The pub has long served as a refuge – a place to escape daily troubles, frustrated spouses, or simply the relentless dreariness of a Tuesday afternoon. Now Wandsworth Council has made it official, partnering with local businesses including the Prince of Wales in Putney and the King’s Head in Roehampton to launch a “Safe Haven” scheme.
One might reasonably ask what’s changed. Publicans have been offering sanctuary, a glass of water, and use of the phone since approximately 1750. But there is a serious point here, and it’s worth explaining in plain terms.
The formalisation matters. A Safe Haven isn’t just any pub you can duck into – it’s a business that has explicitly committed to helping anyone who needs it, with trained staff and a clear protocol. The window sticker removes the awkwardness. You’re not interrupting someone’s shift or imposing on their goodwill. You’re using a service they’ve signed up to provide.
More importantly, there’s no expectation you’ll buy anything. That matters when your phone’s died and you need to call someone, or you feel unsafe and want somewhere to wait for a taxi.
The practical reality
This scheme exists for those grey-area moments where you need help but it’s not an emergency. Safe Haven staff can call you a taxi or a friend, charge your phone, give you water, let you sit somewhere safe while you sort yourself out, or call emergency services if needed. It’s designed for the situations that sit awkwardly between “I’m fine” and “I need police.”
The scheme particularly matters for women and girls, who are more likely to find themselves in situations where they feel uncomfortable but not quite endangered enough to dial 999. Wandsworth is statistically the safest inner London borough, but statistics don’t help much when you’re walking home alone at night. The Safe Haven sticker means there’s a door you can walk through, no questions asked.
In Putney and Roehampton, the Prince of Wales and King’s Head have joined, along with venues across the borough including libraries, Battersea Arts Centre, and various restaurants. Look for the Safe Haven logo in windows or on noticeboards. The council website lists all participating venues, and they’re also marked on the WalkSafe+ personal safety app.
John Busuioc, deputy manager at the King’s Head, says the pub is “proud to join the scheme and welcome its positive impact on our community.” It’s part of the council’s broader work on violence against women and girls, which has seen investment doubled to include awareness training, specialist domestic abuse services, and monthly safe spaces at Clapham Junction.
Venues that want to join can find details at wandsworth.gov.uk/safe-havens. The barriers to entry are refreshingly low: be willing to help, display a sticker, brief your staff.
A return to form
So Wandsworth Council has created official Safe Havens in establishments that have functioned as informal safe havens since someone first hung a sign outside and called it a public house. The scheme formalises what good publicans have done instinctively for centuries.
At least no one can now accuse the council of not supporting traditional British institutions. They’ve simply made the pub’s age-old role official, complete with window stickers and a webpage. One imagines medieval innkeepers would be bemused by the bureaucracy but broadly approving of the intent.
Welcome back to what you’ve always been, Putney pubs. The council has your sign ready.
Safe Haven brilliant idea ! All pubs should have this in place.