You have likely seen in the news about the increase of women being spiked by injections in nightclubs across the UK. One pub will help combat this worrying surge by hosting a girls-only night.
The concerning allegations have been made from all over the country and students in Scotland have organised a campaign called ‘Girls Night In’. Aiming to boycott all nightclubs and to force owners to take action against the spiking surge which has now been branded as an ‘epidemic’.
The campaign has spread like wildfire across Britain with other areas and cities like Brighton, Leeds, Manchester and Nottingham getting involved.
A pub in Nottingham called ‘The Playwright’ has taken it upon themselves to combat the boycotts by hosting girls-only events once a week.
These nights are set to kick off on Wednesday, 3rd November starting at 6pm until close, and they may be able to extend the opening hours past their usual closing time of 11pm saying manager Josh Wheelhouse according to Metro.
The bartenders will strictly be female and as the chef is a male there will be no food served in the evening.
The manager, Wheelhouse told the Nottingham Post how ‘excited’ the pub was for the start of the events. He said ‘I have already spoken to a couple of societies at Nottingham Trent University, and we will actually organise workshops to educate women on what to do in situations that would put them at risk,’
Later down the line the pub also plans on having female-only bands to turn the venue into a club-like atmosphere.
Wheelhouse said:
I was a bit hesitant to do this – because I did not want to be perceived by others as the guy who is trying to make money out of this terrifying thing that happens to women.
I felt like I needed to do something. I do not think it is fair for women to stay home – we should be the ones to do that.
So we are making moves and I am in discussions with other pubs that are considering implementing this.
His girlfriend who is a welfare officer encouraged him to create the events after telling him ‘many spikings don’t even get reported’.
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The Playwright reached out to Nottingham Trent University’s Feminism and Women’s Welfare society for advice in running the events and how to make them educational. A spokesperson for the group said:
‘It makes so many people more worried to go out and have a good time due to the fear of getting spiked,’ they said, commenting that the group would be working with the pub to ‘work towards having more safe spaces for women’.
If you or someone you know have been the victim of sexual harassment or any kind of sexual harm please know help and support is available. Contact Victim Support, an independent charity that offers free advice, confidential help to anyone who’s been affected by sexual harassment. Call them on 08081 689111 or visit their website here.
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