Cheltenham is glowing purple this October. Buildings across the town are being lit up in the colour to mark Purple Flag Awareness Month, a celebration of the work that goes into making town and city nights out safer and more welcoming.
Why purple?
Purple Flag is a national accreditation handed out across the UK and Ireland to places that do well at evening and night-time life. The judging looks at safety, diversity, cleanliness and vibrancy. Cheltenham has held the accreditation for 11 years, and this month the colour is being projected onto buildings around the town as a visible reminder of it.
The people behind the scheme
Councillor Jamie Jamieson, Cheltenham Borough Council’s lead for communities, said the accreditation shows the town can offer a lively nightlife while keeping everyone safe. He pointed to more than a decade of work with the police and the Business Improvement District (BID) to make the town centre safer after dark.
A large part of that, he said, comes down to how individual venues run. Staff training is central, so that people working in bars and clubs can spot trouble early, stay calm and know how to respond. Julie Reader-Sullivan, chief executive of the BID, said the aim is for people of every age to feel safe walking around town, and that the scheme is always asking how things can be done better.
A view from the businesses
Steve Burrows, owner of Mr Cambrays Curiosity, is one of the venues taking part. He said a lot of his customers are women and that he needs them to feel safe coming into town and to his venue. For him, safety has to hold up all year round, for residents as well as visitors.
Not everyone feels the same
Not every local is convinced. Tanya Buxton, who runs a business in the town, said she has seen a lot of shoplifting, police vans and fights, and feels Cheltenham has become less safe over the years, particularly on the High Street. Young people Grace and Daisy, both 18, said they generally feel safe on nights out, pointing to police, bouncers and the way people look out for each other in a town of Cheltenham’s size.
What happens next
Purple Flag status has to be reapplied for every year, so the council is already working on the 2027 application. The campaign is a reminder that the town’s night-time economy depends on people feeling safe, and that it is worth paying attention to the lights while they are on.
