Street Angels projects lose their halo as uni scraps scheme

Barmy University officials have scrapped the Durham Street Angels – the flagship programs to improve student safety.

Roshini Turner, a second year Hatfield student, and leader of Street Angels, was told it was all over. The heavenly project was dismissed by bureaucratic fodder.

The Street Angels were set up following the tragic deaths of three students in Durham. The grassroots organisation was set up by student volunteers in order to ensure that we can enjoy their student experience in the way they choose to.

Divine

Roshini told her heroic volunteers the news in an emotional post on Facebook this morning.

The archangel, Roshini, exclusively told The Tab: “More than anything, I think it’s a real shame that the University no longer wants to support the Street Angels.

“The project is invaluable as it provides immediate support to any student whether they be drunk, upset or injured and I question why the University would not want to further invest their efforts into a project that has only been beneficial towards improving student safety.

“We want the Street Angels back, and will most definitely be launching a campaign to achieve this.”

Stronger responses came from the volunteers, with one baffled Angel writing:

“Stopping students who are actively trying to stop another river death from happening, how does that make any sense?'”

While yet another Angel said what we were all thinking.

Wanting to remain anonymous, they said: “Devastated they’ve taken this decision to stop this next year, I honestly felt like we’d made enough of a difference to continue with the project.

“Massively disappointed about it, and can’t help but feel that the safety of our students is being weighed up against the balancing of the books at the end of the month – they have a lot of questions that need answering in my opinion.”

Roshini’s emotional post

The university, in a characteristically meek manner defended it’s actions with a flood of jargon and non-speak.

They said: “In view of the ongoing challenges of such service provision in terms of staffing, supervision and remit.

“We now have a new alcohol policy in place, work underway around the river, and an operational group to oversee the implementation of our alcohol policy.

“I understand that there will be more alcohol education messages aimed at returners in view of recent tragic events.”

The approaching Freshers Week, with rumours of Frep cut backs, and typically riotous behaviour, the Street Angels were being seen as a positive step. Now safety for incoming Freshers has been thrown into doubt in what will be an unfamiliar city.

A petition has now been set up to bring back the Street Angels, having already gathered nearly 150 signatures. Sign it here.