The Partnership, which includes the University, has an excellent track record of delivering a large programme of activities to integrate students safely into the community. Planning for the activities started some months ago and the annual partnership Fresher’s Week programme will start in earnest when students arrive on Sunday, 20 September. The Community Safety Partnership views this period as an ideal opportunity to provide key safety and welfare messages to the students and the work of the Partnership has previously been received well by the local residents.
Many aspects of the Partnership’s coordinated activities will extend into the weeks following the initial Fresher’s week when returning students are also available to receive the important messages.
Dave Tilleray, West Lancashire Community Safety Partnership chairman, said: “The Community Safety Partnership has been working hard to ensure plans are in place to assist local people and Edge Hill University to integrate students into the area during the first few weeks of term. We would like to welcome the new students to the university and West Lancashire.”
Edge Hill University will distribute Halls of Residence & Student Handbooks to all students, containing information on safety, security and behaviour. University staff will also ensure students are inducted into their responsibilities as citizens in our local community. During Freshers’ Week, partnership members will be in and around Edge Hill’s campus on St Helens Road to offer help and advice to new students as well as reassurance for the wider community. The Police have developed a dedicated patrol plan and with the help of funding from the Community Safety Partnership, will have extra officers on the streets during the first two weeks of term, extending into week three, if necessary. There will be foot patrols until 3am, particularly on key nights for Freshers’ activities as identified from information provided by the University’s Students’ Union.
In addition to regular Saturday night patrols, Ormskirk Street Pastors will have volunteers carrying out extra patrols of the town centre on four consecutive Wednesdays from 23 September between 10.30pm and 3am. The Council's Environmental Enforcement Team will also be undertaking daily patrols of Ormskirk for the three week period visiting all known student properties to provide advice in relation to waste, re-cycling and noise.
Fay Sherrington, Edge Hill’s Director of Student Services, said: “We are delighted to be involved in this Community Safety Partnership initiative once more, continuing our efforts to welcome, support and integrate students into our local community. Edge Hill University is traditionally a safe welcoming place and statistics published by the independent Complete University Guide show that the University has the lowest crime rates of any of the region’s Universities and remains in the top 10 of safest universities nationally. The survey takes into consideration the campus and the surrounding area within a 3 mile radius. The safety of our students is of paramount importance to us and we work closely with the CSP to ensure that crime remains at an all-time low. We’re continually communicating crime safety messages to students and we also encourage them to respect the needs of the local community.”
West Lancashire geographic policing Inspector, June Chessell, said: “In consultation with the Community Safety Partnership we have devised a comprehensive multi-agency plan to ensure that Freshers’ Week is a success and passes peacefully, keeping disruption and anti-social behaviour to a minimum. “Alongside the other CSP members work we will be facilitating increased foot patrols in and around the vicinity of the university and town centre. Residents and students alike will be re-assured that there will be a visible police presence throughout the Freshers’ period.”
John Buck, Chorley & West Lancashire Community Protection Manager for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “This will be Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service’s 11th year delivering fire safety advice to new students living on campus as well as those living in rented accommodation off site. We have seen the number of call outs reduce significantly over this time and we will continue to deliver these important messages.”
For more information on the West Lancashire Community Safety Partnership please visitWest Lancashire Community Safety Partnership.