Drinkaware Club hosts pilot launches in South West England

The charity has joined forces with Devon and Cornwall Police, Gloucestershire Police, Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) Tony Hogg and Martin Surl and local community partnerships to launch a six month pilot of Drinkaware Club Hosts at nightclubs across the region.

Drinkaware Club Hosts are specially trained staff who work in bars and clubs to reduce drunken anti-social behaviour and help keep people safe.

Working in pairs, the club hosts will have a presence in the venue throughout the night, talking to customers at the start of the evening when a queue is forming, supporting customers who are vulnerable due to alcohol and ensuring guests leave safely after the venue has closed.

Drinkaware is working with partners across Devon, Cornwall and Gloucestershire to test and evaluate the intervention in venues in Torquay, Plymouth, Truro, Exeter and Cheltenham. The scheme will also be running at Rock City nightclub in Nottingham. Findings will be used to inform an on-going roll-out of the Drinkaware Club Host programme in other parts of the country.

This follows an initial pilot carried out in Nottingham in 2014 as part of Drinkaware’s Drunken Nights Out* campaign, developed to reduce alcohol related harm in the night time economy.

Elaine Hindal, Chief Executive of Drinkaware, says: “Following a successful pilot in Nottinghamshire last year we are delighted to be launching Drinkaware Club Hosts in the South West of England in collaboration with police and community partnerships across the region.

“We are encouraged by the findings from our initial pilot, that indicated that this initiative can help to reduce the number of young adults experiencing drunken sexual harassment and other negative experiences on a night out. If behaviour isn’t acceptable sober, it isn’t acceptable drunk.”

Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Devon and Cornwall, Tony Hogg says: “Tackling alcohol related harm and crime is one of my top priorities in my police and crime plan. This is an important new pilot to help people made vulnerable through alcohol and safeguard them within venues. It will complement and work alongside existing support structures in the night time economy and help keep people safe on their night out.

“I am delighted at the level of engagement and support we have had from local partners. We have been working closely with local authorities, street pastors and the venues to put this pilot together.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Drinkaware Club Hosts will be at the following nightclubs for six months from November 2015:

• Timepiece nightclub on Little Castle Street, Exeter
• Popworld on Union Street and University of Plymouth Students’ Union in Plymouth
• The Venue nightclub on Torwood Street, Torquay
• The Office nightclub on River Walk, Truro
• Moomoo clubrooms on Regent Street, Cheltenham
• Drinkaware Club Hosts will also be at Rock City nightclub on Talbot Street, Nottingham for six months from November 2015.
• *Drinkaware’s Drunken Nights Out programme was informed by a qualitative research led strategic review, ‘Drunken Nights Out: motivations, norms and rituals in the night-time economy’ and also includes an awareness raising advertising campaign.
• Drinkaware is an independent UK-wide, alcohol education charity with the objective of positively changing public behaviour and the national drinking culture.
• We aim to reduce alcohol misuse and minimise harm by helping people make better choices about their drinking. We achieve this by providing impartial, evidence-based information, advice and practical resources; raising awareness of alcohol and its harms and by working collaboratively with partners (including the medical community, public health, third sector organisations, local authorities, police and the drinks industry). For further information visit www.drinkaware.co.uk