Just because your venue falls below the 200-capacity threshold doesn't mean your responsibility to your patrons is any less significant. Lex Proventus helps small venues bridge the gap between "out of scope" and "out of danger."
While the 2025 Act focuses on larger crowds, the principles of Martyn's Law — Awareness, Planning, and Training are universal. Implementing a voluntary security framework:
Protects your People:
Ensures staff know exactly what to do in an emergency.
Builds Public Trust:
Demonstrates to your local community that their safety is your priority.
Future-Proofs your Business:
Aligning with high-end security standards now prevents costly retrofitting if thresholds change in the future.
Building a secure environment for a small venue doesn't require an army; it requires a strategy. We recommend a four-stage approach to the Voluntary Duty:
Identify Vulnerabilities
Conduct a "site walkthrough" from a security perspective. Look for blind spots in CCTV, poorly lit entry points, and areas where crowds naturally bottleneck. Understanding your space is the first step in protecting it.
Run, Hide, Tell
Develop simple, clear procedures for Evacuation (getting out), Invacuation (finding a safe internal space), and Lockdown. Ensure these plans are documented and accessible to all staff members.
Training & Awareness
Utilize free resources like ACT (Action Counters Terrorism) Awareness and SCaN (See, Check and Notify) training. When your staff is trained to spot "hostile reconnaissance" early, they become your most effective security sensor.
The Living Document
Security is not a "set and forget" task. Review your protocols every six months or after any significant change to your venue’s layout or staffing.
We believe that high-end security knowledge should be accessible. We have developed a comprehensive PDF Toolkit specifically for venues with a capacity under 200.
This guide is designed to help you meet the voluntary duty with practical, low-cost, and high-impact actions.