to their accommodation in the evening.

The authority said it hoped to re-establish the service towards Easter.

The Chesil Local Alliance Group said it could plug the £3,000 shortfall.

Chairperson Sue Dafter said the project would be eligible to apply for money from its Inclusion Funding budget, which was set aside for community groups.

She called the loss of the service "devastating to the young people of Weymouth" and said she felt it was a "very fitting cause".

The street pastors patrol Weymouth on Friday and Saturday nights, offering help and handing out bottled water and flip flops

The service was run by Weymouth Street Pastors at the town's St Mary's Church.

In a post on social media the street pastors said: "We were informed shortly before Christmas that there was no further funding for Safe Space for January and February 2024, but we remain hopeful that Safe Space will return before the Spring."

They added that their teams of Street Pastors will still be covering Friday and Saturday nights in the town centre.

The Safe Space service provided support for people coping with things like physical injury or illness, alcohol or drug misuse and emotional distress.

It also gave support to victims of alleged crimes and people separated from their friends.

A spokesperson from Dorset Council said: "The funding has not been cut.

"We have to be prudent with the funding to make sure it is spent wisely, so this is something that happens annually when the night time economy in Weymouth slows down between January and March.

"We're committed to supporting the Safe Space for as long as the external funding allows, and we anticipate re-establishing the service towards Easter when the economy inevitably picks up."

The council added that the Pineapple Project, which it part funds, has a number of businesses in the town that can provide a safe haven for young women and girls if only for a few minutes.

It said: "If needed, people can look out for the pink pineapple sticker to know that a business has signed up to be a place of safety."

The authority's Community Safety Patrols will still be present in the town as usual.