A new personal safety technology has officially been rolled out in Birmingham, aimed at helping women feel safer on the city's streets. The WalkSafe app, founded by Emma Kay, is a free service now available to all Brummies, offering a range of safety features including journey sharing, a safety map, information on phone charging points, and even locations for free sanitary products.
How the App Works
Emma Kay, 37, founder and CEO of WalkSafe, explained: "WalkSafe is a free app that you can use. You can either download it from Google Play or the App Store." She added: "We started off with journey sharing, but actually we've developed it out now to safety maps. This has reporting in it, the ability to know where is safe around you, so you can click on a venue and see if it offers, for example, Ask For Angela training, or perhaps if you need to charge your phone or you need sanitary products, you know where to head in real time."
Inspiration Behind WalkSafe
Speaking about why she created the app, Kay told BirminghamLive: "I have had a lot of experiences in my life like many people. I've experienced being followed, being catcalled, being sexually harassed and assaulted, and those experiences they stay with you, they shape who you are, they shape how you feel when you leave the house." The mother-of-two described the app initially as a "passion project," but looking at its expansion, she feels both "happy" and "proud" of her work. "I am really happy, proud and privileged to be on the journey because even though it is still quite bittersweet that many of us have to experience these things, I really feel like WalkSafe isn't the full solution, but perhaps it could play a small part in someone's journey and be there for them when they really need it the most."
Future Plans
Kay shared that she would love to continue expanding the app, which is currently used in 35 towns and cities across the UK. "I would love to take our safety map internationally. I would like to expand to as many places in the UK as possible. I would really like to help people that perhaps come to England regularly but perhaps they live abroad. If we were also able to launch in other app stores that would be really helpful too."
Key Features of WalkSafe
- National Safe Space Map - Pinpoints venues and support locations that offer help for anyone in need, regarding welfare, period products, or phone charging.
- Journey Sharing Tools
- SOS Emergency Function - Alerts trusted contacts to your live location.
- Community Reporting - Users can notify issues they spot, such as environmental problems like poor lighting.
- Night-Time Safety Insights - Visibility of local welfare services such as street marshals and night pastors.
The WalkSafe app is free to download and aims to play a small but significant role in enhancing personal safety for women and all users in Birmingham and beyond.
