NatWest Group announces new 'safe space' service at more than 360 UK bank branches
NatWest Group will roll out Safe Spaces in more than 360 UK bank branches
PA
NatWest Group will begin offering “Safe Spaces” for people experiencing economic and domestic abuse in hundreds of its bank branches.
The high street banking group will launch its service in more than 360 branches, from this week.
Safe Spaces, a scheme launched by domestic abuse charity Hestia as part of the UK Says No More campaign, as designated locations which anyone experiencing domestic abuse can use.
People can ask a member of staff in the branch to use their safe space and use a private room to deal with the issue.
They can get access to a phone if needed and the Safe Space can provide a chance to discreetly contact family, friends or specialist support.
To find the nearest Safe Space, people should visit: uksaysnomore.org/safespaces.
People can ask a member of staff in the branch to use their safe space
PA
Specialist training on Safe Spaces and domestic abuse awareness has been carried out by employees across NatWest branches.
Raghu Narula, MD of Customer Engagement and Distribution, Retail Banking at NatWest Group said: “We know that people from all walks of life across communities in the UK have been affected by domestic and economic abuse.
“As part of the communities we serve, we know we can play an important role in providing practical support and access to trained specialists for what can be a truly isolating experience.
“We’re rolling these spaces out across the majority of our physical branch network to offer discreet face-to-face support, and we will continue to look at new ways to offer access and help for anyone experiencing economic and domestic abuse.”
The full list of NatWest Group branches which will offer a Safe Space are:
- Edgbaston
- Grand Central Birmingham
- Halesowen
- King's Heath
- Perry Barr
- Solihull
- Sutton Coldfield
- Walsall
- West Bromwich
- Wolverhampton Queen Square
- Bristol City Centre
- Cheltenham Promenade
- Chippenham
- Fishponds Bristol
- Gloucester
- Kingswood Bristol
- Swindon
- Yate
- Bournemouth
- Bridport
- Dorchester
- Lymington
- Poole 151 High Street
- Salisbury
- Shaftesbury
- Southampton City
- Weymouth
- Winchester Old Bank
- Bishops Stortford
- Braintree
- Bury St. Edmunds
- Chelmsford
- Clacton on Sea
- Colchester
- Ipswich Tavern Street
- Rayleigh
- Southend
- Sudbury
- Wickford
- Coventry City
- Hereford Broad Street
- Hinckley
- Kidderminster
- Nuneaton
- Redditch
- Royal Leamington Spa
- Rugby
- Stratford upon Avon
- Worcester Cross
- Ashby-de-la-Zouch
- Burton-on-Trent
- Kettering
- Leicester Granby Street
- Leicester Melton Turn
- Loughborough
- Melton Mowbray
- North Evington
- Northampton The Drapery
- Northampton Weston Favell
- Oadby
- Wellingborough
- Cambridge Petty Cury
- Great Yarmouth Market Place
- Huntingdon
- King's Lynn
- Lowestoft
- Norwich Gentleman's Walk
- Peterborough
- Aberystwyth
- Bangor
- Carmarthen
- Haverfordwest
- Llandudno
- Llanelli
- Llangefni
- Mold
- Neath
- Newtown
- Port Talbot
- Rhyl
- Swansea City Centre
- Wrexham
- Abingdon
- Aylesbury
- Banbury
- Bicester
- Leighton Buzzard
- Luton Market Hill
- Oxford Central
- Stevenage Queensway
- Witney Oxon
- Barnstaple High Street
- Bridgwater
- City of Bath
- Trowbridge
- Wells
- Yeovil
- Abergavenny Monmouth & District
- Brecon
- Bridgend
- Caerphilly
- Cardiff Queen Street
- Cwmbran & District
- Newport Gwent High Street
- Exeter High Street
- Newton Abbot
- Paignton
- Penzance
- Plymouth City Centre
- Truro
- Bexleyheath
- Bromley
- Dartford
- Eltham
- Gravesend
- Maidstone
- Tunbridge Wells 89 Mount Pleasant
- Orpington
- 250 Bishopsgate
- Baker Street
- Camden Town
- Chancery Lane & Holborn
- City of London Office
- Fenchurch Street
- Liverpool Street Station
- London Bridge
- Moorgate
- St. James' & Piccadilly
- Strand
- Tottenham Court Road
- Whitechapel Road
- Crawley the Boulevard
- East Grinstead
- Epsom
- Horsham
- Barking
- Barkingside
- Canary Wharf Crossrail
- East Ham
- Grays
- Hackney Amhurst Road
- Hornchurch
- Ilford
- Romford Town Centre
- Ashford Kent
- Canterbury City Centre
- Eastbourne Town Centre
- Hastings
- Herne Bay
- Tenterden
- Enfield
- Harlow Town Centre
- Upper Edmonton
- Waltham Cross
- Walthamstow Central
- Wood Green
- Andover Bridge Street
- Bracknell
- Camberley
- Farnborough North
- Godalming
- Guildford High Street
- Newbury
- Woking High Street
- Brighton Town Centre
- Chichester
- Havant
- Newport Isle of Wight
- Portsmouth Commercial Road
- Rustington
- Catford
- Lewisham
- Norbury
- Sydenham
- Tooting
- Wimbledon
- Woolwich
- Hayes Middx
- Hounslow
- Maidenhead
- Slough
- Southall
- Staines
- Uxbridge
- Harrow Town Centre
- High Wycombe
- St. Albans
- Watford Town Centre
- Kensington Royal Garden
- Notting Hill Gate
- Park Royal
- Barrow-In-Furness
- Blackpool Corporation Street
- Carlisle
- Chorley
- Garstang
- Kendal
- Leyland
- Penrith
- Preston
- Workington
- Grimsby
- Hull City Centre
- Scunthorpe
- York City Centre
- Altrincham
- Cheetham Hill
- Didsbury Wilmslow Road
- Hazel Grove
- Manchester City Centre
- Manchester Portland Street
- Monton
- Sale
- Stockport Underbank Hall
- Trafford Park
- Urmston
- Aintree Black Bull
- Birkenhead Charing Cross
- Chester
- Ellesmere Port Town Centre
- Great Crosby
- Liverpool Allerton Road
- Liverpool City
- Southport
- St. Helens
- Wallasey Precinct
- Warrington
- Widnes
- Blackburn King William Street
- Bolton
- Burnley
- Bury
- Leigh Lancs
- Middleton
- Oldham
- Rochdale
- Wigan
- Alfreton & Clay Cross
- Chesterfield
- Crystal Peaks Sheffield
- Hunter's Bar Sheffield
- Mansfield
- Nottingham Smiths Bank
- Sheffield City Centre
- West Bridgford
- Cannock
- Congleton
- Crewe
- Hanley
- Leek
- Lichfield
- Longton Staffs
- Macclesfield
- Market Drayton
- Nantwich
- Newcastle Staffs High Street
- Northwich
- Oswestry
- Shrewsbury Mardol Head
- Stafford Greengate
- Uttoxeter
- Wilmslow
- Bishop Auckland
- Darlington
- Denton Park Newcastle-upon-Tyne
- Durham
- Gateshead Metrocentre
- Hartlepool
- Middlesbrough
- Newcastle upon Tyne Northumberland Street
- Northallerton
- Stockton on Tees
- Sunderland City
- Washington Town Centre
- Barnsley
- Bradford Broadway
- Halifax
- Harrogate
- Huddersfield
- Keighley
- Leeds City Office
- Skipton
- Wakefield City
- London Drummonds
- Holts Farnborough
- Ayr Chief Office
- Berwick-Upon-Tweed
- Biggar
- Castle Douglas
- Dumfries High Street
- Galashiels
- Irvine
- Kelso
- Kilmarnock Central
- Lanark
- Peebles
- Stranraer
- Blairgowrie
- Dunfermline
- Falkirk Newmarket Centre
- Kirkcaldy Chief Office
- Livingston
- Perth Chief Office
- Aberdeen Queens Cross
- Aberdeen St. Nicholas
- Arbroath
- Dundee Chief Office
- Dundee Kingsway Circus
- Elgin
- Forfar
- Fraserburgh
- Inverurie
- Peterhead
- St. Andrews South Street
- Dalkeith
- Edinburgh Bruntsfield
- Edinburgh Corstorphine
- Edinburgh Leith
- Edinburgh Nicolson Street
- Edinburgh St. Andrew Square Office
- Edinburgh West End Office
- Haddington
- Musselburgh Bridge Street
- Coatbridge
- Giffnock
- Glasgow Byres Road
- Glasgow City Branch
- Alness
- Castlebay
- Fort William
- Inverness Chief Office
- Kirkwall
- Lerwick
- Lochboisdale
- Oban George Street
- Portree
- Scarinish
- Thurso
- Ullapool
- Clydebank
- East Kilbride
- Glasgow Cardonald
- Greenock Cathcart Street
- Motherwell
- Paisley Chief Office
- Belfast City Office
- Connswater
- Newtownards
- Shankill Road
- Ballymena
- Coleraine
- Cookstown
- Culmore Road
- Limavady
- Magherafelt
- Omagh
- Strabane
- Armagh
- Banbridge
- Castlewellan
- Dungannon
- Enniskillen
- Lisburn
- Newry
Patrick Ryan, Chief Executive at Hestia, said: “Having a safe place to seek support is vital for victims of domestic abuse.
“One in five people in England and Wales will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime.
“By bringing our Safe Spaces to everyday places like banks and pharmacies, it means that anyone experiencing domestic abuse has the chance to access specialist help and advice, or to call a loved one.
“It is fantastic to see more Safe Spaces on our high streets – and we are delighted that NatWest, Ulster Bank and Royal Bank of Scotland has partnered with us to ensure that more victims can safely access support.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Nationwide Building Society has said it will offer safe spaces at more than 400 UK branches
NATIONWIDE BUILDING SOCIETY
"Staff across over 350 branches have participated in our domestic abuse training, and we hope that other organisations will follow their lead.”
Nationwide Building Society said in January that it would offer safe spaces to people experiencing domestic abuse at more than 400 of its branches in the UK.
HSBC UK, which joined Hestia's safe spaces scheme in April 2022, recently said the bank recorded an increase in their use during the winter.
TSB joined the scheme in May 2021 and also offers an emergency flee fund.
The bank will give between £50 to £500, depending on individual needs, to support domestic abuse survivors.