Bristol venues sign open letter urging council to continue partnership with Bristol Nights

Multiple venues and businesses across Bristol have signed an open letter urging the council not to end its partnership with nightlife safeguarding project Bristol Nights.

According to BBC News, Bristol City Council has been accused of “quietly” ending its years-long partnership with Bristol Nights as funding for the project is due to “run out” at the end of March.

Bristol Nights, which has helped to safeguard clubbers and night time workers in the city from 6:PM through 6:AM since 2021 with women’s safety campaigns, anti-spiking initiatives and more, will stop receiving funding later this month.

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Council leader Tony Dyer said they will explore ways to continue working with nightlife businesses, insisting: “We take our role as advocates for our city and your sector very seriously, and will always bang the drum for Bristol’s night time economy.”

Despite that, Dyer argued that “the initial tranche of funding for this work expired in 2023,” and that since then, “it was decided to continue the work programme until it had achieved many of its outcomes.”

Bristol Nights has helped to train 700 workers in safeguarding over the years, and has provided 260 anti-spiking test kits to venues around the city, aiding the 116,000 people who work in Bristol by night.

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Over 100 businesses and venues including Lakota, Thekla, O2 Academy Bristol, Old Vic, and Watershed have signed an open letter urging the council to reverse the decision to end its partnership with Bristol Nights.

Thekla’s assistant promotions manager Harrison Baillie said that he can see how the partnership ending will “affect the safety of people”. The club previously sparked a training programme with Bristol Nights to learn about women’s safety and spiking.

In response to the open letter, Tony Dyer said: “You have my commitment that ours is an administration that will listen and will work collaboratively to help where help can be given.”

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Associate Digital Editor, follow her on X