Stamp Out Spiking across Plymouth

My name is Dawn Dines and I am CEO of Stamp Out Spiking, a drink spiking awareness training Community Interest Company based in the South West.

We are launching a Crowdfund campaign to raise funds for training front line workers, e.g. Street Pastors, Bar Staff, Managers of Licensed Premises, Door Staff, Taxi Drivers and all other personnel associated with the night-time economy, throughout Plymouth. With the cases of drink spiking on the rise across the South West, this is a call to arms to take vital action to protect the public against this heinous crime.

Where the money will go

• With this money, our main aim is to train front line workers such as Street Pastors, Bar Staff, Managers of Licensed Premises, Door Staff and all other personnel associated with the night-time economy, throughout Plymouth.
• Accreditation and training for nightclubs, restaurants & bars throughout Plymouth.
• Additional funding will go towards free online courses for the general public to understand the symptoms and a clear call to action to safeguard yourself against this crime. If more additional funding is raised, a Public Awareness video will be made to raise awareness and give a clear call to action on what to do if you or your friends get spiked.

How we will implement this campaign

• We will train all staff members in night clubs across the city.
• We will run an ad campaign with City Bus
• We will provide awareness on drink spiking issues throughout the city.

Who will benefit

• With cases of drink spiking on the rise in the South West, by training Night-Time Economy personnel and making the public more aware of how to protect themselves, our campaign will benefit everyone in the local community. Drink spiking not only affects the victim, but it damages the reputation of the venue, it puts a burden on the emergency services and it puts people off going out and having fun.

Why are we doing this campaign

• After Girl’s Night In, last year, we do not want this to end with a situation in the future where people start to boycott bars and nightclubs
• Our CEO is a member on Plymouth Gossip Girls,  https://www.facebook.com/plymouthgossipgirls/, and has witnessed numerous reports of drink spiking happening around the city. The girls have been reporting drink spiking incidents on this platform which have happened all across the city, especially associated with two separate nightclubs.

 By providing front line workers with this vital training, this knowledge can be cascaded throughout the community and will help to combat offenders and protect the public from drink spiking. As part of our training, we will also provide posters & social media awareness, as well as our anti drink spiking foils (Stoptopps).

 Our extensive research has provided clear indication that there is a severe lack of knowledge and understanding of drink spiking offending, as well as the breadth of this crime affecting both men and women.

Our training will include:

> How to minimise the chances of being spiked.

> How to spot the signs that someone has been spiked.

> Vital steps to take to safeguard the vulnerable victim.

> Develop In-House procedures to record and protect, including a risk assessment.

> What steps to take to try and identify the perpetrator.

Training key personnel will provide front-line workers with the necessary knowledge on drink spiking so they can safeguard the general public and their staff members against this crime.

We aim to expand our range of training courses throughout Plymouth which will allow staff to gain vital awareness and education to help safeguard correctly in a standardised and uniform approach. As part of this campaign, we will advertise our courses on our website and social media platforms. Our ambassadors in Universities and Colleges will also help to promote this course. We expect to run this training scheme for approximately 10 months.

Drink spiking is a crime that leads to more severe crimes which impact the emergency services and the public alike. No one should have to experience the horror of drink spiking and by taking steps to prevent this crime, we can dramatically improve lives as well as the wellbeing of our society, which will ensure happier and brighter futures. Improving nightlife safety will substantially contribute to make sure the local community is a safer and happier place. 

Videos:

Our CEO, Dawn Dines, appears on GMTV:

Our CEO, Dawn Dines, speak to Parliament as an Expert Witness in an inquiry into drink spiking: