Hartlepool woman joins volunteers patrolling Newcastle streets to protect young women

A concerned Hartlepool woman will be helping vulnerable women and girls get home safe this weekend.
Sarah will be attending a vigil for Sabina Nessa before the start of the patrol on Friday.Sarah will be attending a vigil for Sabina Nessa before the start of the patrol on Friday.
Sarah will be attending a vigil for Sabina Nessa before the start of the patrol on Friday.

Sarah Gate, 33, is joining the group of 15 women in Newcastle to help protect women out in the city centre and especially Freshers girls at universities who “are particularly vulnerable”.

The group will be handing out taxi numbers, helping women get home safe and work with bouncers and door staff, with the final volunteers out until 4am.

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Digital marketing strategist Sarah said: “We will be looking for vulnerable girls, who might have had too much to drink, who can’t find taxis, or they’ve run out of money, who’ve potentially been spiked or they’ve been left by their friends.

Twenty-year-old teacher Sabina Nessa, who was found dead on the evening of September 17 at Cator Park in Kidbrooke, south east London, as she walked to a night out.Twenty-year-old teacher Sabina Nessa, who was found dead on the evening of September 17 at Cator Park in Kidbrooke, south east London, as she walked to a night out.
Twenty-year-old teacher Sabina Nessa, who was found dead on the evening of September 17 at Cator Park in Kidbrooke, south east London, as she walked to a night out.

"Girls are feeling scared. We know that there will be predatory people out there who are looking for this kind of opportunity and it’s a perfect storm of trouble.”

The pre-planned event, organised by Women’s Street Watch with the support of Bright Futures, will tie in with a vigil for Sabina Nessa, which starts at Monument at 7pm.

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Her death has reignited concerns about women’s safety, which were in focus earlier this year following the murder of Sarah Everard.

Ms Gate said: "It’s really sad that on the night of our first patrol we are also attending this vigil for another young woman who has been killed, who was just going around her daily life.

"I suppose that it’s sad that in this time we’re still having to intervene in this way. Women are still having to come together and try and find solutions to keep other women safe or to keep themselves safe.

"We hate being told you shouldn’t go out at night, you should always have a way of defending yourself.

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"There’s all these rules we’ve been told since we were little girls about how to keep ourselves safe and still we don’t feel safe.

She added: "If we can help one person get home safe, then that’s the entire point.”

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