Students at the City of Bath College have attracted overwhelming support at the launch of their personal safety campaign to help young people stay safe while on nights-out.
The BTEC Level 3 IT students have been widely praised for their work to encourage young people to stay safe on nights-out in the city.
They officially launched the Got Ya Back campaign on 16th March in front of more than 100 supporters.
They have been working closely with partner agencies including Bath and North East Somerset Council, Avon and Somerset Constabulary, Avon Fire and Rescue, Bath University and Bath Spa University.
The campaign has also received the backing of RoSPA (The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents), Bath Rugby Club, Bath Business Improvement District and Nightwatch Bath.
With interest from community leaders in Durham and Newcastle, it is also hoped that the campaign could soon be rolled out nationally.
BTEC Level 3 IT student Samuel Maggs, who is joint campaign manager, said they hoped young people would listen to other young people.
He said: “We are very passionate about getting a non-condescending message out to young people.
“It’s a campaign to ensure safety when on a night-out. We’ve all got to be looking out for each other; that’s the fundamental message of the campaign.
“We aren’t saying to students that they shouldn’t go out, we want them to socialise with their friends; we just want them to do it safely.
“Even if this campaign saves just one person, it will be worth it. We are committed to getting the message out there.”
The students started working on the safety campaign about six months ago as part of their coursework as there had been a number of fatalities involving young people.
They have gone on to secure various donations including £10,000 from Bath and North East Council and £1,000 from the Somerset Crimebeat Trust.
The team is promoting a safety tips video which focuses on planning a night out, telling someone how you’re getting home, checking you have each other’s details and remembering to carry an ICE (In Case of Emergency) card.
Students will take the campaign to all of the county’s secondary schools by June and both universities will include campaign literature in their student fresher packs from September.
The team is also continuing to raise the campaign’s profile on social media and printing posters and flyers to highlight safety tips.
Cathryn Humphries, Team Manager of Licensing and Environmental Protection at Bath and North East Somerset Council, said she was delighted with the progress of the campaign which had a very simple but effective message.
She said: “The campaign has far exceeded our expectations.
“What’s different is that it’s a campaign for young people developed and designed by young people.
“The campaign is very positive and has longevity. I really hope it will snowball and gain momentum.”
Bath Fire Station Manager Chris Bailes said: “The students have done an exceptional amount of work.
“We’ve had some very tragic incidents in the river and our goal has always been to stop that happening again.
“The way to do this is through educating people and this campaign is a fantastic achievement.”
City of Bath College Principal Matt Atkinson said he was impressed with how the campaign had ‘taken on a life of its own.’
He said: “The support for this campaign has been outstanding and that is all down to the students.
“The widespread interest in the students’ work shows just how talented they are.
“It’s absolutely fantastic what they have achieved, the students have proved themselves to be great local citizens and they’re great ambassadors for the College.”
For more information on the Got Ya Back campaign, visit the website at www.gotyaback.org.
