Cheltenham keeps Purple Flag safety status for 11th year
Cheltenham retains Purple Flag status for an 11th year, with volunteers, police, council and venues backing a safe night out, while some local businesses raise daytime safety concerns.
How it was covered
- BBC One was the only channel found covering it.
- Channel 5, BBC News, BBC Two, Channel 4, GB News, ITV and Sky News: not found in tracked broadcasts.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
Cheltenham has retained Purple Flag status for the 11th consecutive year. The award recognises a town or city that provides a safe and welcoming night out for everyone. Venues in the town have been lighting up purple to celebrate Purple Flag Awareness Month, and the status is seen as making Cheltenham an attractive offer for an evening out.
A shared effort
The purple flag is not the work of one organisation. Volunteers including the Cheltenham Guardians and Street Pastors work alongside the police, the council, improved street lighting and venue staff. Staff in entertainment venues are trained to recognise problems early, stay calm, respond and help people get home safely.
Venue concerns
Steve Burrows, speaking about his bar, said the more welcoming and safe Cheltenham is, the better it is for venues like his. He said people are not coming out every Friday and Saturday as they once did and tend to come for special occasions. Much of his business is female-led, he said, so customers need to feel safe when they venture into town and come to his venue.
Annual challenge
Keeping the flag is not automatic. It has to be applied for each year and the town's bid team is paying for a three-month trial of two community support officers to patrol at the busiest times. The officers will walk around the town, speak to people who are concerned and point them towards the police and other agencies.
Daytime concerns
Safety is not only an after-hours issue. Local business owners Tanya and Yaz said they can feel unsafe during the day. They cited shoplifting from John Lewis, police vans, fights and intoxicated people, and said the High Street, which was less problematic years ago, is now a particular concern. Cheltenham says it will always listen to concerns and work to make the town as safe as possible so the Purple Flag can keep flying.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| Cheltenham received an international safety award for the 11th year in a row. | |
| Cheltenham's bid team is funding a three-month trial of two community support officers at the busiest times. | |
| The Purple Flag award requires an annual application. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC ONE West opened its bulletin with an unrelated bomb disposal incident before turning to Cheltenham's Purple Flag. Its package, by reporter Steve Knibbs, balanced the award with practical detail on volunteers, venue training and the annual application. It also gave space to local business owners who said daytime antisocial behaviour and the High Street remained a concern.
- “Cheltenham is celebrating being given an international award for safety for the 11th year in a row.”
- “The purple flag isn't just about one thing, it's a collaborative effort from volunteers like the Cheltenham Guardians and Street Pastors to the police, the council, putting in better street lighting and the way that venues and its staff understand safety.”
- “The challenge though is keeping the purple flag as it has to be applied for each year so there's no complacency.”
Who was on air
People and organisations each channel put on air while covering this story. Channels' own presenters and reporters are not listed. Names as transcribed, and the list can miss people.
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.