Purple Flag award recognises Nottingham as a vibrant and well-managed city
Across the UK, just like the Green Flag for parks and the Blue Flag for beaches, the Purple Flag is a mark of quality assurance awarded to towns and cities which demonstrate a real commitment to creating vibrant, safe and well-managed visitor destinations.
For Nottingham, this means that the city centre has been assessed by external and independent assessors ATCM (The Association of Town and City Management) and the ongoing hard work and dedication of partners to achieving high standards of destination management, has been recognised
These Purple Flag partners and city stakeholders are keen to spread the word that this award is important for everyone who lives in and visits Nottingham because it means they can be assured that every aspect of their visitor experience is being fine-tuned to make it the best it can be.
This will impact residents and visitors to Nottingham directly, in numerous ways.
Vibrant and exciting events
Nottingham’s Purple Flag recognises our home as a city which offers a friendly welcome for all. The award shows that Nottingham delivers in what it provides people who want to socialise in the city – well-managed major sporting and entertainment venues within easy reach of the city centre, bars, restaurants and night clubs of all sizes and catering to all ages and tastes – with frequent, safe, affordable and well-managed public transport options at the end of the night.
Also recognised by assessors were the varied events and activities run by It’s in Nottingham and partners including Nottingham City Council, providing a broad social and cultural mix which brings in thousands of people each year.
Recognised partnerships and safety initiatives
Initiatives like Safe Space Notts, run in partnership with the Consent Coalition, are well-established in Nottingham, and were highlighted for what they offer to venues and consumers, from regular high quality training to a user-friendly website which makes finding a welcoming and safe venue quick and easy - just in case. Nottingham’s Best Bar None scheme, one of the largest city-based schemes in the UK sees around 100 licensed venues recognised annually for their hard work and commitment to staff and customer welfare, accessibility, and creating memorable social experiences.
It’s in Nottingham, Nottingham City Council, Nottinghamshire Police, Nottinghamshire Violence Reduction Partnership and the Nottinghamshire Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, alongside safety partners including University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University, have been credited by the Purple Flag awarding body as creating and maintaining strong effective, strategic partnerships to ensure safety in the city centre is a priority focus for all.
Innovative publicity and marketing
During their visit to Nottingham, Purple Flag assessors noted the positive impact that street art has on the cultural diversity and attractiveness of the city centre, from the popular Art Fest with its centre in Broad Marsh and Nottingham’s Green Heart, sponsored by It’s in Nottingham, to the unique, celebratory Purple Flag mural on Belward Street which raises the profile of the award in a new and very Nottingham way.
Speaking about the award, city centre safety partners explain what the result means to them.
Alex Flint, CEO It’s in Nottingham said: “This award recognises the hard work of the It’s in Nottingham team and of our valued and important partners across the city – without whom we couldn’t deliver this outcome for Nottingham.
“We’re very keen to share the news that the Purple Flag award not only shows that we are working together for our city, but also the wide range of safety initiatives, exciting events and activities which have been highlighted by assessors, and which make Nottingham a place people enjoy visiting and spending time in.”
Councillor Neghat Khan, Leader of Nottingham City Council, said: “Achieving Purple Flag status once again is a fantastic recognition of Nottingham’s vibrant and welcoming city centre.
“This award reflects the strength of partnership working between the Council, It’s in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire Police and our businesses to ensure the city is a safe and enjoyable place to visit, particularly in the evening and night-time economy.
“Over the past year we have strengthened our approach through initiatives such as the Safe Night Out Pledge, the continued work of our Safer City Partnership Officers and the visible presence of Neighbourhood Safety Officers, all focused on improving safety, reducing anti-social behaviour, and building confidence in our city centre.
“We are proud of the work taking place to support venues, enhance public safety and create a city centre where residents, visitors and businesses can thrive. Retaining Purple Flag status demonstrates our continued commitment to making Nottingham a place people feel confident and proud to spend time in.”
Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Gary Godden said: “As partner agencies we often reassure the public that Nottingham is a safe city, and what’s great about the Purple Flag status is that it is an independent verification that what we are saying is correct. It means people can come to the city safe in the knowledge that they can have a great time.
“Whether people come for the shopping, to have a night out, or go to work, they will have a network of partner agencies all working together in the background to keep them safe.”
Wayne Cliff, Head of Campus Security and Community Liaison at Nottingham Trent University said: “NTU is proud to be part of the strong partnership that has helped Nottingham retain its Purple Flag accreditation for the 16th year. Our students, staff and local communities all benefit from a city centre that is vibrant, inclusive and committed to safety. The award recognises the daily dedication of organisations working together to ensure Nottingham remains a welcoming place to live, study and socialise. We’re pleased to contribute to initiatives such as our Safe Space provision and wider safety programmes such as our off-campus patrol teams, all which help support the wellbeing of everyone who calls Nottingham home.”
Chief Inspector Kylie Davies, who oversees neighbourhood policing in Nottingham city centre, said: “We are really proud that Nottingham has once again retained its Purple Flag status. It’s an incredibly positive piece of news and it shows that police and partners are working well to ensure our city centre remains a safe and vibrant destination.
“We are fortunate to have strong partnerships with Nottingham City Council and It’s in Nottingham and this accreditation is testament to the hard work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure people have a positive experience when they come here.
“By working closely together, we are committing to ensuring Nottingham's night-time economy is safe, vibrant, appealing and well-managed. As part of this, our officers carry out regular high-visibility patrols to provide both a reassuring presence on the streets and also feet on the ground to respond quickly to any incidents as they happen.
“Thousands of people come to Nottingham every weekend to enjoy the fantastic nightlife our city offers and the vast majority of them have a great night out and look forward to returning.
“As with any large city, there will always be a number of crimes reported to us – this is no different to any other area with a large population and thriving night-time economy and where people are coming into our city to commit crimes, we are actively working to identify them and bring them to justice.
“We want people to enjoy our city and will therefore continue to work closely with our partners to make Nottingham even safer than it already is.”
Notes to editors -
For more information, please email andrew@itsinnottingham.com
Independent Purple Flag Assessors, ATCM noted the following stand-out achievements in Nottingham -
The active involvement of business in driving up standards.
The city has a thriving Best Bar None scheme where each accredited venue has two safe space champions. Through this scheme 276 people have been trained how to respond to customers’ needs as part of the ‘Safe Space Pledge.
Responsible guardianship, customer care and concern for community health.
Well spread and active ‘Safe Spaces’ across the area where staff value how the scheme has worked for them, specifically preventing vulnerability for LGBTQ visitors.
A Street Pastors office based within a busy city centre bar central to the area from which trained staff tour the city centre on weekend nights until 4am responding to calls from the
link radio and equipped with water and care facilities.
Nottingham Trent University Campus provide overnight Safe Space caters for drop-ins between 9pm and 9am, reacting to calls from five permanent help points and routing direct to CCTV and trained operators.
Successful trial of 50 ‘Wisp’ devices which detect alcohol levels and any foreign substances in consumers' drinks.
A student-led initiative led to extend the ‘Ask for Angela’ scheme across the city, using credit card sized information materials.
Vibrant events, in particular the two-day Light Night event run by It’s in Nottingham and Nottingham City Council, which in its 18th year continues to grow as a popular, family friendly cultural experience which brings close to 50,000 people into the city.