Staying safe whilst out and about

Your safety, both on and off campus, is important to us and we work with a range of partners, including Canterbury City Council, Medway Council, Kent Police and the Students’ Union, to support you.

• Connected Routes - Together working with University of Kent and the Students’ Unions we have identified connected routes in Canterbury city centre which are well lit or covered by CCTV for students to use. These connected routes are now covered by the SafeZone App which means students on a connected route can if they are feeling concerned or unsafe activate the App to get remote support from either the UofK or CCCU security.
• Street Marshals - In partnership with the University of Kent, we have the Canterbury Street Marshals, who are here to help you get home safely on your nights out.
• Safe Taxi Scheme - The Safe Taxi scheme can help you if you feel vulnerable and need to quickly and safely reach your accommodation in Canterbury or another destination, such as a police station or local hospital. By registering for the scheme,you can request a taxi from Longleys Private Hire, even if you don’t have the funds to pay the fare at the time of booking. You just settle the fare within seven days using the CCCU online store.

Keeping your home safe over the Christmas break

Many of you will be returning home for the Christmas break and will be leaving your student homes unattended. Take some simple steps to deter any unwanted guests in your home.

• Keep your valuables such as laptops and game consoles out of view or take them home with you.
• Storing your dissertation or coursework on your laptop? Make sure your work is backed up online, and your device is property-marked. Register valuables on immobilise.com – it can help the police identify and return items that are recovered after being lost or stolen.
• Avoid sharing too much information about where you are, when you’re going, or what you’ve got on social media. Thieves are increasingly using sites such as Instagram or Facebook to identify potential targets.
• Do you always lock up before you go out? One in three burglaries are down to people leaving their doors and windows open and unlocked. Take time to lock up properly whenever you go out and even when you are elsewhere in your property.
• Think about using a timer that switches on lights and radios to make it look like someone’s home.
• Got a trusted friend or neighbour? Ask them to keep an eye out and let you know if they have any concerns while you’re away.

Find out more about how you can keep your home safe with this information from Kent Police.

Preventing fire at your home

• If you are staying in University Accommodation remember to follow the fire regulations.
• Switch off any electrical items or Christmas lighting that is unused. Make sure they are turned off when you are out of the room or house to eliminate the possibility of fires caused by electrical items.
• Consider battery candles and reed diffusers as they are not only safer but will last longer too. Please also note that candles and incense are not allowed in University accommodation.

Avoiding Christmas Scams

You need to stay alert for scams and phishing emails all through the year!

But unfortunately during the festive period when everyone is busy buying presents it can be a peak time for fraudsters. Christmas scams can include everything from spoofed online stores to fake delivery notifications, fraudulent charities, phishing emails, and more.

So be extra vigilant, if something looks too good to be true then it probably is and think twice before you give out your bank details.

Check out our article on how to avoid common student scams.

Staying safe on campus

SafeZone is a free app for students. It connects you to the Universities Security Team if you need urgent help, first aid, or if you have an emergency whilst on any of the CCCU campuses. The Security Team are available 24/7 throughout the Christmas period.

You can also use the Safezone App if you are on certain connected route in Canterbury and signposts you to refuge points across the city if you are feeling unsafe. You can find out more about this free app here.