Camden Council is aiming to train 60% of its licensed venues in vulnerability awareness by the end of 2028, as part of its ongoing efforts to improve women's safety in the borough's evening and night-time economy (ENTE). The initiative, discussed at the Licensing Committee meeting on 7 July 2025, will involve Welfare and Vulnerability Engagement (WAVE) training, which includes learning about Safe Havens, the prevention of drink spiking, and the national Ask for Angela scheme.
The council's ambition is to deliver WAVE training to approximately 1,020 venues by 2028. As of December 2024, the annual target was successfully met by training 140 venues, and the aim is to train an additional 220 venues each year from 2025 to 2028.
The move is part of Camden's wider Women's Safety in the Public Realm Action Plan, overseen by the Camden Community Safety Partnership Board. The council remains a signatory to the GLA's Women's Night Safety Charter, aligning with the UN Women Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces initiative. Camden was recognised by the GLA as a borough showing best practice
in local implementation in early 2024.
The council's revised Statement of revised Licensing Policy (2024-29) explicitly references women's safety, including requiring safety statements from new applicants on how they will safeguard women and vulnerable patrons, and the use of standardised licence conditions to encourage staff training, participation in schemes like Ask for Angela, and provisions for safe transport signage and welfare support.
The WAVE training is delivered in partnership with the Safer Business Network and includes in-person training sessions and self-guided eLearning courses. Six in-person WAVE training sessions are planned for the 2025/26 financial year.
The Ask for Angela scheme is promoted as part of Camden's ongoing engagement with licensed venues. Officers ensure venues are reminded of their responsibilities to support the scheme, particularly during WAVE training and through direct engagement with venue management.
Camden is also promoting the Safe Haven initiative, a place of temporary refuge for individuals who may feel unsafe or need assistance. Premises such as shops, cafés, pubs, libraries, and other public-facing venues can register on the Camden website to express interest in becoming official Safe Havens. Online Safe Haven training will also be actively promoted throughout the year, with two in-person training sessions scheduled for October 2025 and March 2026. This will help ensure the sustainability of the initiative and maintain the quality of support provided.
In 2025 (Jan – Apr), 53 incidents of drink spiking have been reported to the police in Camden. Holborn & Covent Garden and Camden Town remain spiking hotspots. This data informs the council's prevention strategies by focusing efforts on proactive prevention, staff training, and support for individuals at risk, including venue engagement, the Camden Safety Bus, and communications campaigns. In May 2025, Camden launched a new spiking awareness campaign, initially targeting the borough's university population, as Camden is home to the third-largest student population in London, with 29,965 higher education students residing locally. Of these, 61% are women and 56% are international students, both groups have been identified as potentially more vulnerable to spiking-related incidents.
Camden is an active participant in pan-London forums focused on women's safety, sharing and learning from other boroughs' good practices.
