Self defence workshops for women are being held in Peterborough as nights are getting darker
72% of women in the UK change their outdoor activity routines during winter
Self defence workshops in Peterborough are aiming to keep women safer as nights are getting darker.
This comes as many women in the UK are changing their outdoor activity routines during winter.
This is a rise from the previous year which showed under half changing when they do activities.
Women are taking more precautions to stay safe
Research highlights the precautions women are taking to stay safe when getting active outdoors after the clocks have gone back.
Immortal 365, a martial arts school in Peterborough, hold free self defence courses throughout the year for women and children.
Donations given for the classes go to a range of charities.
They aim to spread self-defence knowledge, including the use of reasonable force and basic techniques to deter assailants.
Peter Holmes, co owner of immortal 365, said:
"There was a girl on our course who was really timid. She did the whole course and loved it.
"A few weeks later we got an email saying she was attacked whilst in London. She did the techniques we had shown her, and she was able to get away.
"We can't defend people. We can't go out and put a cape on; we don't run around like Batman or anything like that.
"The best thing we can do is get people to think for themselves and hopefully look after themselves or their family and friends."
It's just not safe out there
One in four women ensure to take well-lit routes and 23% of women avoid certain areas altogether.
As well as this, 20% glance behind them to ensure they’re not being followed.
A similar study last year found 46% of women were changing their outdoor activity routines during the darker months.
This indicates a rise in safety concerns and the impact of shorter daylight hours on women's ability to get active as winter approaches.
Co owner of Immortal 365, Steven Lloyd, said:
"We both have children. We both have young girls. I don't want my children walking around alone at night let alone anybody else.
"It's just not safe out there.
"We strategically try and plan when we run our classes."