Lighting the darkness with Strut Safe partnership

As nights continue to get darker and we approach the shortest day of the year on 21^st December, research from Bauer Media Outdoor reveals that a fifth of UK adults (19 per cent) would never walk alone at night, increasing to over a quarter of women¹.

ONS data shows that anti-social behaviour (ASB), defined as behaviour by a person which causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to persons not of the same household as the person, is on the rise. Over a third (36 per cent) of people experienced or witnessed some type of ASB in the year ending June 2024². At the same time, Bauer Media Outdoor’s research finds that 17 per cent of UK adults say they ‘always’ feel uncomfortable walking on their own at nighttime.

As a result, a quarter (25 per cent) of UK adults will only use certain routes which they believe are safer when walking alone at night. What’s more, over half of Brits (51 per cent) would avoid walking alone at night if they don’t have their phone with them, as one in ten (10 per cent) UK adults call a family member or friend and a further 11 per cent admit to pretending to be on the phone to feel safer.

Bauer Media Outdoor wants to help the UK feel safer and has partnered with Strut Safe, a volunteer-operated phone line dedicated to helping people have safer nighttime journeys. To address growing concerns about street violence, this partnership provides a free space for Strut Safe to publicise their invaluable service and phone number across Bauer Media Outdoor's Adshel Live and Billboard Live digital screens on thousands of bus stops and billboards nationwide.

Strut Safe, founded in March 2021, operates a phone line connecting callers to trained volunteers who remain on the line until they arrive safely at their destination. The service currently runs during peak nighttime hours—Fridays and Saturdays from 7 PM to 3 AM, and Sundays from 7 PM to 1 AM—with plans to expand coverage.

Highlighting the importance of the partnership, bus stops have also been found to make people making nighttime journeys feel safer, with Bauer Media Outdoor's research finding over two in five (42 per cent) adults agree they feel safer when walking along a bus route with bus stops. Nearly two-thirds (61 per cent) said streetlights made them feel safer, followed by pubs and restaurants (46 per cent) and wider pavements (37 per cent).  

Bauer Media Outdoor’s research shows that the need for Strut Safe’s service spans all ages. Mature adults were most likely to feel unsafe in unfamiliar locations, as 70 per cent of those aged 55+ wouldn’t walk alone in these circumstances. Young adults feel more confident in unfamiliar locations, as over a third would walk alone. All age groups report feeling unsafe walking on dark streets, as over a third of all age groups reported that they wouldn’t walk alone if it’s dark outside.

From all areas across the UK, there were people who felt unsafe walking home at night. Of all areas, Londoners were the most confident, with just one in 10 reporting they would never walk on their own at nighttime, making them half as likely to never walk alone as the average UK adult.

Commenting, Martin Corke, Chief Marketing Officer at Bauer Media Outdoor, said: “By promoting Strut Safe’s contact details across our bus shelter network, we aim to make every nighttime journey safer. This partnership aligns with our commitment to using our network of digital screens up and down the country as a platform for good, amplifying messages that protect community wellbeing. Together, we hope to bring light to the darkness and create a future where everyone can travel without fear.”

Rho Chung, Co-Founder and Director of Communications at Strut Safe said: “Street violence disproportionately impacts marginalised groups and creates a culture of fear that restricts everyday life. We started Strut Safe to provide a safe space for those navigating these challenges. This partnership with Bauer Media Outdoor will allow us to meet those who need our service exactly where they are – and when they most need it. If just one person feels less alone on their journey because of our partnership, it’s done its job.”

In 2024, Strut Safe has seen a 97% increase in calls, compared to 2023³. Additionally, as nights continue to get darker in December, the Strut Safe service must be publicised, as the charity saw a 109.5% increase in QR code scans in November 2024 compared to the previous month. Demonstrating the importance of this partnership, just under a quarter of calls originate from Strut Safe’s partnerships, including with Bauer Media Outdoor.