Safe Browsing
UK SAYS NO MORE and Hestia have teamed up with TSB to call for more community-based organisations to join our Safe Spaces scheme to reach 5,000 locations by the end of the year. We found that two thirds (68%) of polling respondents1 are unaware of domestic abuse help available on the high street.
Currently, there are 4,283 Safe Spaces across the UK2, with pharmacies accounting for 60 percent of the network and banks 40 percent.
Hestia data shows that someone accessed a Safe Space in a pharmacy or bank every day last year.
Safe Spaces provide secure and discreet refuge for those seeking to escape an abuser and access support and signposting. Locations across the UK are in addition to Safe Spaces online3, which ensures people can find services discreetly if they are unable to visit a physical location. Hestia data shows that someone accessed a Safe Space in a pharmacy or bank every day last year. Accompanying polling shows almost a third (28%) of respondents know someone who has sought help related to domestic abuse. A quarter of women (25%) and almost a fifth (19%) of men reported having experienced domestic or economic abuse. Official figures from the ONS4 reveal that approximately one in four (25.8%) people experience domestic abuse in their lifetime.
During No More Week, UK SAYS NO MORE and Hestia, backed by participating pharmacies and banks is raising awareness of this vital scheme – as we find over nine in 10 (92%) are unaware that some banks offer Safe Spaces, and almost four fifths (79%) are unaware that some pharmacies offer the scheme. And almost six in 10 (57%) had not heard of Safe Spaces at all.
Domestic abuse can lead to serious physical and mental harm – and in the worst cases, loss of life.
Of those (22%) who had experienced abuse – three quarters (76%) said it had impacted them financially. Debt (52%), lacking money confidence (36%), poverty (33%), and credit rating, (31%) were the most common issues faced.
The banks and pharmacies offering the scheme have specially trained colleagues able to provide victim-survivors with access to private spaces where they can make confidential phone calls to helplines, or friends and family members.
Patrick Ryan, Chief Executive, Hestia, said:
“Safe Spaces is a powerful example of what can be achieved when the charity and business sector come together to find innovative solutions for societal problems. We launched Safe Spaces during the pandemic, and it continues to grow and be used every day by people experiencing domestic abuse.
“The impact is life-changing, and in some cases lifesaving. We are hugely grateful to our many partners including TSB who are the backbone of this vital support on the high street, and we urge other community-based organisations to come forward and join the scheme to ensure we can reach everyone who needs us.”
Kate Osiadacz, Head of Responsible Business, TSB, said:
“We’ve seen first-hand the life-changing impact that Safe Spaces in branch, and online can have, in helping people escape an abusive and dangerous situation.
“With an alarming rate of domestic and economic abuse across the UK, we would encourage all relevant businesses to use their resources to provide what can be vital refuge and routes to safety.”
1 The research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 2,000 UK Nat Rep Respond-ents (18+). The data was collected between 18.02.2026 – 23.02.2026. Censuswide is a member of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the British Polling Council (BPC), and a signatory of the Global Data Quality Pledge. We adhere to the MRS Code of Conduct and ESOMAR principles
2 Organisations hosting Hestia’s community Safe Spaces programme:
Pharmacies: Boots Pharmacies, MediCare Pharmacies, Morrisons Pharmacies plus many independent pharmacies
Banks and Building Societies: AIB, HSBC, Metro Bank, Nationwide, NatWest, Progressive Building Society, RBS, Santander, Swansea Building Society, The Co-operative Bank, TSB Bank, Ulster Bank, Virgin Money
3 Online Safe Spaces offers individuals a route to connect to signposting services via a discreet portal hosted on organisations’ websites that will not leave a trace on search history. Last year this was used 30,000 times.
Over 90 businesses host Online Safe Spaces on their websites, including British Gas, Network Rail, Post Office, Thames Water, and TSB Bank.4 Office for National Statistics (ONS), released 26 November 2025, ONS website, statistical bulletin, Domestic abuse in England and Wales overview: November 2025
