Nottinghamshire Police launch ‘Walk in My Shoes’ campaign to tackle problem areas where women and girls feel unsafe

A new campaign has been launched today (March 31) by Nottinghamshire Police, seeking women and girls’ views on areas they avoid and how they can be made safer.

The force wants to hear from women and girls across Nottinghamshire as part of its ‘Walk in My Shoes’ campaign, with an online survey launched for them to share their experiences and identify problem areas.

Whether its a particular street or alleyway, a car park, a bus stop, or an area where women have experienced unwanted attention or behaviour, the locations and concerns highlighted in the survey will help inform how police tackle the issue in each area.

The survey can be completed via: www.nottinghamshire.police.uk/police-forces/nottinghamshire-police/areas/campaigns/2025/walk-in-my-shoes.

Superintendent Heather Maelor, one of the leads for tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) at Nottinghamshire Police’s Prevention Hub, said: “We receive calls from women and girls who are subjected to unwanted behaviour and abuse from men every day.

“To put a stop to this in Nottinghamshire, we want to hear what women and girls from across our city and county have experienced as part of our Walk in My Shoes campaign. We want to know the areas they feel the most unsafe so, where possible, we can come up with solutions collectively with our partners to make real change.

“VAWG is a national threat and we want to ensure that our residents and visitors feel as safe as possible when they are walking around Nottinghamshire.

“So please, complete our survey, tell us your views, and we will act where we can, to ensure you feel safer.”

Following the eight-week campaign, police will work with partners including councils to look at ways the areas identified can be improved — such as through additional patrols, better lighting, or CCTV coverage.

The force says women across the county have told officers they feel hyper-vigilant, intimidated and victimised in some public spaces, whether on a night out or simply going for a run, and are in full support of the campaign.

Designing out crime officers have already visited places such as the walkway between Nottingham Railway Station and Nottingham Contemporary and made suggestions on how to make it feel safer and less attractive to criminals.

Nottingham-based female running group, These Girls Run, is one group which is backing the campaign after changing their routes and even their appearance during some of their runs.

Phoebe Lake, group leader, said: “This campaign is important to us because we just want to raise awareness around women’s safety issues.

“We’ve experienced catcalling from men on our runs, been followed and they’ve joined in our warm-ups and just generally been in our space.

“When I’m running, I do try to, especially in the evenings, keep my hood up and look as least womanly as possible. I wear darker clothes just so it’s not visible that I am a girl and I am running on my own.

“We have collaborated with Nottinghamshire Police to get safety advice for when we’re out running and in general.”

Another member, Caitlin Boughton, described how she had experience a distressing incident where she was grabbed by a male while out on a run, which caused her to temporarily give up her hobby.

“Women’s safety is such an important issue which needs to be discussed. I feel like a lot of men don’t understand how women feel when they’re running,” she added.

What do you think? Do you feel safe in Newark and Sherwood? If not, what needs to be done? Post your views in the comments below…