Hackney Council is enhancing night safety in the borough through several initiatives funded in part by the Late Night Levy, which is overseen by the Late Night Levy Board. These initiatives include the implementation of outreach stations in high-traffic areas and increased training for nightlife staff. The initiative aims to provide direct assistance and resources to individuals during late-night hours.
The Licensing Committee received an update on the Late Night Levy activities during the second and third quarters of Year 8 (1 February 2025 to 30 April 2025 and 1 May 2025 to 31 July 2025) at a meeting on 13 November 2025.
On 23 and 24 May, a temporary outreach station was set up on Tabernacle Street in Shoreditch, a high-traffic area, to serve as a welfare point. The station engaged with over 600 individuals, offering direct assistance and resources such as water (480 bottles distributed), nutritious snacks, confectionery, flip-flops, personal safety alarms, phone marking kits (25 phones marked), and phone security equipment (200 kits provided).
A significant initiative was the Look Up, Look Out
program, which aimed to raise awareness about phone safety and reduce phone thefts in the area. Additionally, staff assisted with one phone robbery incident, provided phone charging to two individuals, and facilitated five medical interventions. The types of medical intervention were not specified in the report.
On 30 May, the Welfare Area successfully engaged with over 400 individuals, offering direct assistance. This included marking 50 phones, distributing 300 bottles of water, and providing 100 phone protection kits.
To further enhance night safety, venues for Hackney Nights Accreditation will now have to sign up as a policy to the Hackney Business Charter. The majority of accredited venues have signed up.
According to the Late Night Levy - Year 8 Q2 and Q3 Update, a total of 386 nightlife and security staff were trained over these quarters, compared to 252 last quarter, and that night time spaces have become better at responding and highlighting issues. Hackney Nights will now be offering per year: 5x Online WAVE (Safer Business Network), 5x Inperson WAVE (Safer Business Network), 2x Conflict Management Training (Safer Business Network), Naloxone Training (Turning Point), Domestic Violence Training (VAWG HCL), ByStander Training (VAWG HCL), 50% off First Aid Training (Aed Training). The effectiveness of this training will be measured in future reports to the Licensing Committee.