At least five Nottingham clubs and bars have announced that they will stand in solidarity with the ‘Girls Night In’ boycott that is organised to take place on Wednesday, October 27.
Get Wavy. has announced via Instagram that they will be closing on Wednesday, October 27, stating that they stand in solidarity with the ‘Girls Night In’ campaign.
Six Barrel Drafthouse will also support the campaign, with the manager Ezra Watson saying that “you can’t and shouldn’t ignore it”.
The boycott on Wednesday, October 27 is taking place following the increase in spiking reports in Nottingham.
Nottinghamshire Police have revealed that they had received 44 spiking reports since September 4.
Twelve of these incidents have reported being spiked with something sharp, instead of through their drinks.
Following the reports, The Playwright, a popular pub among Nottingham students, will also host regular female-only nights, in collaboration with NTU’s Feminist Society and Women’s Welfare society.
The first “girls’ night” will take place on Wednesday, November 3, from 6-11 pm and it will host informative presentations around spiking.
The happy hour offer will also run all night and women’s toilets will be permanently stocked with female sanitary products.
Megan Lewis, NTU’s Feminist Society President, said: “We decided to work with The Playwright to work towards having more safe spaces for women as we want them to feel safe when they are having fun on nights out.
“This is one massive step in working towards stopping spiking and making women feel safe.”
Holly Holman, NTU Childhood Psychology student, added: “I think it’s a great initiative and definitely a step in the right direction.
“I would like to see more bars following suit in the future as women’s safety should always be a priority.”
The Night Time Industries Association is calling for a Home Office inquiry into drink spiking.
CEO Michael Kill said: “The NTIA are very concerned to learn about the reported increase in the number of spiking incidents taking place across the country.
“We support all those coming forward to speak about their experiences.
“It goes without saying that everyone should be able to enjoy a night out without fearing for their own safety, and we are saddened to hear that some don’t feel this way.
“There is a lot that we as a sector are already doing to try to tackle drink spiking.”
Home Secretary Priti Patel has ordered the police for an urgent update on the investigations relating to spiking.
The Commons Home Affairs Committee have also tasked the police to urgently assess the scale of the problem around the country.
Lead image: Rucsandra Moldoveanu (inset: Girls Night In Nottingham)