Purple Flag Liverpool

Liverpool wins national night-time award ‘Purple Flag’ for 12th year in a row. HARLEY MULLEN looks back at the changes the city has made to secure the flag once again.

Liverpool flies the flag for night time economy

City bosses will be painting the town purple after picking up a top award for Liverpool’s night-time economy.

The Liverpool night life scene has once again been recognised as ‘impressive’ after picking up its 12th Purple Flag award.

Purple Flag award aims to raise the standard and broaden the appeal of town and city centres in the evening and night-time.

The accolade comes after the city was recognised as a hot spot for spiking incidents late last year.

In response to the rise in spiking and other violent incidents, the council has secured almost £270,000 funding to tackle violence against women and girls.

This will pay for extra CCTV monitoring on the streets and ‘by-stander training’ for transport and bar staff.

To receive the award, areas must demonstrate their ability to provide a wide range of entertainment whilst also prioritising the safety and wellbeing of visitors and residents.

Liverpool’s history of receiving the award began in 2010 with the city proving its evening economy was safe and well-managed.

Several factors were taken into consideration including policing, stewarding and messaging within bars, restaurants, shops, car parks, theatres, signage and public transport – and how they were responding and adapting to Covid-19 guidelines.

Following this Liverpool was specifically praised for its impressive use of outdoor space and its partnership working during the pandemic.

The provision of safe spaces and crime initiatives were also amongst Liverpool’s positive points along with engagement and partnership with residents.

The council’s innovative ‘Without Walls’ programme was commended by assessors. The programme allowed hospitality venues to bring ‘the inside out’ and make use of outdoor spaces to keep visitors safe without compromising on their experience.

Dana Heard, Events manager at Camp & Furnace and nominee for the Tourism Young Person of the year award said:” Liverpool has always been an eclectic city full of culture and entertainment even whilst dealing with the catastrophic effects of COVID 19.

“Liverpool has always been an eclectic city full of culture and entertainment”

The city powered forward and made sure their residents were still able to enjoy themselves safely and it is an honour to win the Purple Flag for the 12th year in a row.

She added: “This is down to the hard work of our council, police and local businesses and really proves the resilience of the city. I’m sure in the upcoming year Liverpool will continue to develop and improve creating impressive and safe experiences for its residents.”

Councillor Abdul Qadir, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Community Safety, said:“To retain Purple Flag status is great news for Liverpool and sends out a strong message that we have a safe and vibrant city centre.

“It’s a great recognition of all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure visitors of all ages can enjoy our amazing cultural offer – but we never rest on our laurels – standards have to be maintained at all times.”

The previous year has seen many changes introduced to make Liverpool a safer city including a LGBTQ+ ‘You’re Safe Here’ accreditation scheme.

This scheme ensures that staff in the hospitality sector are trained and know what to do in the event of a transphobic or homophobic incident.