This campaign has finished. If you would like to run this campaign again or start something similar, please get in touch with The SU.
Personal Safety
The personal safety of students from Falmouth University and The University of Exeter Cornwall is taken very seriously. We want to ensure that everyone feels safe and secure during their time here.
Current campaigns
Charlotte, President Welfare & Inclusivity, is currently seeking input from students on awareness of the Falmouth and Exeter Speaks Out tool to develop better communication of how to report Hate Crimes on our campuses.
What is VAWG?
VAWG (The Violence against Women and Girls) is a group set up in a collaboration between the Falmouth and Exeter Students’ Union (SU) and Cornwall Council, in response to a successful funding bid by Cornwall Council to see a ‘Safer Cornwall’. Part of the funding included ringfencing £5000 for a student led group to deliberate and decide on projects, sessions or events that could improve the personal safety for the student community.
VAWG continues to hold regular meetings and pop ups on Social Street on Penryn Campus to continue promoting the group and hear from students.
Interested in joining VAWG?
We have an exciting opportunity for students to help us shape a safer and resilient community in Falmouth in relation to violence against women and girls (VAWG). Express your interest here: https://forms.gle/hKLkwiMgrasLgrwS6
Actions Taken So Far
There have been many steps taken to ensure that the personal safety of students of Falmouth University & The University of Exeter Cornwall is taken seriously. To begin with, Kaitlyn Millis (Chair of VAWG), and co-chairs Liv McKenzie and Tom Price met to discuss their next steps, which included doing a pop up to see what the wider student body wanted the £5000 spent on from a personal safety perspective. The SU was also giving out Personal Safety Kits last year.
Free Self-Defence Classes
Foxcoat Studios will be holding self-defence classes, which aims to create a programme that condenses the principles of mindset, empowering spirit, strategies and practical techniques. The classes are organised by the Violence Against Women and Girls working group and Foxcoat Studios. This has come from funding to improve personal safety for students. There is more money available so please share your ideas of what you would like to see.
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Collaborations
Lucy Coakes, the lecturer for Year 3 Creative Advertising has been an integral part of the group and the wider project with Year 3 Creative Advertising students making videos of how students have witnessed untoward behaviour and how students can be an active bystander when witnessing these situations. These videos can be viewed on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/safercornwall
Falmouth Safe Space
The VAWG working group were involved in the creation of a late night Safe Space in Falmouth, working with Women's Centre Cornwall and Good Vibes Cafe. The Safe Space ran over a few weekends in March, with positive feedback from volunteers and attendees. The Safe Space attracted interest from Cornwall Live. We are so proud of this initiative and hope that there are opportunities for it to become more permanent in the future.
Official Advice from Devon & Cornwall Police
If you think you have been spiked, we advise you to report it immediately. Here is some official advice from Devon & Cornwall Police:
- Tell someone you trust, such as a friend or staff.
- If you are alone, ask the pub landlord or bar manager to call a trusted friend for you.
- Your friend, or someone you trust, should take you to the nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department and tell the medical staff your drink may have been spiked.
- Report it to the police as soon as you can. They will need to take blood and urine samples. Most drugs leave the body within 72 hours of being taken, but some can be gone in 12 hours, so it's important to be tested as soon as possible.
Personal Safety Tools
Falmouth & Exeter Speak Out
If you have witnessed or been affected by issues or incidents on our campuses or in the wider community, we encourage you to report using the Falmouth and Exeter Speak Out tool. You can submit information either anonymously or informally to get the support you need. Report any incidents here!
SafeZone App
SafeZone is an app for your Apple or Android device that allows you to quickly and easily make contact with the Security team whenever you’re on one of our campuses. It features live chat, one-button assistance requests without the need for remembering phone numbers, and the ability to let the security team know if you’re working somewhere alone or out of regular hours. You can download the SafeZone app here.
This page will be updated with further updates regarding personal safety, so stay tuned!