Hampshire Constabulary open new Bright Spaces in the victim and witness interview suites

Two Bright Spaces in the newly refurbished victim and witness interview (VWI) suites at Hampshire Constabulary’s Support and Training Headquarters at Netley were officially opened today, Tuesday 28 January.

Assistant Chief Constable Ben Snuggs from Hampshire Constabulary and Operations Director, Jackie Kendall from Bright Horizons, attended the ceremony to officially open the Bright Spaces.

The Foundation and its volunteers have transformed a suite of rooms to create homely and welcoming environments, which include comfortable seating and soft furnishings, and an extensive range of high quality resources, art and craft supplies, games, relaxation toys and books. The Bright Spaces are designed to help victims feel at ease and relax, to enable them to provide their best evidence to secure criminal convictions and justice.

DI Matthew Watson said “We are delighted with the new Bright Spaces that have been created at our VWI suites.

“The new furnishings and toys that have been provided by The Foundation have transformed our interview rooms into welcoming, comfortable spaces that will help to support children and vulnerable adults at a time when they need it most.

“I would like to thank everyone involved in helping us create these suites and for helping us to care for our communities.”

Jackie Kendall said, “We are delighted to have opened these Bright Spaces for the Hampshire Constabulary, and hope they will positively impact their vital work across Hampshire to keep vulnerable children safe and supported.”

The project was made possible by Sue Brown, Facilities Manager for Bright Horizons, who completed a trek in China to fundraise thousands of pounds; and a grant from the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children