Joint Safety statement from our Students' Union President and Director of Student Support and Engagement...
Dear Leeds Trinity Students and Student Union Members
I am sure you will be as concerned as me to see recent headlines in the press and media about a reported wave of needle spiking.
Calls for nightclub searches after Nottingham needle spiking reports - BBC News
We have been made aware that there are reports of this happening in West Yorkshire, which are still unconfirmed at this stage. We know this will be very distressing, so we wanted to reach out to you all and offer support around your personal safety. Please be assured we are keeping a very close eye on this situation and the current police advice for West Yorkshire is at the bottom of the email (if you reside outside of West Yorkshire please visit the website of your nearest force for the same contact details locally):
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If you are going out into the city please do so with a group of friends and go to venues with door staff and SIA security *these staff are licensed and wear photographic ID – usually on their arm to show this.
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Go out with groups of friends and look after one another while you are out.
Should you have any concerns and wish to talk to a member of the University team about this, or any other support matter, please email student.support@leedstrinity.ac.uk
Leeds Trinity Students’ Union are offering support and advice to all those affected by the news of increased spiking and harassment within night-time venues in Leeds. As your SU President I want to assure you that our team will be working diligently to provide wellbeing support and a safe space to all. We do not condone any behaviour which could be harmful to our students and wish to remind our members that we will continue to work to keep you happy, healthy, and?SAFE.
We understand that social media and news stories can be very intimidating and deter you from experiencing the nightclub scene in Leeds. If you do still wish to go out, we would encourage travelling as a group and making sure that you all leave and return home together. It’s also advised to cover your drinks if possible and always keep them on your person. Key indicators of a spiked drink are excessive bubbles, sinking ice cubes and a cloudy consistency. If you or your friends notice anybody acting out of the ordinary, please take necessary precautions and assess the displayed symptoms or behaviours. If you’re ever in doubt please contact a member of venue staff, 111 or 999. If you have witnessed any anti-social or worrying behaviours, please contact the Police and Student Support.
At the Union we offer direct support which is either bookable or available through drop ins with our SU Advisor Matt. His details for contact are;?M.Nunnerley@leedstrinity.ac.uk
To ensure the highest levels of safety within our venue we will be increasing bag/physical person searches with metal detectors to identify anything which may pose a risk. We will also continue to work with Phoenix Security to assist with safety at our events.
The Students’ Union provides free spikees which can be collected from StUdio at any time whilst the venue is open.
We stand with all of our students during this difficult time and appreciate the protests already displayed by a number of our sports clubs. If you have any questions around support or have a suggestion for student safety, please get in contact with myself or a member of the Union Team.
Sending Well Wishes to you all
Chelsey Grooby
Leeds Trinity Students’ Union President
And
Dr. Ruth Wilson
Director of Student Support & Engagement?
Leeds Trinity University, Horsforth, Leeds, LS18 5HD