Lancaster Pub Watch has launched a scheme called Home Safe this December to try to ensure everyone who heads into town this Christmas is also able to get themselves home safely.
A great initiative supported by local licencees, it’s being run in conjunction with the Police, Lancaster Royal Infirmary A&E, local security company FGH and Lancaster Street Pastors.
“We want as many people as possible to come into the City Centre over the Christmas period,” explains Lancaster Pub Watch Chairperson Tim Tomlinson, and enjoy Lancaster’s many wonderful pubs, bars and restaurants. But we also want to make sure they don’t overdo it.
“If someone has had too much, they may not be in a suitable state to get themselves home safely.
“They may also be a nuisance to other customers and ultimately if they’ve really had too much they may put their health at risk and require the attention of the already busy emergency services, potentially putting others with more urgent needs at risk.”
The first stage has been a training plan for staff from the city centre premises in how to spot someone who has had enough to drink, or for whom the next drink would be one too many, and how to handle them politely and safely. FGH security, who won a National Security Industry Excellence award this year, are very generously providing this free of charge to all Lancaster Pub Watch members.
“What we hope people understand is that it is our job and legal responsibility to let anyone know that it’s time to go home if we believe they’ve had enough to drink. It is in their own best interest and they are welcome to come back again whenever they please.”
Safe Place
Pub watch has also made plans for the few cases where an individual has had too much and are not properly able to look after themselves. Venues will try to let them sober up a little with a glass of water or a hot drink and be taken home by one of their friends.
If this is not possible where they are at, two venues, The Sugar House and Apothecary, have offered the use of a quiet room to be used as a Safe Place where they may be taken to recover before going home. Managing access to these is being co-ordinated between FGH, the Police, Lancaster Street Pastors and the venue managers.
“Christmas is a great time to be out and about in Lancaster, but we want to make sure people don’t put themselves at risk or spoil the night for others.”
What landlords ask of customers is:
• Come into Lancaster and enjoy your night out
• Please drink responsibly
• Consider spacing your drinks out with soft drinks
• If you can’t get served because you’ve had enough, please respect the bar staff: It’s the law and it’s for your own good
• If you friend has had enough, don’t try to buy them another drink; help them to get home safely.
Lancaster Pub Watch is made up of 36 premises in and around the city centre
Its main aim is to make Lancaster a safe and welcoming place for customers to enjoy and staff to work in.
Street pastors are trained volunteers from local churches who care about our community. They are usually on patrol from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. on a Friday or Saturday night to care for, listen to and help people who are out on the streets.