The Sandwell community is preparing to take a powerful stand against gender-based violence with a Reclaim the Night walk in Oldbury next week. This family-friendly event aims to send a clear message of solidarity and demand safer public spaces for women and girls across the borough.
A United Stand for Safety and Respect
Organised by the Safer Sandwell Partnership in collaboration with Black Country Women's Aid, Sandwell Council, and West Midlands Police, the walk forms a key part of ongoing action against gender-based violence in the Black Country. The core mission is to support women and girls in reclaiming their right to feel safe in public, while actively promoting a culture built on respect, equality, and accountability.
Councillor Suzanne Hartwell, Sandwell Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Community, underscored the event's importance. "We are proud to work with our partners and communities to raise awareness, support survivors and take action," she said. "Every woman and girl deserves to feel safe in our borough – and we will not stop until that is a reality."
Event Details: A Peaceful, Accessible March
The walk is scheduled for Monday, December 8, starting at 4pm. Participants will gather at the Sandwell Council House on Freeth Street in Oldbury. The event is designed to be inclusive and flexible, running until approximately 7pm.
The route will involve loops around well-lit streets and pavements in Oldbury, allowing people to join for the entire event or drop in and out as they wish. It is described as a peaceful, stewarded, and family-friendly gathering, open to all residents, staff from partner organisations, and community members.
How to Get Involved
The council encourages everyone who lives, works, or studies in Sandwell to participate. To help organisers plan safely for numbers, attendees are asked to register in advance via the Eventbrite website.
Councillor Hartwell highlighted the walk's role in the wider Sandwell Stands 16 Days of Action campaign. "Our Reclaim the Night Walk is a very visible opportunity... to share our united, powerful message that violence will not be tolerated, and that help is available," she stated.
By walking together, the community aims to visibly say no to violence, harassment, and abuse, show support for survivors, and celebrate the strength found in local solidarity.
