Increased security measures will become the new normal for venues that will be hosting 200 or more people that will be expected at the same time, including the big sporting events across the city.
Although the act is officially law now, its duties are not yet needing to be active, as there is currently a 24-month implementation period in place, which started in April of 2025.
The expected commencement of the Martyn’s Law is for Spring 2027, and the Home Office will be confirming the exact date that venues will have to have the measures in place by, closer to the date.
Manchester Aquatics Centre has been getting ahead of the curve as they are already taking the required steps in order to prepare for the law at a variety of events they will be hosting over these upcoming winter months.
Last weekend, the centre hosted the Swim England North-West Championships, welcoming hundreds of swimmers, coaches, staff and spectators through their doors.
Swim England used this event as an opportunity to trial their measures which were designed to improve the safety and security of those attending. But with no actual guidance from the government yet, the aquatics centre had to decide what would suit their venue best.
This meant that a lot more security had to have been added in comparison to what they would usually of had in place previously. Whilst bag checks and CCTV operations were already in implemented, accreditation was their largest change on the day.
Anyone, including the athletes and coaches, who came in and out of the building at any point of the day, had to re-scan their pass at the front door.
Mark Ralph, vice chair of Swim England, had stated that the changes in security are already making sporting events more difficult to prepare across venues. He warned that venues which have not started preparing for these changes could face a “rude wake-up call” when the legislation comes into force in the spring.
Dean Sumner, who works for Swim England North West, had said that the biggest piece of advice he could give to those, as the deadline is approaching, is to “keep track of everything [and] keep a record for yourselves”. He highlighted the importance behind working alongside the venue and to understand what they think is worth the risk.
The Martyn’s Law was named in tribute to Martyn Hett, one of the 22 victims of the 2017 Manchester Arena attack. It was developed following many years of campaigning by Martyn’s mother, Figen Murray.
The law’s main aim is to ensure that publicly accessible venues will be prepared to protect people in the possible event of a terrorist attack at any time. It is designed with a focus on being prepared rather than creating unnecessary barriers, a lesson learnt from the tragedy, where venues lacked clear, rehearsed plans that should be followed within the critical first minutes after an incident.
Manchester Aquatics Centre will have their implementations of the Martyn’s Law back in full swing this Sunday afternoon with the Masters National Intercounty competition.
But for now, with the new responsibilities on the horizon, the question is focused on what these venues across Manchester can do to get ahead for their own preparation, and what these changes could mean for sporting events in the future.