With the evenings getting darker, walking home alone is seen as a dangerous activity for young women as they feel unsafe or paranoid that something is going to happen to them. However, a new Facebook group has been set up in Lincoln to reduce these worries.
The Lincoln Girl Gang Chat was set up on 4th November 2018 with the aim to connect all young women in Lincoln who usually are walking home alone after work or a night out.
Individual members are able to drop a message in the group should they be in the situation of walking home alone and other members can message back to ensure that they get home safe.
The creator of the group, Amber Marshall, decided to set the page up because she saw an article about a student at Nottingham who set up a similar group for girls walking home in a particular area. She posted in the private Facebook group saying: “I’ve definitely encountered some scary things walking home and even with people so I bet most of you have too”.
The response for the group has been hugely positive in a short amount of time.
Within 24 hours, the group gained over 1,000 members and currently has over 2,300 members (and the number is still growing). As well as helping others get home safe, members are also providing advice on other ways to stay safe when walking home.
One member of the group, who wants to remain anonymous, thinks the group is an amazing idea. She said: “I’ve constantly been looking over my shoulder and been super paranoid. I feel unsafe. So this group being made and giving me somebody to call on my way home is so comforting. Anything that reduces the chances of something bad happening is a good idea”.
From a report via Lincolnshire Police, violence and sexual related crimes have risen in recent months in Lincoln City Centre. With the latest statistic as of September 2018, 81 crimes have been reported – showing that these issues are still growing in the area.
Women’s Student Campaign Officer at Lincoln’s SU, Alexandra Bentley said: “The Lincoln girl gang group chat is such a fantastic idea! It’s a sad thought that women in Lincoln are still under the threat of sexual violence/harassment and don’t feel safe in their environment but the female solidarity just proves the power of sticking together and what girls can accomplish together.”
She added: “Its really inspirational to have a network of such strong women all sharing their experiences and advice and helping each other out. It creates such a sense of camaraderie, its truly admirable!”
Alongside keeping other young women safe when walking home, added topics and discussion points have been introduced into the group such as housing threads, societies as the university and even event links to bring the social group together.
We’ve also compiled a list together to give you tips on how to stay safe on a night out, click here to find out more.
If you’d like to join the group either click here or search “Lincoln girl gang chat” on Facebook.