Kallum Taylor has launched a night patrol scheme in York following a recent river safety summit.
‘Night Safe’ will be a free service to help students, relieve strain on emergency services and combat alcohol fuelled crime, anti-social behaviour and hospital admissions.
Taylor told Vision: “We’re delighted that we’ve received the core funding necessary to properly kickstart NightSafe off as we’ve planned.”
Volunteers will be equipped with an arsenal to support student on nights out including flip-flops, Mars Bars and lollies.
Jackets and rucksacks will be orange to establish a link to Street Angels of York. The patrols will be run on Wednesdays and Sundays as these are the YUSU club nights with the highest number of alcohol-related incidents.
Nightly briefings will be given relevant to specific conditions on the evening of the patrols, including hazards such as river flooding.
‘Night Safe’ volunteers will aim to counter the vulnerability of students during nights-out in town. Support will range from providing hot drinks and giving directions, to providing basic first aid to low-level injuries that do not require medical attention and offering ‘active listening’ to those in distress.
Taylor added: “This will be both a helpful service to the YUSU club night scene, and also a fantastic developmental opportunity for the students we have leading it forward.”
Volunteers will travel in groups of three, with two volunteers to intervene and one more to stand back and ‘observe’ – a policy trail-blazed by Street Angels of York.
Transport could be provided and paid for by YUSU and University Travel & Transport.