RouteBuddies safety app launched by Cornwall entrepreneur

Jack Blundell, 24, from Falmouth, is the brains behind RouteBuddies, a safety-focused platform that has just launched with backing from NatWest's Entrepreneur Accelerator.

The catalyst for this app can be traced back to damning statistics, as a recent UN Women UK study showed 97 per cent of women between 18-24 in the UK have experienced instances of sexual harassment.

An additional 96 per cent of these victims did not report the incident, feeling it would lead to nothing.

Mr Blundell started work on RouteBuddies in February 2023, after the Sarah Everard case rocked the nation and he heard too many accounts of street harassment from his fellow students at Cardiff University.

Users on RouteBuddies can create public communities to keep themselves safe, offering the chance to organise group activities, such as runs or walks.

He explained his logic behind the app's creation: "We learnt a lot from our Beta, and it was challenging going back to the drawing board to refine our app and services.

"The decision to create private communities was taken to provide communities with a new way to empower each other - And the response & support so far from our partners has been incredible."

RouteBuddies is already being trialled by established Cardiff businesses and organisations.

He added: "We’ve had a great amount of success so far in Cardiff - and I can’t wait to speak with communities of all kinds in Cornwall, where I come from, to bring this same benefit to my Kernow people!"

Jack is hopeful that his innovative solution will contribute to street safety throughout the UK whilst growing the RouteBuddies business sustainably.

Amanda from Big Ideas Wales, and a collaborator on RouteBuddies, said: "It is entrepreneurs like Jack that inspire me to be a business advisor.

"RouteBuddies is an inclusive and passionate business with a sole aim to make the streets a safer place for everyone."