Why Are People Across Cornwall Preparing to ‘Reclaim the Night’?

The Women’s Centre Cornwall is inviting people across Cornwall to gather in Newquay on Thursday 5th December 2025 to honour women whose lives have been taken by male violence and to call for safety and freedom for women and girls.

Spotlight on Online and Digital Abuse

This year marks the 21st consecutive Reclaim The Night event hosted by The Women’s Centre Cornwall. The event sits within the #UprtootingMisogyny 16 Days of Activism campaign, which begins on 25th November, and will focus on the growing issue of online and digital abuse while continuing to highlight all forms of male violence.

In the press release, Jackie May, CEO of The Women’s Centre Cornwall, said: “For 21 years, we have invited the community to reclaim women’s rights to safety, dignity and freedom from violence and abuse. This year, as we see misogyny expanding further into digital spaces, our message is louder than ever. Our lives are increasingly lived online and technology is continually shaping how we connect. The online world has become another realm in which women and girls face male violence, and it is no less ‘real’ or harmful. Online abuse demands the same urgent response as other forms of abuse.”

Jackie May added: “We also gather to honour the women and children whose lives have been taken and to carry their memory forward. Reclaim The Night is a powerful reminder of the epidemic of violence against women and girls, and that change begins when we stand together in solidarity and build upon the work we do year-round to support women and girls at The Women’s Centre Cornwall.”

The Scale of Violence Against Women and Girls

The release sets out the ongoing urgency of the issue. Nationally, 1 in 3 women will experience sexual or domestic abuse in their lifetime. In Cornwall, around 14,740 women experience domestic abuse each year, and an estimated 2,500 women are raped or sexually assaulted locally.

What Will Happen on the Night

The event will begin at 6.00pm at the Killacourt bandstand in Newquay with a candlelit vigil represented by a photo frame and candle to honour lives lost. Live music will follow from Gabrielle Green along with a dance performance by the Young Empowered Women’s Group. Women who have accessed support at The Women’s Centre Cornwall will also share spoken word poetry.

The women’s march is expected to start at about 7.30pm with local samba musicians accompanying the procession.

Everyone is welcome to attend the vigil and performances, including men. The march from 7.30pm is for women only. The event is wheelchair accessible, and attendees are encouraged to wear or bring something red in keeping with this year’s theme. Flowers, torches, fairy lights or anything that helps make people visible at night are also welcome.

Two safe warm spaces, MIX Newquay and Sprout, will be open for anyone who needs emotional support on the night.

Wet Weather Plan

If the weather turns, the vigil will move to St Michael the Archangel Church on St Michael’s Road in Newquay.

About The Women’s Centre Cornwall

The Women’s Centre Cornwall provides free specialist support across Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Eastwood Park Prison. Run by women for women, it offers a women-centred and empowering approach to healing for those affected by sexual and domestic abuse. The charity has been supporting women and girls aged 11 and over since 1996 through specialist services, training and community activities.

Its vision is a world in which women and girls are safe, respected and empowered to fulfil their potential free from violence, inequality and oppression.