‘We’re told as women to stay safe, but we’re never actually taught how to do that.’
That’s something that Sarah Schofield, 56, of Carlisle, owner of an innovative and fast growing women’s safety business, is working to change.
The Safe Woman was founded by Sarah just 12 months ago, with a goal of equipping women with self defence techniques both practical and physical to protect themselves throughout their lives.
Inspired by her own personal experiences of being a victim of a crime, over the past year, Sarah has taught dozens of women from all walks of life – from corporate workers to girl guides across Cumbria and beyond.
She said: “Setting up The Safe Woman was kind of my healing journey. I developed PTSD and I didn’t want to feel like that anymore, I’d become a recluse essentially.
“My husband worked overseas, so it was very very difficult, and I just thought I can’t continue like this.
“So I learnt some self defence, I did a lot of research about how to make myself feel better and I had a bit of therapy, and I thought, that’s great, I’m now functioning, fantastic.
“At first I had no thoughts of turning it into a business, until my accountant from David Allen Accountants in Dalston was attacked in Carlisle. She knew my story and background and she said you have to turn this into a business.
“She said to me she would give me support to set up and get going, so I spent about a year working on The Safe Woman and developing it.”
Unlike traditional self-defence classes, Sarah’s workshops consist of personal risk assessment, avoidance, de-escalation and release techniques designed specifically for women.
Sessions are also adaptable for women of all ages, body types, fitness levels and abilities, including those with mobility challenges.
They last around three hours and are tailored to fit the needs of different groups of women, be it for commuters, lone workers, girl guides, women going on a gap year, travelling or in university.
Sarah has tried, tested and designed the workshops based on feedback – making them exclusively made for and designed by women.
Her workshops were also accredited through the British Marital Arts Boxing Association in March.
She added: “The original techniques that I’d been taught were too violent for me and it wasn’t quite right. I’m not a super athlete ninja, I’m just a normal person and I can’t do things like throwing people over my shoulder.
“I came across this book in a used bookshop and it was on World War Two techniques that were made specifically for women by someone who was teaching dirty fighting tactics to Special Forces and the Special Operations Executive.
“But he also realised women can’t do all that stuff, so he basically wrote women’s safety in 40 pages, but then World War Two finished and we forgot all about it.
“Some of the techniques in it, if you did them today you’d go to prison, but my husband works in security and he’s former military, so we worked on some of the techniques to update them.
“They’re all compliant with today’s laws and ways we do things. I also looked at the pictures in the book and there’s this tiny woman, she’s got her victory rolls, tea dress on and heels and I thought this is it, women have to be able to do this stuff in their normal clothes.
“When these techniques were taught, they were designed to be taught quickly, and this is what these techniques are about.
“We’re not going to be dressed up in our gym clothes, we’re not going to be warmed up and ready for someone coming at us.
“We’ve got to think fast, do it fast and we’ve got to get away.”
Sarah has held workshops for girls aged 14 all the way up to women aged 85 plus and said it’s a joy to watch the women she teaches build confidence.
She added: “When I teach these moves in workshops, the look on women’s faces, they light up and say oh my god, I can do this. I get such a kick of out telling them, yes you can!
“They all go home and practice on their partners, dads and brothers, which is amazing, because it also spreads the word about women’s safety.
“People often ask me why I don’t teach men, but I am teaching men, it’s teaching them by stealth. I taught some girl guides and I had dads come in and say this is amazing, I’ve got some bruises and they’ve got some skills!
“We’re always told as women to stay safe, but we’re never actually taught how to do that. I think that every woman has the right to feel safe and to know what to do to keep themselves safe.
“That’s why I’m so passionate about spreading the word, we should be taught this stuff as standard.”
Sarah said she is also often asked to tailor her workshops in response to major incidents.
She said: “I’ve got some fantastic contacts and experts in the industry so for example when the train stabbings happened, everyone wanted to know what to do.
“So I phoned a friend from the British Transport Police and said what is your advice. But it’s completely down to the group if they’d like me to cover these kind of things.”
Sarah also never photographs her sessions, as a way of keeping the skills learnt in her workshops protected while also protecting the identity of the people who attend.
She said: “I don’t know what women’s situations are at home, so I’m not going to sit there and plaster someone’s face all over the internet.
“This is why there are no pictures on my website or social media, I am not going to be that person. I’ve had people say I should put my stuff on TikTok and make a fortune, but that is not what it is about.
“If I put these moves on the internet, the element of surprise is gone.
“So it has all literally been word of mouth between women and in one year it has been amazing. I’ve already achieved so much, just through by women talking to other women, this is the power we have!”
Sarah added that she has watched her workshops create spaces where women can come together, learn, laugh and build confidence in a safe environment.
She added: “Because there’s no camera and nobody filming and because it is a safe space, we just laugh, which sounds strange when you’re talking about serious things.
“But we know we can make fools of ourselves because it’s safe and that laughter is a sign of that.
“I’m mental health first aid trained and I’m also able to sign post people and that’s all part of it too. We have a chat at the end of the workshops and that’s normally when serious stuff comes out.
“I love teaching these workshops because the power and energy created by women having this space is extraordinary, so much gets talked about and sorted out.
“I love what I do, because I know what it’s like to feel really really scared, and have no power and not know what to do.
“But I also know what it feels like when you figure out what to do and how to do it and you think wow, I can do this now.”
Sarah is planning to keep growing The Safe Woman in the coming years.
Workshops are able to be booked by any interested group of women, workplace, organisation, educational establishment or club.
