Liverpool John Moores sports teams are set to join students at next week’s Reclaim the Night march, amid safety concerns for women walking home from late-night training sessions.
The annual march, organised by the John Moores Student’s Union, takes place on Thursday 4 December and is expected to draw hundreds of supporters. This year will see an increase of participants from the university’s sports teams, with several clubs encouraging members to attend together.
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Reclaim the Night is a physical movement that empowers people to take a stand against sexual violence, street harassment and gender-based abuse. It was originally founded in the 1970s, campaigning to give women a unified voice to demand safer streets and greater protection under the law.
A number of LJMU athletes have raised concerns about travelling home after late-night training sessions, making Reclaim the Night particularly relevant to the university sporting community.
Megan Day, charity officer for LJMU Women’s Football, told MerseySportLive: “Our training finishes quite late on Monday nights, meaning walking home can sometimes be quite daunting in the dark.
“This is why my teammates and I will be supporting the march next Thursday, to help us and other girls walk home without fear.”
Multiple universities across Liverpool will be involved in the march. Ellie Baldwin, Liverpool Hope Students’ Union Sustainability Rep, said she is marching “for the next generation.”
Holly Thompson, Deputy President of the Liverpool Guild, said: “I’m marching so I don’t get harassed every time I leave the house, and so I can have some peace.”
Alex Toomath, Liverpool Hope’s Vice President of Education, said: “I’m marching to be able to walk home safely at night.”
To show their support towards the movement, the LJMU MMA society has launched their own self-defence classes, designed to equip female students with practical skills, confidence and awareness.
The society took to social media to say: “Reclaim the Night reminds us that every woman deserves to feel safe on our campus, in our communities, and in every space we move through.”
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Reclaim the Night organisers have welcomed the support from LJMU sport’s teams, discovering the presence of clubs helps to frame women’s safety as a wider community issue, rather than just the individual responsibility of the Student’s Union.
As many students look towards next Thursday, this march gives them hope for a safer environment after dark.
The march will start at 5:30pm from the Bombed Out Church, located in the city-centre.
