Buckinghamshire New University’s Students’ Union has produced its third Community Guide to help students live safely in High Wycombe, with support from Wycombe District Council and Thames Valley Police. The 40-page guide includes:
fire safety tips;
community advice;
personal safety tips, and
details of how to get involved in volunteering in the area.
More than 1,500 guides have gone through the doors of residents in High Wycombe and 1,000 to student flats and homes. In total, 4,000 will be delivered.
The booklet also highlights the importance of recycling, with contact details for recycling centres, as well as providing details of where to go for medical assistance and how students can keep their accommodation safe from crime and free of fire risks.
The guide was launched at the uni with guests including Supt Gilbert Houalla of Thames Valley Police, and Frances Alexander, Chair of the Wycombe Environment Centre. Matt Gilbert, Vice President Student Involvement at Bucks Students’ Union, said the guide was an excellent example of community partners working together.
He said: “We are keen to build on our good relations with our neighbours in High Wycombe and this guide contains a wealth of information that is useful for our students to stay safe and appreciate what is going on around them in High Wycombe. It is key for residents to feel reassured that we take our relationship with them seriously too.
“Student welfare is extremely important and something we take very seriously. University is about studying towards a qualification but also enjoying the experience, and this guide is designed to help ensure that that experience is as enjoyable as possible for our students and the community as a whole.”
The guide has been produced and will be available at the University’s Campus in Queen Alexandra Road, as well as at libraries, council offices and police stations.
Students also received goody bags as part of Bucks Students’ Union’s Silent Students Happy Homes (SSHH) campaign. The campaign aims to encourage students to respect their neighbours by keeping silent while walking through residential areas in High Wycombe during the evening.
Sgt James Benfield of Thames Valley Police, who also attended the launch, added: “Thames Valley Police and the University work closely together to address any issues which may arise and we enjoy an excellent relationship. This latest Community Guide is building on that relationship.
“We are keen to support Bucks Students’ Union’s message that anti-social behaviour is unacceptable, that we all want to live and work together enjoyably and safely, and that we want students coming to the town to have a great experience. This Guide can only help to achieve that.”
And Ian Plover, Faculty Director – Design, Media & Management, said: “I think it is absolutely critical that the University works with the community and we thank everyone who has contributed to this Guide and we hope it is once again beneficial for everyone.”
A first Community Guide for Uxbridge, Middlesex, where the University has a Campus in Oxford Road, will be launched in the New Year.
