Safer Nights
Safer Nights is the University and Student Union's joint campaign which aims to develop a more conscientious student community at Keele. We want to support our students to treat each other with respect and help you to stay safe during nights out. You will find this information helpful if you go on nights out on campus, but there will also be some helpful rules that are applicable to general day-to-day life and link in with some of our other key university-wide campaigns including #NeverOK and #KeeleBeKind.
Know your support
There is lots of support available to all students for a wide range of issues, make yourself aware of what these are and how you can access them. You never know when you or a friend might need it. This help comes from the University and also external support services too.
At Keele:
- Student Experience and Support Team or Residence Life | Call 01782 734481 or email student.services@keele.ac.uk
- Counselling & Mental Health Team | Email counselling@keele.ac.uk
- Chaplaincy | Email chaplaincy@keele.ac.uk
- Sexual Violence Liaison Team | Email studentservices.svreporting@keele.ac.uk
- KeeleSU ASK | Email su.ask@keele.ac.uk
Off Campus/Online:
- Health Assured | Call 0800 028 3766
- Keele GP Practice | 01782 753550
- Staffordshire Treatment and Recovery Service (Stars) (support for students with substance misuse issues) | Student Services can help with a referral to the service. Alternatively, email t3stars.stafford@humankindcharity.org.uk
- Savana (support for victims of sexual violence) | Call 01782 433204
Make a plan
If you’re going out, especially off campus, make a plan of how you’re going to get home. Stick together in your group, share your locations and get home safely.
Taxis: You should ask the taxi provider for an estimated cost of travel in advance. All taxis and drivers are required to be licensed by the Local Authority. Their individual licence number will be displayed on the vehicle. Make sure you check!
Main taxi services in the area:
- Roseville 01782 631234
- City Cabs 01782 844444 or 888888
- Magnum 01782 819819
- Sid’s 01782 565200
- ABC Supreme 01782 822228
Apps: You may want to consider downloading some apps to keep you safe and share your location
- SafeZone: Whilst on campus, in an emergency or if you need first aid, one tap on the app can alert our Campus Safety Team. You’ll also receive any important information about the campus, meaning round-the-clock safety reassurance.
- What3words: Use the app for communicating location. Every 3m2 in the world is assigned a unique three word address that will never change. Use it to find tents at festivals, navigate to accommodation or direct emergency services to the right place. Use it if you are lost to pinpoint your location.
- Hollieguard: If in danger a shake or tap activates Hollie Guard, which automatically sends your location and audio/video evidence to your designated contacts.
On campus? Make use of the KeeleSU Safety Bus!
Consent matters
Not everyone is going on a night out to pull. Don’t be the creep who hits on people, and if you get chatting to someone who tells you they’re not interested, don’t keep pushing. Remember, consent has to be given freely, so if someone is too drunk to say yes, take it as a no.
Sexual consent means a person willingly agrees to engage in any type of sexual activity – and they are free and able to make their own decision. Consent should always be clear; if there is any doubt you should always stop and ask.
If you’re struggling to understand what consent means, watch the video that compares sexual consent to making someone a cup of tea – all will become clear.
Keele's Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Team are here to support students who have experienced sexual violence, whether it is recent or historic. Our Sexual Violence Liaison Officers (SVLOs) are specially trained to deal with these situations and will treat each case with sensitivity and respect.
Be kind
We’re all different. What we love about Keele is the diverse student community we have. So respect that and be kind to your neighbours and community.
We care about what happens on our campus, and we want to ensure that everyone, whoever they are, whatever they study or wherever they live, feels safe, supported and accepted. Be kind to your friends, neighbours and community. If you see someone being disrespectful then call it out, because it’s #NeverOK.
Some wider Keele campaigns that support this include:
- Keele Be Kind: a campaign encompassing a range of ways you can be kind to yourself, your neighbours and your community whilst you're a student at Keele.
- #NeverOK: a campaign that aims to end all forms of violence and discriminatory behaviour, including rape and sexual assault, racism, ableism, ageism, homophobia and transphobia, and discrimination based on a person's religion.
Take control
We do not promote, tolerate or encourage drug use, but we do encourage you to be safe if you are thinking of taking any kind of drug. If you are considering using anything, take control, educate yourself and know the effects.
At Keele, we take a harm reduction approach towards substance misuse, and know that traditional ways of tackling issues around drug use, such as zero tolerance, aren’t always the most effective.
We do not promote, encourage or tolerate drug use, but we do encourage you to be as safe as possible if you are thinking of taking any kind of drug. That’s why we instead focus on education and support.
If you’re looking for honest and accurate information about different substances then take a look at Drugs & Me or Talk to Frank.
Act quickly
If you see someone who needs some help, act quickly. Don’t leave it until it’s too late – get some help. Even if you’re not sure, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
In an emergency or crisis situation call 999. If you are on campus, also call Campus Safety who will be able to lead any emergency services to your location (01782 733999).
It may be helpful to know the signs to look out for that could suggest someone needs emergency help:
- Signs of a drug overdose include severe stomach pain and abdominal cramps, chest pain, dizziness, being unresponsive, but awake, limp body, seizures (fitting), drowsiness and confusion and difficulty breathing, shallow or erratic breathing or not breathing at all.
- Signs of alcohol poisoning include confusion, severely slurred speech, loss of co-ordination, vomiting, irregular or slow breathing, pale or blue-tinged skin caused by low body temperature (hypothermia), being conscious but unresponsive (stupor) or passing out and being unconscious
You may also want to freshen up on how to put someone into the recovery position. There’s a step-by-step guide here available from St. John's Ambulance.