What we are doing: In our venues, we have: 

• Increased number of searches on entry and on every door
• Increased signage
• Heightened security presence inside the venue
• Made bottle stoppers available on request
• Delivered bystander training for the venues management team 

All NTSU venues also participate in best practice schemes such as Best Bar None and PubWatch to ensure we are doing everything we can to provide safe environments for our members to enjoy themselves. At all our large-scale events (e.g. Freshers, Saturday nights), we have trained medics to attend to any student who feels unwell.

Find out more here. 

Contact our venue

If you have any feedback (good or bad) for our venues team, please email them. 

As well as our on-campus venues, we work alongside numerous venues around the city. Here is some of the work we are doing with our partners and precautions they have in place to make you feel safer on a night out.

Rock City 

• Increased searching procedure on the door including metal detectors and 'pat downs'
• Ask Angela scheme. If you feel uncomfortable in the club, you can approach any member of their team and ask for Angela.
• A designated welfare room has been created in the venue so there is a safe space on site.
• Rock City have designated welfare staff called ‘Club Crew’ who are trained to help and support people in need. They will help with several problems ranging from finding your friends to getting you home safe in a taxi without judgement. They are often found at the front of the venue identifiable by a purple hi-vis jacket.
• Bottle stoppers and drinks toppers are available from the bar upon request for free.
• Designated First Aiders at all events. Rock City have two paramedics on site every event.
• CCTV – extra cameras have been added to an already comprehensive CCTV system.
• All staff and security are to complete additional customer welfare training

Ocean

• Increased security checks on the door and more vigilant checks of student ID.
• Bottle toppers are available from the bar upon request.
• Lids with straws available from the bar upon request.
• A designated welfare room has been created in the venue so there is a safe space on site.
• Ask Angela scheme in place. If you feel uncomfortable in the club, you can approach any member of their team and ask for Angela.
• Introducing a team of welfare staff to help and support people in need. They will help with several problems ranging from finding your friends to getting you home safe in a taxi without judgement.

Stealth

• Designated 'Welfare Team’ who are trained to help and support people in need. They will help with problems ranging from finding your friends to getting you home safe in a taxi without judgement. 
• Anti-spiking bottle stoppers and protective drinks covers are available from the bar free of charge with all drinks.
• Medic on site for every Stealth event, and you are free to speak to them at any time.
• Anyone who feels unwell is encouraged to alert a member of staff, manager or security - all of whom are trained to help you without judgment and can take you to the onsite medic. 
• All areas of the venue are covered with CCTV cameras, which records & stores all recordings for a 30 day period.
• Key staff & door supervisors have Bodycams, which record video & audio to help ensure the safety of our customers.
• All management and bar staff have completed Welfare and Vulnerability Engagement (WAVE) training.
• Free Tap Water available from the bar at all times.
• Increased number of enhanced searches on entry, including metal detectors & pat downs.
• 'Ask Angela' scheme in place. 
• Staff are trained to know what to do if a customer orders an 'Angel Shot' (a similar scheme to 'Ask Anglea' which has recently gone viral on social media). 
• The Welfare Team members are trained on the issue of drink spiking, and are aware of what to look out for and what to do if someone thinks they have been spiked. 
• Anyone suspected of spiking or coming into the venue intending to carry out spiking will be detained, and the police informed. 
• If anyone is caught spiking or coming into the venue intending to carry out spiking, they will be banned from the venue for life. 

Unit 13

• Security have increased the amount of searches per person on any given night.
• All staff to have received training on specific safety policies relating to drinks spiking, alcohol & drugs awareness.
• Ask Angela policy in place.
• Anti spiking devices available for all drinks including cups.
• Medical room available for welfare and first aid situations.
• Police to be informed of all reported spikings.
• Actively looking to employ club angels/welfare personnel specifically for NTU events on Mondays.
• Implemented a new training manual amongst employees and third party contractors, regarding policies and procedures around reported spikings

We expect all our affiliated venues to maintain their quality standards and duty of care for every individual who attends their events, ensuring all feel safe and looked after. If you have any questions or concerns about this, please email our entertainments team.

• Have a friend who you agree to attend and leave events with
• Dress similarly or wear a defining item of clothing so they can easily identify you
• Save your friends’ and flatmates’ numbers and socials in your phone

• Have a charger and/or power bank on you in case your phone dies
• Have taxi/uber money set aside, perhaps in a separate account using something like Monzo.
• Be aware of NTSU’s Safe Taxi Scheme  
• Know the address and postcode of your student home. Keep a note of this in your phone.
• Take condoms 

• Drink water before, after and during a night out
• Every three drinks have a soft drink or glass of water as a ‘spacer drink.’ 

• Decide a drink limit and stick to it. Finish your current drink before ordering a new one
• Be mindful of underlying health conditions, such as diabetes, as alcohol can both spike and lower blood sugar 
• Don’t let peer pressure dictate or control your night. Know your boundaries and respect your body.

Before an event

• Have a substantial meal 
• Make sure you have a full battery on your phone 
• Make sure you have your friends’ numbers/social media accounts 
• Know how you will get home from the event - put money aside for a taxi where possible  
• Supply your own alcohol/drugs, so you know what you are consuming.  
• Make sure you know the quiet areas of the event in case you need a breather.  

• Keep hydrated with water, don’t just rely on alcohol. 
• Keep an eye on your drinks. 
• Don’t feel that if someone has brought you a drink, you must consume it.
• Know your limits  

• Have a plan of how you will get home before you attend an afterparty. 
• Be aware of who will be at the event and only attend if it’s an environment in which you’ll feel comfortable. 
• Don’t feel pressured to go just because your friends are. 

• Rehydrate your body with water. 
• Give your body and mind time to rest and recuperate.  
• Check in with your friends who were also out last night if you haven’t seen or heard from them for a while

• Watch your drink. Do not leave it unattended (even with friends)
• Mix and pour your own drinks where possible
• Don’t leave with a stranger. If you want to see them again, take their number instead
• Do not get into the car of someone under the influence
• NTSU operates the Ask for Angela scheme in all our venues. If you don’t feel safe and want to get away discreetly, go to the bar and ask for “Angela.” We’ll help you leave our venue safely.

• Safe taxi scheme
• Number 4 bus back to Clifton between 11 and 3am
• Walk home with friends
• Share a taxi where possible

• Trust your instinct. Leave if you feel uncomfortable
• Be mindful of gatecrashers. Do not advertise parties online. Keep your parties invitation only
• Avoid violence and aggression. Just walk away and encourage friends to do the same.
• Have a way to get home, such as a taxi or try to have a designated driver drop you off and pick you up.
• Voice any concerns to the host of the party
• Keep hold of all your valuables
• Have a plan of action for if someone becomes ill

• If you take drugs on a night out, make sure someone with you knows what you have taken and the quantity.
• Stick with your friends throughout the night in case something goes wrong.
• Some drugs can be fatal when mixed with each other or with alcohol and/or energy drinks.
• Always wait at least two hours before ‘topping up’ if you don’t feel the effects of drugs.
• Research has shown that many students suffer from alcohol dependency. Your studies can be impacted if you spend a lot of time hungover or coming down. There is also the risk of other serious health conditions, so be mindful of your alcohol consumption.
• Recognise the warning signs of binge drinking, alcohol and drug misuse and dependency.

Drugs & Alcohol abuse 

• Needing more and more of a substance to get the same effects
• Feeling strange after drug/alcohol wears off (e.g. shay, depressed, sick, sweats)
• Unable to stop using the drug or drinking
• You’ve begun having trouble doing everyday things, like cooking, washing, or working.
• You borrow or steal money to pay for drugs or alcohol
• You sleep too much or too little compared to how you used to.
• Someone changes in personality (e.g. lack of motivation, irritability)
• Changes in friends and activities

Overdose 

• Not respondent
• Small pupils
• Pale and clammy
• Breathing is slow, shallow, or irregular

Your safety and wellbeing are paramount to us at the Students’ Union.

IAS

For general support and advice, you can visit, call, or book in to speak to our Information and Advice Service team. IAS is a free, independent, and confidential service specifically for NTU students and alumni.

NTU SSC

For wellbeing support from the University, you can complete a wellbeing form or visit ntu.ac.uk/support for more info about support at NTU.

It is also worth keeping on you a list of key contacts, friends, or people you trust in Nottingham for help if you need it, and always stay with a friend when walking around at night.

NTU Security

For emergencies on campus (including the library, buildings, accommodation, streets nearby etc.) you can contact NTU’s 24/7 security on 0115 848 2222.

Safe Place

NTU and NTSU have worked together to launch a safe place within the city library that will be open 9pm-9am every day. This is accessible through the security entrance on the tram tracks or through the library. This is open to any students who don’t know what to do or need help.

Venues team

For emergencies in our venues or affiliate venues, alert a member of security staff or a member of venue staff who can take you to a safe space and support you.

Emergency Services

For a medical emergency, call 999 immediately and be honest about the situation so you can receive the most effective care and potentially save someone’s life. If you are unsure, call 111.

If you are in a situation where you can’t afford a taxi to get home:

1. Call Nottingham Cars on 0115 970 0700 stating you need to use the ‘student emergency fare scheme’ and give them your N number
2. NTSU will cover the bill and then email you the next day confirming your bill and the campus you need to settle the bill at
3. Pay the bill within one week

Find out more here