Creating a safer Sheffield at night remains a key priority for Hallam Students' Union. Over the last year, we've continued to work with students, Sheffield City Council, the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA), local safety organisations, and partners across the city to turn student concerns into action. The priorities identified through the Sheffield Students' Assembly have focused on three key areas: safer streets, easier reporting of safety concerns, and stronger action from night-time venues on issues such as drink spiking.

Over the coming year we'll be:

  • Continuing work with Sheffield City Council on student-priority street lighting improvements.
  • Expanding opportunities for students to shape local safety policies and services.
  • Developing stronger partnerships with venues and night-time economy organisations.
  • Exploring new ways to support students during major nights out and city-wide events.
  • Gathering more student feedback on what safety and support should look like in Sheffield.

Check out our Sheffield Students' Assembly webpage for more updates and our next Assembly event. 

Safer Streets

Students told us that feeling safe while travelling home at night remains one of their biggest concerns. Following the Night-Time Safety Students' Assembly, we've been working directly with Sheffield City Council to identify areas where improved street lighting could make a real difference to student safety. We've begun discussions with council officers to review locations highlighted by students and explore both short-term improvements, such as repairing faulty lighting and cutting back overgrown trees, and longer-term investment in new lighting infrastructure.

We will continue gathering student feedback and carrying out further work to ensure the areas most important to students are prioritised.

16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence 2026

From 25 November - 10 December we took part in the global annual campaign to raise awareness and encourage action to end gender-based violence.

We shone a spotlight on the serious issue of gender-based violence and empowered students to take action through a series of events, activities, and resources.

Learn more about the campaign

Anti-Spiking

Over the past 3 years we've been involved with night time economy stakeholders to ensure students' needs are being listened to around anti-spiking measures.

As part of our 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence work, we opened a petition for Sheffield City Council to change local licensing policy so night time venues take more responsibility around spiking incidents. Watch this space.

Drink spiking and harassment continue to be major concerns for students using Sheffield's night-time economy. Through our ongoing campaigning and partnership work, we've continued to push for venues to take greater responsibility for preventing incidents, training staff appropriately, and responding seriously when concerns are raised.

We've contributed student feedback to Sheffield City Council's Women and Girls Night Time Safety Charter consultation, highlighting the importance of trauma-informed approaches, visible reporting mechanisms, staff training, anti-spiking measures, and ensuring support doesn't end at the venue door.

We're also exploring opportunities to work more closely with local venues and city-wide initiatives, including Sheffield's Best Bar None accreditation scheme, to ensure student voices are represented in conversations about venue safety standards.

Anti-spiking packs

We now stock anti-spiking packs, including bottle toppers and drink covers, which you can collect from Hallam SU - Owen. Please note: we will ask for your student number on collection.

Consent education

Our 2023/24 Women's Rep, Dot Williams, had a policy unanimously passed through our democratic structures to make consent education mandatory at Hallam. We're currently working with several teams at the University to implement this.

We've designed a mini-module on consent and will be looking for student feedback. If you want to test the mini-module and share your thoughts with us, please get in touch at campaigns@shu.ac.uk.

The Office for Students has recently released guidance and new registration conditions on sexual harassment, and we're reviewing our current processes to align with this.

Support

  • Sexual assault and harassment is illegal and should be reported to the police and/or Report & Support.
  • Hallam's Wellbeing Service can offer help and 1-1 support.
  • If you've been spiked, please report the incident via Report & Support (this can be done anonymously if preferred). Having this data allows us to act further on these issues.
  • Sheffield Rape & Sexual Abuse Counselling Service (SRASACS) offers confidential helpline support and counselling.
  • IDAS is a Yorkshire charity supporting those impacted by domestic or sexual violence. They also offer a free confidential helpline - call 0808 808 2241 (Mon-Fri: 8am-7pm | Sat: 9am-5pm | Closed on bank holidays).
  • Sheffield Domestic Abuse Coordinator Team (DACT) have lots of useful information about getting support.
  • GALOP are a national organisation providing support for LGBTQ+ people experiencing abuse or violence.

Get involved

Feeling angry about sexual violence and personal safety issues? Want to campaign about it or get involved in current work? Contact us at campaigns@shu.ac.uk.