I’ve created an app that helps keep women safe at night – and now I’m bringing it to Manchester

But now there’s a new app launched in Manchester aiming to help people feel safer and look-out for loved ones when they’re out and about in the city.  WalkSafe is the work of entrepreneur Emma Kay, who has collaborated with Manchester City Council to roll-out the app as part of its efforts to improve night time safety in the city. 

The app includes a variety of features, including journey tracking and route planning, and it’s completely free to download and use. We went to the launch event to find out more about how it works and the ongoing work the council is doing to keep our streets safe. 

How it started

Emma founded WalkSafe shortly after her daughter was born. Like many women today, she learned about sexual harassment the hard way at a young age. As the daughter of a Met police officer, she also grew up in a household with strict rules for staying safe. 

She told ManchesterWorld: “It all started when I was 12-years-old, walking myself to and from school. I had to walk through a grotty route and it was right by a park, there was no other way of getting to school. There wasn't a bus like there is now. I definitely knew that trying to get from A to B, there’s understanding that you can't go through your daily life without feeling unsafe.

Her lived experience was her motivation for creating the app. She said: “I think combining that with having children really gave me that strong call to action. Looking at my daughter, she's five, and thinking in seven years time, that would have been me when I was entering into the world and I was trying to navigate it. 

“If we could stop the future generation or indeed women now, of all ages, feeling unsafe and to give them those tools to make them feel empowered and make safer choices, then I feel like that's a good job done.”

Emma describes WalkSafe as a “family-born, passion project” which has gone from strength to strength since its foundation in 2020. In recent years, there have been several high-profile cases of gender-based violence that have only confirmed the need for initiatives like WalkSafe. After the murder of Sarah Everard in Clapham in 2021 at the hands of a Met police officer, the app was downloaded 500,000 times. 

“I don't think we were prepared for how well it was received. As soon as it was out into the world, WalkSafe has taken me on this journey and I feel like I'm just following it. I feel very lucky and very privileged to be doing this. I love trying to tackle gender-based violence and really feel that this is a calling,” Emma said.

What it means for Manchester

The app’s launch in Manchester goes hand-in-hand with the council’s Women’s Night-time Safety Charter, which was created in 2022. The charter invites pubs, clubs and gyms and other venues that are open during the night to participate and receive free training on what to do if an incident of gender-based or sexual violence takes place on the premises. It focuses on raising awareness and building a network of businesses across Manchester committed to reducing gender-based violence.

When the charter was first launched, the goal was to get 100 businesses and organisations signed up. Today, the total stands at 400.

These ‘safe spaces’ are also available for WalkSafe users to view and seek out via the app if they feel unsafe when walking home. Speaking to ManchesterWorld at the WalkSafe launch event, deputy council leader Joanna Midgely said: “What we've found is that it's been really useful for people to share incidents that have happened in their pubs, clubs and shops and how they've dealt with it and how they could do better. So it's creating that community of organisations that are keen to make sure that they keep women safe at night.”

Councillor Midgely also explained how the app will contribute to the work of the charter and its steering group. She told ManchesterWorld: “We're hoping that it will just give people an extra tool so they can stay safe when they're out, and that they feel confident about where they need to go if they need a bit of extra help. And it will just really showcase, as well, all the bars, clubs, shops and organisations that have signed up to the Night Time Safety Charter.”

Despite the success of WalkSafe and the ongoing efforts of the council, a lot of work will still need to be done to eliminate the issue of gender-based violence and sexual harassment. 

Emma said: “As women, we do bear the burden, and we shouldn't do. It's down to those perpetrators and those people who are committing the crimes to change their behaviours. I think that will take societal change, and it will take a lot of time.

“Although we are very pro this, we also recognise that our technology, while that work is being done, can also support people who need instant resources or something in their back pocket that can help them in real time.”

Similarly, Councillor Midgely said: “It would be great if we didn't need a safety app, or we didn't to raise awareness of violence and harassment against women, but unfortunately we do. While we do need to that, we will do whatever we can as a city.”

How does it work?

The app is available to download now for free, having gone live on Wednesday, September 4. It can be used by anyone who feels they need extra reassurance when walking home, not just women. It can also be used by friends and family at home to track your whereabouts and if you get home on time. 

One of the services the app provides is a journey tracker, so your friends and family can know exactly where you are. If you’d rather other people not know your exact whereabouts, you can use the ‘home safe’ feature, which will notify your family and friends if you are not home at the time you specify. Emma says that the app’s most popular feature is the safety map, which plots designated safe spaces nationwide.

More information about WalkSafe, including how to download the app, can be found on the WalkSafe website.  You can also find more information about the Manchester City Council Night Time Safety Charter on the council website, where there is a searchable database of all the businesses and organisations currently signed up.