Krzysztof Mikulski, Union President
Intro from the Union President
One of SUSU’s top priorities this year is student safety. The VP Inclusion and I have been working closely together to ensure that students feel safe on our campuses and in the city. One of these features is the Safety Week (which is happening right now!). The aim is to highlight the safety features which are already in place, while also addressing their concerns and creating an open dialogue between the Students’ Union, Students, the University and the city.
Equally, we have been working hard to continue to communicate the concerns of students to both the University and Council about the lack of lighting present on our campus, around the campuses and in the city, while also proposing solutions to these problems. Students deserve to feel safe in the city they live in, and should not be ignored as residents, like they often have been in the past.
I have been having meetings with the University Transport Team, UniLink, and GoSouthCoast (the company that runs BlueStar, which operates UniLink), and we have already seen that the company has added extra night bus services on its BlueStar routes and has made the U1N run 5 nights a week (Tuesday-Saturday). (This is also a good opportunity to highlight the SUSU Safety bus service, which runs every day from 8:00 pm- 00:00 am, and can pick you up from Highfield campus).
Finally, another one of the ways we are trying to make students feel safer is by producing a number of blogs surrounding safety, such as this one, which covers nightlife and going out in the city. Although going out can be one of the best ways to have fun and make new friends (I met some of my best friends on a night out during Freshers), it can also be quite daunting. As such, the aim of this blog is to highlight some of the best ways of staying safe on a night out from your Sabbatical Officers!
Annie Whyman, VP Inclusion
Night out preparation from the VP Inclusion
Some advice I would give before a night out is knowing what you are doing; that way, you know when something goes wrong. It’s not often thought about how many preventative safety measures you can take before a night out. Simply knowing who you are going with, where you are going, and how you are going to get there is all smart pre-planning that takes seconds. Nothing has to be concrete, but being clear if you are walking and who you are walking with or if you are riding a taxi solo, will mean being more aware and preventing walking to your location alone. Pre-planning allows you to be more aware of the routes you are taking, which means you can be on well-lit and populated paths with more of an ETA if you are sharing your location with friends.
Further advice I would be to consider bringing a phone charger or power bank, particularly if you have a rather bad phone. Pubs will have outlets you can use; Bar staff may let you charge your phone behind the bar, and telephone boxes similarly have outlets if your phone is at risk of dying. By bringing a charger, you always have a way to contact someone if things go wrong, as it stops you being left on 1%. If you can’t bring a charger with you, make sure your phone is fully charged or about 50% before you go out so it can last until you need it to call a taxi home or take out your bus pass.
Charlie Bell, VP Sports
During the night from the VP Sports
Drinks covers, personal alarms, and whistles can be collected from the Advice Centre and VP Inclusion during Safety Week (19th-23rd October). Items which can all help if you feel deeply unsafe. Similarly, small tips such as knowing your limits when you are drinking or taking other substances make a difference. Drinking safely is about understanding what alcohol does to your body, and how much is safe to consume. This is calculated through units. It is recommended to drink no more than 14 units a week; a unit is 10ml of pure alcohol, the amount an able-bodied adult can process in one hour. Symptoms of overconsumption include confusion, slurring words, loss of balance and loss of consciousness. If you are worried, talk to venue security, welfare at the club or bar you are at or in an emergency call 111 for NHS advice or 999 for police or paramedics.
Harvey Penycate-Smith, VP Communities
Walking home from the VP Communities
At any time of day, one of the largest causes of accidents while walking is distractions. Particularly distractions from electronic devices, as they significantly lower awareness of surroundings, which means it’s difficult to react promptly to potential hazards. Things such as going on your phone, wearing noise-cancelling headphones or looking at a digital watch can increase the risk of simple things such as trips or falls or more hazardous accidents. In the dark, taking well-lit paths and planning your route back means you are able to take routes with more support should you need it. If you are really concerned/worried about your safety when coming back from nights out, see if there are any local groups that give support, such as street pastors who may even be able to provide you with a route that has support of other street pastors at different spots along your walk. They are here to support you regardless of religion or lack thereof and will help you to the best of their ability to keep you safe. They also tend to have water and snacks and will offer to call a taxi or Uber for you.
Joshie Christian, VP Education
Take a mate from the VP Education
When walking home, I feel safest and calmest in the company of someone else (the Union President has even walked me home before when it’s been dark – thanks, Krzysztof!), and I always recommend, where possible, having friends around as you head out for the evening – plus that’s a good excuse to meet earlier, get ready together, whatever takes your fancy!
I always try to keep myself and friends safe after a night out, or simply walking them home in the dark. Things like making sure to watch a friend get into their taxi before heading back inside (just in case it’s cancelled), sharing your live location and agreeing to follow up with a phone call if you don’t hear from a friend confirming that they are home safe, and regularly making sure your whole group of friends are looking out for each other after socials!
Finally, if you’re ever on or around Highfield campus in the evening, there is the SUSU Safety Bus leaving from the Redbrick every hour. As well as dropping you straight to your front door, the bus can take you to any of the train stations or bus stops that link you into further travel or the wider Safety Bus network made up of all the BlueStar and UniLink night buses!
