Mayor announces £15.6m fund for safer London streets

A new £15.6 million fund has been established to enhance safety across London's streets, parks, and public areas, with a specific focus on women and girls. Mayor Sadiq Khan announced the initiative on 4 September 2026, describing it as a key part of a larger £37 million strategy to combat violence against women and girls (VAWG) in the city.

The investment aims to support local authorities in implementing safety improvements. These enhancements will be informed by the insights and experiences of women and girls who live and travel within London's communities. Potential upgrades include better lighting, installation of more CCTV, elimination of blind spots, and redesigning spaces to increase visibility and openness.

Wider Strategy and Investment

The £15.6 million fund is one component of the Mayor's comprehensive strategy to address VAWG, which also encompasses prevention, victim support, and perpetrator accountability. This wider strategy includes significant allocations for other initiatives. £6 million is designated to combat rising tech-enabled abuse, such as harassment via mobile devices and social media. Another £6 million will support the Mayor’s VAWG Grassroots Fund, aiding community groups that offer legal advice, counselling, and other services to survivors.

Further funding includes £3 million for a new specialist service to help victims gain skills and employment, promoting financial independence from abusers. An additional £3 million will go to the Violence Reduction Unit to tackle online harms, providing targeted mentoring for girls and interventions for boys, including school sessions on masculinity and resilience. The strategy also allocates £2.4 million to expand support for victims of child sexual exploitation and grooming gangs, £1 million for public awareness campaigns challenging misogyny, and £100,000 to extend the Mayor’s independent legal advice pilot for survivors of sexual violence.

Since 2016, Mayor Khan has invested a total of £318 million to tackle VAWG, adopting a public health approach. This approach includes prevention, victim support, and holding perpetrators accountable. The Mayor's office reported improvements in police investigations, prosecution rates for rape, and an increase in the number of women who feel safe walking alone after dark.

Partnership and Implementation

The £15.6 million fund will be delivered through a collaborative effort between City Hall, the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), and Transport for London (TfL). Siwan Hayward, TfL's director of security, policing and enforcement, stated that the investment will support practical improvements based on feedback from over 3,000 women, girls, and parents across London.

Andrea Simon, London’s Victims Commissioner, welcomed the holistic and ambitious vision, noting the importance of specialist support for victims' recovery and addressing harmful misogynistic attitudes. The Metropolitan Police also expressed support, with Deputy Assistant Commissioner Kevin Southworth highlighting transformed approaches to VAWG and increased arrests and charges for rape offences.

What Happens Next

The Mayor is expected to officially launch the new fund. Further details on the specific projects and timelines for the implementation of safety improvements across London's public spaces are anticipated.