Residents, businesses, educational settings, voluntary groups, and council staff can now access free training to learn key skills to safely intervene if they witness an incident of harassment or any type of inappropriate behaviour.
The initiative comes as part of Camden’s ongoing work to make the borough a safer place, particularly for women and girls, calling on everyone to help tackle behaviour that makes anyone feel uncomfortable.
A variety of specialist training sessions are available, including an online course with the Suzy Lamplugh Trust or an in-person workshop delivered by Protection Approaches.
The training explains what it means to be an ‘active bystander’ and how to take positive actions to prevent or reduce harm if you witness an incident of sexual harassment, intimidating behaviour, or prejudice.
Councillor Pat Callaghan, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Safer Communities, said:
“We’re determined to help everyone feel safer in Camden. Sadly, we hear too often that this isn’t the case particularly for women and girls.
“We want to encourage others to play their part by safely challenging and intervening if they witness sexual harassment, discrimination, or prejudice on our streets and report it.
“I strongly urge anyone and any organisation in Camden to sign up to the training and learn to become active bystanders, so we can work together to make Camden feel a safer place for everyone.”
Saskia Garner, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Suzy Lamplugh Trust, said:
“Everyone deserves to feel safe. Yet, our research reveals a disturbing reality: many people, most especially women, are subjected to harassment in public spaces. This is unacceptable. The Stand Up Against Harassment bystander intervention training is designed to tackle this pervasive issue head-on. By partnering with L’Oreal Paris through the Stand Up initiative, we are committed to equipping people with the tools to confront public harassment. Trained bystanders have the power to make a real difference, offering crucial support to victims and enhancing their sense of safety. We are thrilled to bring this vital training to Camden and hope that the public will sign up too, so we can work together to foster a community where everyone can feel safe.”
Places are available to book online to a session on Thursday 25 September 2025. You can also register your interest for other dates via our online form.
Camden is also undertaking joint work with the police on Women’s Safety Walkabouts with residents to understand and address safety concerns in specific areas.
The council’s ‘In Camden we call it out’ campaign is raising awareness of the types of behaviour that are unacceptable – including catcalling, wolf-whistling, and intrusive staring. The aim is to encourage bystanders to report this behaviour and if possible, safely intervene to support anyone experiencing it.
