► Safety Reps

A new 10 strong team of student safety reps will be helping ensure Teesside University students stay safe and well throughout this academic year. The reps, funded by The Safer Middlesbrough Partnership and managed by Teesside University Students’ Union, will work in teams of 5 to provide essential safety information and resources to students. They’ll cover a range of areas including fire safety, staying safe on a night and how to lower the already slim chances of becoming a victim of crime while living in student housing or Halls of Residence.

They’ll support existing Students’ Union campaigns around student accommodation, sexual health and reducing hate crime particularly towards international students and work closely with the Students’ Union Campaigns and Welfare Officer Jenny Gill, The University Student Services department and a host of external agencies with a stake in student safety including Cleveland Police and Cleveland Fire Service. Team 1 is led by Michelle Murphy and includes Peter Scholey, Tim Pegden, Joseph Nwosu and Rachel Hannah Russell. Team 2 is led by Adnan Ali and includes George Ritchie, Laura Massey, Jade Lee and Claire Dempsey.

Jenny Gill, Campaigns and Welfare Officer: “We’re delighted that after successful pilots of the Safety Rep scheme over the past 18 month we’ve been given the funding for an increase from 3 last year to 10 this year it hopefully shows the value and importance of the work the Reps do. It’s important to stress that Teesside University students face no higher a degree of danger or risk than students at most campuses up and down the country but the Students’ Union takes our responsibility and duty of care towards students very seriously, the Reps are a vital additional resource for helping us fullfill this important role.”

Safety Representatives 2011/12

From left to right - Adnan Ali, Jade Lee, Laura Massey, Clare Dempsey,

Peter Scholey, Michelle Murphy, George Ritchie, Rachel Hannah Russell,

Timothy Pidgen, Jospeh Nwosu

Team 1

Michelle Murphy

Peter Scholey

Timothy Pigden

Joseph Nwosu

Rachel Hannah Russell

Team 2

Adnan Ali

Laura Massey

Jade Lee

Clare Dempsey

George Ritchie

Michelle Murphy

Michelle is originally from Cork in Ireland and is studying Diagnostic Radiography. In her spare time she loves swimming, wakeboarding, waterskiing...basically anything in water! She wanted to be a Safety Rep as she felt it was a great way to meet people and get involved in something worthwhile. She feels it's important to help students understand the importance of a good work/ life balance and, if they're new to the area, potentially dangerous areas of town.

Peter Scholey

Peter is originally from Sheffield and is studying History. In his spare time his hobbies and interests tend to revolve around history but he works a lot so doesn't get much free time to enjoy himself! He wanted to be a Safety Rep to give something back to students having felt like he had gained so much from university. He feels students in Middlesbrough face the same kind of challenges and risks as anywhere else including crime and alcohol. His main aim is to get out and talk to as many students as possible whilst raising the profile of the Safety Reps.

Timothy Pigden

Tim is originally from Middlesbrough and studying Information and Communication Technologies. In his spare time he enjoys cinema, video games and music. He wanted to be a Safety Rep because he feels students need to know more than they currently do about staying safe around the University and he wants to use his role to further raise awareness. He feels students need to be encouraged to take more care when leaving personal belongings around and ensure they don’t go home from a night out unaccompanied especially during dark, winter nights. He’d also like to get more students to consider buying Fair trade food and drink.

Joseph Nwosu

Rachel Hannah Russell

Rachel is originally from Yarm and is studying English. In her spare time she likes meeting new people and being adventurous. She wanted to be a Safety Rep to gain new experience and meet new people. She feels that Safety Reps have a particularly important role to play in helping students who have moved away from home for the first time to settle in to their accommodation and new surroundings. She wants to provide them with support and advice on how to look after themselves and their possessions.

Ali Adnan

Ali is originally from Middlesbrough and is studying Accounting and Finance. In his spare time he enjoys various sports such as Cricket and Football as well as going to the gym. He wanted to be a Safety Rep as he's interested in students experiences of living in Middlesbrough and helping them with any problems they encounter here. He feels students sometimes face problems with accommodation, theft and, in some cases, hate crime. He feels international students in particular may not always be aware of the support and help that is available to them.

George Ritchie

George is originally from Billingham and is studying History. In his spare time he enjoys football and music, he likes to get to as many Sunderland football matches and music festivals as possible. He wanted to be a Safety Rep to do something completely different and interact with a range of students. He feels awareness of the dangers of alcohol and sexual health are the biggest concerns for Safety Reps, he also feels he can empathise with those who are having problems with Landlords or accommodation.

Jade Lee

Jade is originally from Berkhamstead in Hertfordshire and is studying a Masters in Criminal Investigation. In her spare time she enjoys baking and cooking, photography, Television and cinema. She wanted to be a Safety Rep as she feels it's important that students have a group of people they can approach about potentially sensitive issues around their safety or health. She feels there's a range of potential risks to student safety and wellbeing including alcohol and drug consumption, poor housing, crime and mental/ physical health.

Laura Massey

Laura is originally from Stourport on Severn and is studying Computer Games Art. In her spare time she enjoys crafts, watching horror films and playing computer games. She wanted to be a Safety Rep after finding that a few of her friends had issues in this area but were unsure where to go for help. She feels housing and sexual health awareness are big issues for students and wants to help students become aware of the wide network on support on campus including The Link.

Claire Dempsey

Claire is from Portadown in Northern Ireland and is studying History. In her spare time she enjoys socialising, being with friends and nights out. She wanted to be a Safety Rep as she thinks a lot of students don't tend to consider some of the potential dangers they may face in Middlesbrough. She feels the various risks of abuse of alcohol are not always fully understood by students and in her role she wants to work to improve this.