Got some great nights out planned?
The University is based in some very safe cities, however it’s still important to be on your guard, especially on a night out.
Here are our top tips on how enjoy nights out with your new friends safely:
- Keep an eye on how much you’re drinking – it’s easy to get carried away on a night out but keep an eye on what you’re drinking and how much. And if you feel like you’ve had way too much, stop and go home.
- If you find yourself feeling uncomfortable or unsafe on a night out, you can go up to the bar and ask for ‘Angela’ – this will alert bar staff that you’re in an unsafe situation and they’ll call a taxi for you and keep you safe until it arrives
- Don’t add alcohol or drugs to anyone else’s drink. This is classed as spiking and is a criminal offence. It’s dangerous and can sometimes result in tragic consequences. If you think you’ve been spiked, find someone you trust and tell them at the time – this could be a friend or someone who works at a venue.
- Don’t leave your drink unattended – being spiked is never your fault and although cases of spiking are low around our sites, you still need to be careful. You can get anti-spiking drink covers and bottle top covers from the Union Bar at Exton Park or pick up some freebies at the Welcome Fair on Wednesday 25 September 2025.
After the event, please let the University or Chester Students’ Union know – we work with external partners around our sites to ensure our students are safe so we can share this information with them.
- Many routes back to our Chester sites from the city centre run alongside the water. Please be careful – and where you can, plan a journey home away from the water. If you do plan to take a route home which runs alongside a river or canal, please stick together, look after your mates and consider using a personal safety app like Hollie Guard.
- If you do find yourself in a situation where you need help:
☎️ Dial 999 in an emergency
☎️ Dial 101 in a non-emergency
☎️ If you need help at our sites, Security is available 24 hours a day – call 01244 511 541.
Or check out our Help in an Emergency tile on the UoC app for more emergency contacts.