A group from Littleport have been awarded funding for an important street safety project in the village.

Littleport Field Theatre Group have had funding approved from The National Lottery community fund for their project called SisterSafe.

Working alongside project partners ‘community safe partnership’ and ‘think communities’, the group will use the funding to host a series of free, one day workshop sessions aimed at young women aged 16-24.

The sessions will include street safety and safe travel advice, basic self-defence, and an introduction to digital safety tools such as phone apps.

There will also be information given on national street safety databases such as WalkSafe and Cambridgeshire Constabulary’s ‘street safe’ tool.

Participants will be offered free personal safety alarms and information booklets.

SisterSafe project spokesperson Deborah Curtis, said: “As a result of several recent high-profile incidents, the issue of violence against women is very much at the forefront of public consciousness.

“In addition to this, we know that women and girls regularly face harassment in public places which range from micro-aggressions to sexualised insults, threats and even assaults.”

In the sessions, there will be a range of art-based activities to provoke discussions about women’s safety in general and, more importantly, how Littleport as a community can reduce the risk of harm to women in public places.

Deborah believes SisterSafe sends out a clear message to Littleport residents that the community takes the safety of young women seriously.

In addition to the work already mentioned, the group will be working to promote and expand the national ‘safe places’ for Littleport that will benefit all residents.

Registration for the scheme is free and simple, but there are currently no participating premises within the village.

Under the safe places scheme premises (cafes, shops etc), these places will act as designated ‘refuge places’ where vulnerable members of the public can seek help if needed.

“We will be undertaking a vigorous recruitment campaign to get a scheme up and running in our community,” said Deborah.

She added: “The Field Theatre Group is extremely proud to have been offered funding to tackle such an important issue right here in our own community."