Brentford's Gtech Community Stadium has been accredited as a Safe Haven by the Safer Business Network.

The club’s west stand security hub, which is located on Lionel Road South outside the stadium, will provide support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to any member of the public who feels vulnerable or needs help. The hub will be managed by trained security staff members and open to the community at all times.

Safe Havens are dedicated spaces of support, which help people with their onward journey by providing various forms of assistance, such as contacting emergency services, phone charging facilities, calling a taxi, or reaching friends and family.

This Safe Haven accreditation is part of Brentford’s commitment to ensuring fans and those in the community, particularly women and girls, feel safe in the local area all year round.

The space will be resourced by security staff who have received bespoke training provided by the Safer Business Network. The training equips staff with relevant skills and expertise to recognise vulnerability and how to offer help to those who need it.

Brentford’s chief executive Jon Varney said: “We are a club that sits in the heart of the community and it is vital that we are able to support our fans and those living in the local area. In creating a Safe Haven space at our stadium, we are ensuring there is help available for anyone at any time of day.

“This builds on the wide-ranging work we are doing with fans and partners as part of our continued commitment to create inclusive and safer environments for women and girls, not just on a matchday but everyday.”

Eren Bessim, training and development manager at the Safer Business Network, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Brentford Football Club as the latest venue to become a Safe Haven. As a club deeply embedded in its community, Brentford continues to lead the way in championing safety, inclusion, and wellbeing both on and off the pitch.

“Brentford FC is also a proud supporter of the Women’s Night Safety Charter, reinforcing its commitment to tackling violence against women and girls and making the Gtech safe for all. Their leadership and passion for creating safer spaces make them a powerful advocate for this initiative. We look forward to working closely with Brentford as part of our growing Safe Haven network.”

Prioritising safety for women and girls

Brentford is committed to ensuring the protection of women and girls and is undertaking a wide range of work to drive awareness, educate fans and take action to tackle this important issue.

This week, the club will hold its first active bystander training session for fans, who will learn about the importance of allyship and bystander interventions. The training aims to empower and equip our supporters with tools to safely step in if they witness harassment or abuse, which can help disrupt such incidents.

The club’s Safe Haven and active bystander training is supported by funding from official club partner DeterTech, a company working to make communities safer through innovative solutions. Together, Detertech and Brentford are exploring new ways to keep women and girls safe in the local area.

Brentford’s first team men’s players Fábio Carvalho, Mathias Jensen and Ellery Balcombe have also been raising awareness of women and girls’ safety.

On White Ribbon Day this week, the annual awareness day of the prevention of gender-based violence, the club released a short video in collaboration with the British Transport Police. The video shares steps on how we can intervene in incidents of harassment that may occur on the rail network.

A long-term commitment

Brentford’s home fixture against Burnley on Saturday will be dedicated to White Ribbon Day. Ahead of kick-off, the Metropolitan Police will be located outside the stadium with their promotional bus, speaking to fans about their Violence Against Women and Girls plan.

The police will lead a ‘walk and talk’ session from Brentford’s old club shop, Bees Superstore. Departing 15 minutes after the final whistle, the groups will help escort fans home, and give supporters the opportunity to raise their concerns about safety.

The safety of women and girls is a long-term commitment for the club. In 2023, Brentford signed up to the Women’s Night Safety Charter, which is a part of the Mayor of London’s Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls strategy.

This season, the club set up Ask for Angela in the Gtech, ensuring that any woman or girl in our stadium can discreetly seek support from staff if they are feeling unsafe.