Dawn Dines, Founder & CEO, Stamp Out Spiking discusses festivals, fun and hidden risks highlighting the importance of volunteer outreach, educational workshops and secured tools like StopTopps to foster safer, more inclusive event environments.

UK’s cultural life

Large-scale festivals and public gatherings are central to the UK’s cultural life.

From music festivals such as Reading and Leeds to rural showcases like the Royal Welsh Show, these events bring hundreds of thousands of people together, offering shared experiences, economic vitality and social connection.

Yet alongside their vibrancy lies a critical challenge: Ensuring the safety of attendees in environments where risks of spiking, substance misuse and other vulnerabilities are heightened.

Spiking: A growing public safety issue

Spiking – the non-consensual administration of alcohol or drugs – has become an increasing concern in the UK.

Data shows thousands of incidents are reported each year, with the true figure being much higher due to under reporting.

Stamp Out Spiking’s data shows over 97% of victims do not report these crimes to the police.

Our latest stats show police reports are increasing and over time this will show us the true extent of these, currently invisible crimes.

Historically seen as an issue confined to nightclubs, spiking is now widely acknowledged as a threat across multiple public spaces: Festivals, transport hubs, hospitality and even private gatherings.

The challenge is multifaceted.

Victims often being left with little or no memory after an event.

Transportation, hospital and police – all key emergency service providers need to be alert to the issue.

Equally, the crime remains under-acknowledged in many safeguarding strategies, leaving gaps in frontline preparedness.

Recognising these risks, Stamp Out Spiking (SOS) has worked to expand its reach into major events and public spaces to raise awareness, support potential victims and train staff and volunteers.

Presence at major events

In summer 2025, SOS volunteers were present at some of the UK’s largest events:

• Reading Festival (August 19–25, 2025): Volunteers provided safeguarding messaging, engaged with festivalgoers and distributed awareness materials, ensuring attendees understood how to spot the signs of spiking and how to respond if they or a friend were targeted
• Leeds Festival (August 19–25, 2025): Parallel to Reading, teams worked across the site, offering advice, reassurance and clear signposting to welfare services
• Royal Welsh Show (July 21–24, 2025): As one of Europe’s largest agricultural shows, attracting families and young people, the Show provided an important opportunity to reach audiences outside the nightlife context. CEO Dawn Dines engaged with visitors about preventative steps, personal safety and the wider campaign to secure legislative recognition of spiking
• Beautiful Days Festival (August 16–18, 2025): This independent festival emphasises community spirit, providing an ideal environment for open conversations about hidden harms and collective responsibility

At each event, SOS’s presence was carefully designed to complement – not duplicate – existing welfare and policing structures.

Volunteers did not replace statutory services but acted as a visible, approachable source of information and reassurance.

Dawn Dines, Founder and CEO, Stamp Out Spiking

“Reading festival gave me the opportunity to speak to hundreds of people.

“My favourite moments were speaking to a big group of young girls who had always shared vapes as they explained it was the social norm but now would not do so anymore.

“Lots of festival goers had not realised soft drinks were as easily spiked as alcoholic.”

Partnership and collaboration

The success of this approach lies in partnerships.

SOS worked alongside event organisers, security contractors, welfare teams and local authorities to embed anti-spiking messaging within wider safeguarding frameworks.

Volunteers were inducted to follow festival-specific health and safety requirements, ensuring alignment with site operations.

Partnerships with councils, chambers of commerce and policing bodies have also been critical in bridging gaps between frontline safeguarding and long-term prevention.

At Reading and Leeds, organisers recognised the value of having trained volunteers visible on-site, complementing medical and welfare teams.

At the Royal Welsh Show, SOS collaborated with agricultural community leaders to extend awareness to rural audiences. 

After being commissioned to provide spiking awareness training it was wonderful to hand out the certificates at the show to all the SAI, taxi drivers, street pastors, bar owners, kindly orchestrated by Dr Greg Langridge-Thomas.

This collaborative ethos demonstrates that safeguarding against spiking is not the responsibility of any one sector.

It requires joined up thinking across hospitality, events, policing, health and civil society.

The role of volunteers

Volunteers formed the backbone of SOS’s presence at major events.

Carefully trained and briefed, they are tasked with three key roles:

1. Education – explaining what spiking is, how it manifests and what support is available
2. Support – signposting festivalgoers to welfare or medical teams when concerns arise
3. Advocacy – gathering feedback, listening to lived experiences and feeding insights into policy discussions

Volunteer involvement also fosters peer-to-peer relatability.

Many attendees found it easier to approach volunteers in branded SOS tabards than to walk up to a police officer or medical tent.

This accessibility lowers the threshold for disclosure and encourages early intervention.

Legislative and policy context

The government’s proposed Crime and Policing Bill 2024–25, which introduces a standalone offence of administering a harmful substance, represents a major milestone in recognising spiking as a distinct crime.

This legislative shift reflects sustained campaigning and public demand for stronger protections.

However, legislation is only one part of the puzzle.

Without widespread training, clear reporting pathways and visible cultural change, the new offence risks remaining under-enforced.

SOS advocates for training across a broader range of frontline workers – not just security personnel but also transport staff, festival volunteers and hospitality teams – ensuring that any potential first responder can act appropriately.

Building safe, inclusive and thriving spaces

Major events are not just about entertainment; they are about creating environments where people feel safe, respected and included.

By embedding anti-spiking measures, festivals and shows signal to audiences that their wellbeing is a priority.

This aligns with broader societal commitments to inclusive public spaces and demonstrates how practical interventions can foster thriving communities.

SOS’s work also highlights the importance of nationwide campaigns.

Beyond individual events, consistent messaging across media, social platforms and on-the-ground engagement builds a cultural shift where spiking is universally condemned and widely understood.

Outcomes and the next steps

The immediate outcomes from this year’s presence at major events included:

• Thousands of direct engagements with the public
• Improved awareness among festivalgoers of what to do if spiking is suspected
• Positive feedback from organisers recognising the value of having SOS volunteers on-site
• New partnerships established with event management and community organisations

Looking ahead, the priority is to move from pilot initiatives to sustained presence across the events calendar.

By embedding anti-spiking awareness into safeguarding protocols at concerts, festivals and shows nationwide, the sector can set a new standard for public safety.

Emerging challenges and opportunities

Major events and public spaces represent both a challenge and an opportunity.

They are spaces where risks can manifest acutely but also where preventative messages can reach vast audiences.

The summer of 2025 demonstrated how collaboration between charities, organisers, volunteers and statutory bodies can make a tangible difference.

The recognition of spiking as a crime provides the legal framework, but it is the day-to-day practice at events and in communities that will determine whether people feel truly safe.

Stamp Out Spiking remains committed to ensuring that festivals, shows and public spaces across the UK are not only memorable for their culture and energy but also for their commitment to safeguarding every attendee.

We would like to thank our wonderful volunteers and sponsors who enabled us to attend this year’s events, including DRINKiQ – Diageo’s responsible drinking platform, Rockstar Events, Melvin Benn and Festival Republic

This article was originally published in the October edition of Security Journal UK. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.