Keep your belongings in your pocket and stay alert when travelling to or from campus and whilst you’re on it, particularly when it’s dark. Like in any town or city, sometimes theft happens, but if your phone is safely in your pocket or bag you can keep any risk to a minimum. Similarly when you’re on campus; whether you’re relaxing in a café or studying in the library don’t leave your belongings on show or unattended – even for a couple of minutes.
We also recommend that you stick to well-lit roads and pavements as you travel around your campus town or city and avoid using underpasses where possible. If you wear noise cancelling headphones make sure to change the settings so you can still hear your surroundings whilst you’re out and about.
Remember Campus Safety and Security are here to help you 24/7
If you need an emergency service, phone 999 from any mobile phone or landline.
If you need non-emergency Police advice, you can phone 101.
If you require non-emergency medical advice then you can phone 111.
If you need an emergency response from the University then please phone security/reception as below. Security will escalate as appropriate.
Security 24hr cover
Ambleside
Brampton Road
Fusehill Street
Lancaster
Security location
The Barn
Learning Gateway
Learning Gateway
Library foyer
Telephone
07809190531
07809190541
(Till 10.30pm Mon – Fri)
07809190530
(on weekends)
07809190530
07809190566
*Brampton Road is covered by the security team at Fusehill Street - please call for any issues or emergencies.
Travel with mates
If you’re nervous about travelling alone then why not check in with a friend and see if you can go together. Especially if you’re planning a night out, chat to your mates and see how you’re getting to and from wherever you’re going and keep an eye out for anyone travelling alone.
If you do travel on your own, make sure to let someone know when you expect to be back and your intended route. You could even share your location using one of the safety apps mentioned below so you can keep an eye on each other.
Drink Spiking
Spiking is giving someone alcohol or drugs without their knowledge or consent. This happens usually by adding a substance to a drink but there are also instances where a substance has been injected directly into the body with a needle.
It is never your fault you have been spiked or sexually assaulted and you are not alone. If you are worried that you have been the target of this kind of crime, we will do everything we can to support you – please read through our You Report We Support page. Your safety and wellbeing are very important and you can access specialist support whenever you feel ready.
What are the signs of spiking?
It only takes a few minutes, 15 – 30 minutes, to feel the effects of a spiked drink. The symptoms of spiking are often like having excess alcohol which can make it difficult to know if you have been spiked. Symptoms can also vary depending on what substance you have been spiked with.
You may experience:
feeling or being sick
feeling ‘strange’ or drunker than expected
feeling confused or disorientated
feeling sleepy
blurred or slowed vision, or trouble seeing properly
loss of balance or coordination
having trouble communicating
having hallucinations
acting strangely or out of character
What can I do to prevent being spiked?
It is not your fault if you have been spiked however there are a few preventative steps you can take to lower the chance someone being able to spike your drink.
Keep your drink covered and do not leave it unattended.
Go out with your friends and not on your own.
Don’t accept drinks from strangers.
Don’t drink from another person’s drink.
Consider drinking a bottled drink.
Always make sure you know how you are getting home before you go out.
Be vigilant when talking to strangers.
Look out for each other.
Think carefully about whether you should leave with someone you have just met.
Keep an eye on your drink and discard of it if you think it looks or tastes different to when you first got it.
What do I do if I have been spiked? Can the University support me?
If you start to feel strange, more drunk than you thought you should be or if you suddenly feel sick, seek help from a trusted friend or a member of staff at the venue straight away.
You can ask a friend to take you straight home or, if you are seriously unwell, ask them to take you to the hospital. If you are unsure if you need medical help, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
If you feel unsafe and need a discreet way to get home or to the hospital, a lot of venues now use, ‘Ask for Angela’ where you ask for Angela at the bar and the member of staff will make sure you safely get a taxi.
Once you are safely home, ask someone to stay with you until the effects of the drug have worn off - this might take several hours.
If you feel able and comfortable to, make a report to the police as soon as possible. Some substances used for spiking can’t be detected after 72 hours or even 12 hours, so doing this as early as possible can help the police find out what has happened.
Support
University support
Discussing an incident can be daunting, however, we want you to know that your safety and wellbeing are our priority so we will be here to support you in a non-judgemental space, if you would like that support. You can:
There are apps that can help keep you safe if you are travelling further outside of campus. My SafetiPin, the highest-rated app designed to keep women safe which uses your GPS location to help calculate the best routes to get you from A to B. bSafe has a range of features, such as an SOS button, which can be activated by touch or voice and records your surroundings to send to your chosen contacts, and lets you invite your contacts to follow your location via GPS. There’s also a Fake Call feature, which you can use to make your phone ring to get you out of situations you’re unsure of.
Report unacceptable behaviour
At the University of Cumbria we have a zero-tolerance approach to sexual misconduct, bullying, harassment and discrimination. If you have witnessed any forms of this behaviour, or have a safeguarding concern, you can report it anonymously or get support from a trained advisor. Find out more at You Report We Support.
Looking after yourself
We know that life can sometimes bring its own challenges. If you’re struggling or feeling anxious about your safety or you’re feeling apprehensive about travel to and from campus, we’re here to help.
Sometimes we all need to let it out and talking to someone you trust or speaking to a friend can really help alleviate your worries. See if there’s someone you live with, on your course or a friend from home that is free to have a chat.
If that doesn’t work for you, don’t forget that our is available to you all year round, from one to one appointments to one-off workshops and online help, there’s something for everyone.
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Spiking is giving someone alcohol or drugs without their knowledge or consent. This happens usually by adding a substance to a drink but there are also instances where a substance has been injected directly into the body with a needle.