With the passage of Martyn’s Law now formalised under the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act in April 2025, the events and venue sector face its latest cultural and operational shift. While the legislation’s intent, to save lives and improve public protection against terrorism, is widely supported, it brings with it a set of expectations that many organisations are still grappling to meet. The two-year implementation period is intended to provide time for the guidance and compliance to be published and become embedded.

Following extensive development, the Decision Support Centre (DSC) and its strategic counterpart, the National Events Database (NED) have launched. These two initiatives are quickly gaining traction for their practical, proportionate and collaborative approach to helping venues and events navigate compliance, planning and preparedness.

For organisers, venue operators and security stakeholders alike, these platforms are being recognised not only as tools for sector alignment but also as vehicles for democratising and standardising compliance, raising operational confidence and building a new culture of shared responsibility.

A practical response to legislative and operational pressure

Martyn’s Law, born from the public campaign following the Manchester Arena bombing, mandates that venues and qualifying events take reasonable and practical steps to protect the public. While national guidance continues to evolve, the common challenge remains: how do organisations of all sizes, many with no formal security background, turn that broad duty into specific, affordable and achievable action?

The Decision Support Centre was developed to meet this challenge head-on. Conceived as a central support hub for the event and venue ecosystem, the DSC provides a structured blend of resources, training and soon, live monitoring, all designed with both grassroots and commercial operators in mind.

Its offering includes downloadable Toolkits and Playbooks that cover everything from risk assessments to emergency response, a CPD-accredited training course for Responsible Persons and a real-time Monitoring Service set to launch later this year.

The DSC’s ethos is clear: to remove ambiguity, reduce duplication and provide operationally relevant support and coordination that is scalable, whether for a village hall fundraiser or a major outdoor festival.

The National Events Database: Situational awareness mapping the events and venues eco-system

Working in tandem with the DSC, the National Events Database (NED) serves as a strategic platform to map upcoming events across the UK in both time and place. Organisers can register their activities free of charge, including details of attendance, dates, contacts and location – creating a secure, national picture of event activity, year round.

This has many positive effects.

For one, it supports situational awareness, allowing neighbouring events, local authorities and emergency services to plan more effectively for crowd flows, resource allocation, security risks and posture. It also reduces the chance of conflicting events creating unintended operational pressure.

Secondly, it enables targeted support. Events that register through the NED can receive timely updates, risk advisories, or resource suggestions from the DSC based on geographic, environmental and social risk indicators.

Finally, participation signals a proactive approach to compliance, something that is likely to be favourably viewed by insurers, the regulator and Safety Advisory Groups as Martyn’s Law enforcement takes shape.

Bridging the compliance gap for Grassroots Events

One of the most important contributions of both the DSC and NED is their focus on accessibility. While large stadiums and arenas often have internal security teams, control rooms and regulatory awareness, many small and mid-sized venues, community events, centres, and seasonal festivals, do not.

Rather than assume a one-size-fits-all standard, the DSC provides graduated resources that are context-sensitive and aligned with Home Office tiering under Martyn’s Law as well as supporting events and venues who don’t qualify but want to adopt a best practice posture. The Responsible Persons Training, for example, is designed to build confidence, not confusion. It balances legal expectations with practical examples, real-world case studies and downloadable tools and templates. It also sets the foundation for and complements the Competent Persons scheme, aimed at event and security professionals, recently launched by NaCTSO.

This approach is garnering support from those working at the community level who are now finding themselves drawn into the protective security conversation, not as outsiders, but as active contributors to public safety.

Broad Support and Growing Recognition

The DSC and NED are already attracting support from figures across the events and public safety sector. Insurers are taking an interest in how the platforms may inform underwriting models and risk profiles. Local authorities are exploring integration opportunities. Potential enforcement stakeholders, such as the Security Industry Authority (SIA), have acknowledged the value of the NED in improving situational visibility and operational transparency.

What Comes Next

As the implementation of Martyn’s Law takes shape and the events calendar ramps up across the UK, demand for clear, joined-up tools will only increase. The Decision Support Centre and National Events Database represent a new layer of sector support, not replacing existing guidance or expertise, but bringing it to life in ways that are actionable and proportionate.

For any organisation looking to demonstrate best practice, improve their internal culture of readiness, or simply meet their obligations with confidence, these platforms are becoming essential reference points.

To learn more about the Decision Support Centre and National Events Database, or to register your interest, visit: www.decisionsupportcentre.com