Harper Adams University Student Union Welcomes Freshers with a Safer Venue

Harper Adams University Student Union venue, The Barn, is ready for Freshers Week, demonstrating its commitment to staff and student safety with a National Policing Award for Safety.

Harper Adams University Student Union (HASU) achieved this accolade earlier this year after successfully taking part in a police-led initiative to improve the safety and security of its premises for the benefit of staff, students, and the local community.

The Barn is a student nightclub located on the Harper Adams University campus, with the aim of providing a safer space for students to socialise. The venue regularly holds events such as themed nights, live bands, DJs and annual balls. The venue, along with the wider campus, is currently preparing to welcome back students with a variety of Freshers Week activities and events.

Adam Parton, Venues Manager at Harper Adams Student Union, said: “The HASU is delighted to have taken part in the Licensing SAVI scheme as it has been a valuable tool in raising safety standards in licenced venues. Operating a safer venue for our students is very important to us. Having the Licensing SAVI accreditation reassures our students and their families that our venue has excellent safety standards.”

Ian Shuttleworth, Licensing SAVI, said: “We understand how important it is for Student Union and campus venues across the country to prioritise student safety, especially for those new students experiencing university life for the first time. During our visit to Harper Adams Student Union, it was fantastic to see the enthusiasm shown by the team to enhance and promote student safety by embracing different safety initiatives such as Licensing SAVI, and subsequently achieving our highest rating of 5 stars during their assessment.

“Benchmarking themselves against the highest standards and raising awareness of key issues such as female safety, drink spiking and drugs can only go to ensuring a safer environment for all the students who use their facilities. As a parent of a student myself, I know that it would give me comfort in the knowledge that a venue has undertaken a Police-approved award for safety.”

Alongside HASU, there are over 65 venues including bars, clubs and restaurants in and around Telford and Wrekin which have also achieved Licensing SAVI accreditation. When students leave campus to socialise, they can choose from a host of venues that have been rigorously assessed against the same set of standards as their student union, and we urge students to ‘look for the stars’ in the windows of those venues, for safer socialising.

For more advice on preparing venues and staff for Freshers Week, visit our Licensed Premises Advice Hub.

Licensing SAVI was developed at the request of the Home Office by Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (Police CPI), which works alongside the Police Service to deter and reduce crime. As well as providing safer and more secure venues for managers, staff, customers, and local communities, it also seeks to reduce demand on Police Forces, NHS Ambulance Services and Accident & Emergency Departments.

Licensing SAVI covers critical issues like responsible drinking, drugs misuse, violent behaviour and safeguarding vulnerable customers through to preventing opportunist theft and improving physical security, such as lighting and CCTV.

Most measures included in Licensing SAVI can be introduced quickly and at little or no cost.

The first police award of its kind, Licensing SAVI aims to support the licensing trade and is backed by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and Project Servator, a police-led vigilance scheme to deter terrorist attacks at crowded-places.

Contact:
Harper Adams University Student Union
Tel: 01952 815356
Email:
Address: Edgmond, Newport TF10 8NB
Web: https://www.harpersu.com/

For further information visit:
Licensing SAVI:
Email:
Web: https://licensingsavi.com

About Police CPI
Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (Police CPI) is a police-owned, not-for-profit organisation which delivers a wide range of innovative and ground-breaking crime prevention and demand reduction initiatives to support the UK Police Service, Government and the public. Senior police officers control and direct the work Police CPI carries out on behalf of the Police Service.

Visit: https://www.policecpi.com