Safety at events

Public events are an important aspect of our community. Ensuring they are safe is just as important.

We don’t want to restrict events or get involved in their organisation, that’s your job. What we do want to do is help you make the event as safe as it needs to be.

There are several services that can give you advice and it will help them to do their work if they know of your event, whatever its size.

Some types of event need to be licensed, see licensing and street trading for more information.

What you do

By completing the basic information using our event notification online form and sending it in to us you will automatically notify these organisations. Give us lots of time, over 3 months is good, 12 months is excellent.

What we do

Your form will automatically go to:

• Thames Valley Police

• Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue

• The Ambulance Service

• Wokingham Borough Council - Licensing, Health and Safety, Highways, Emergency Planning, Community Safety, Pollution Control 

If any of these can offer advice they will contact you, or if several are involved they may meet up to discuss your event and co-ordinate their advice. You might be interested in our food safety advice. 

For national advice on holding your event see the Home Office's Good Practice Safety Guide and Security at events - Guidance on the Private Security Industry Act 2001.

The following documents can be obtained from the Health and Safety Executive website:

• The Event Safety Guide: A guide to the health, safety and welfare at music and other events - the Purple Guide
• Code of Practice for outdoor events
• Guide to safety at sports grounds - The Green Guide
• Working together on firework displays
• Giving your own firework display
• Charity and voluntary workers guide