Today was the last session of a beginners knitting group. We’ve been meeting for 5 weeks and I’ve had the role of refreshments and washing up! It’s been a lovely environment to be in and it was clear today that the ladies have really enjoyed it (no men signed up to join) and one even said that she didn’t get to do much for particular reasons but this was a space that she felt safe.

I know that feeling so well. It’s something that has grown in me; that I need to feel safe before I go somewhere. That might be strange considering I’ve managed to break my toe in the bedroom and rip my ear falling out of bed! However something about this knitting group was the group of people; that’s where the safety came from – the relationships developed NOT the building we were meeting in.

Safety is likely to mean something different for all of us; but is likely to be different in different situations for us individually as well. So why is safety important anyway? For me, if I feel safe my confidence increases. After I damaged my ear, not only did I not feel safe but I lacked the confidence to sign up to things that I usually would.

Where is safety important to you? What makes you feel safe? Do you have a safe space?