University launches Street Support Team for students and local residents

Tuesday, 24 April 2018

Keep a lookout for the teamÔÇÖs high-vis jackets around the local area

New Street Support Team to promote positive community relationships between students and local neighbours. 

The University is piloting a new Street Support Team as part of plans to further promote positive relationships between students and the local community. The scheme launched on Monday 16 March, and will run as a trial over the summer and autumn terms.

The Street Support Team will provide advice to students socialising late at night, encouraging them to be responsible, respectful and safe when travelling through residential areas. The team will also help students feel safe and supported late at night. 

The highly trained and highly visible team will be working in residential streets around the campus between 10pm and 4am several nights a week. They will primarily be based between:

• Redlands Road and London Road, including St George’s Hall.
• Bridges/Wessex Halls and Wokingham Road, including the number 17 bus stop.
• Northcourt Avenue and Christchurch Green, including St Patrick’s/Sherfield Halls and the number 21/21a bus stop.

Sarah Gardner, Community Relations Manager, said: “With growing student numbers we recognised a need to provide further support to students out in the local community late at night and encourage respectful behaviour towards our neighbours. The Street Support Team will provide reassurance to both students and local residents.

“In creating this trial scheme, the University has sought views from local residents, neighbourhood police teams, Reading Borough Council and other community partners in the town, as well as Reading University Students’ Union. We are grateful for all the input and support we’ve had to date and hope the trial will prove to be successful.”

The service will be delivered by security company Provide,  a highly trained and skilled team with experience of providing this service to other universities. Provide already works closely with the University’s on-campus security team and know the campus and students well.

The trial has been funded by the University Executive Board, and the scheme will be regularly reviewed to ensure it is working in the best way possible. As the trial nears its completion, feedback from local residents will be used to help shape the long-term delivery of the Street Support Team.