Celebrating our research heritage
For six decades millions of people have benefited from research conducted by the University’s academics, research centres and research groups.
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Canterbury Christ Church University and key partners have been awarded a £589,042 boost towards making Canterbury safer for all.
The funding from the Home Office Safer Street’s Fund has been received following a successful bid by the University and a range of partners including Canterbury City Council, Kent Police and Kent Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott.
The University will be leading on research that will provide insights into the lived experiences of our community and how we can make public spaces safer.
Mary Makinde Senior Lecturer in Forensic Investigation in the School of Law, Policing and Social Sciences, is leading the research.
At Canterbury Christ Church University we are proud of how our research provides impactful answers to important questions and our role in shaping a society in which we can all feel safe. The research will provide key insight into the attitudes, beliefs, behaviours and practices of a range of communities including students, residents and night-time economy professionals. Through this research we will be adopting an evidence-based approach that focuses on the needs of our community. This will inform the development of resources that raise awareness of such crimes, increase the level of support for victims/survivors and work towards prevention and early intervention. It is important that our research targets the issues most relevant to the communities we serve and we will be working with our partners, our students and the local community to co-produce training and support based on our learnings, so they remain at the heart of all that we do.”
Mary MakindeSenior Lecturer in Forensic Investigation in the School of Law, Policing and Social Sciences, and Closing our Gap Strategic Lead
Majority of the funding will be targeted towards preventing violence against women and girls, sexual harassment and misconduct, cracking down on anti-social behaviour and preventing robbery and will be used to propose suitable sustainability plans for interventions and to tackle perpetrators.
Professor Rama Thirunamachandran Vice-Chancellor and Principal, commented on the project: “Our University is interconnected with the wider communities around us and we know the value of working in partnership with the local community,” he said.
“We are proud to be one of the strategic partners of the Canterbury Safer Streets Project alongside our Christ Church Students’ Union - helping to make the city a safer place for not only our students and staff but all local residents and visitors of Canterbury.
“We strongly believe that education can transform lives and enrich our communities. Through this project our students and staff will be able to play a civic role, beyond the classroom, and help make a difference to the safety of all.
“The research, which we will be leading, will inform the project's approach to tackling violence against women, helping to influence real social change and delivering a lasting legacy for our city and beyond.”
Safer Streets Canterbury
The Canterbury Safety Partnership, part of the Government's Safer Streets 4 funding, aims to connect local services, charities, businesses and higher education providers to ensure we are connected and efficiently working together.
Partners involved in the Safer Streets 4 bid include:
- Canterbury Christ Church University
- Canterbury City Council
- Kent Police
- University of Kent
- Kent Union
- Christ Church Students’ Union
- Canterbury BID
- Canterbury Street Pastors
- Office for the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner
- The Rising Sun
- East Kent Rape Crisis
Inspired by our Church of England foundation, the University’s mission is to pursue excellence in higher education: transforming individuals, creating knowledge, enriching communities and building a sustainable future.
The health, safety and wellbeing of our students and staff is a priority. The University has worked for some time in partnership the community to deliver a range of safety initiatives including the SafeZone App, Street Marshalls and Safe Taxi scheme.
Canterbury Christ Church University and the Students’ Union believe all students, staff and visitors have the right to live, study and work in a safe and supportive environment, free from bullying, harassment or violence of any form. Our Expect Respect commitment is our community pledge to taking positive action against discrimination and creating an inclusive and welcoming University.