Logo close icon

Middlesex awarded HEFCE grant to tackle sexual harassment and hate crime

14/03/2017
Staff and students will work together on project to develop safeguarding toolkit and training model

Quad Middlesex

The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) Catalyst Fund has awarded a grant of almost £50,000 to Middlesex University to develop a toolkit to tackle sexual harassment and hate crime on campus.

The grant is part of a £2.45 million HEFCE initiative to combat violence and sexual harassment and over 60 projects in universities and colleges across the country are involved.

Staff and students from Middlesex will work together to develop a sector-specific toolkit and training model that provides support and solutions to safeguarding on campus. A vital aspect of the toolkit will be to bring about cultural change so that staff recognise their roles and responsibilities to provide a safe and secure environment, prevent abuse and respond appropriately to suspected or reported abuse.

David Malpas, Director of Student Affairs at Middlesex, developed the grant application with the University’s Safeguarding Officer Ben Serlin, the Students’ Union and CitizensUK

"The project will build upon the existing infrastructure, experience and knowledge at the University and draw upon our own community of academics, experts and staff," said David.

"It will be developed in collaboration with the Student’s Union and in partnership with CitizensUK to meet the diverse needs of our staff and student communities.”

The aim of the toolkit is not only to stamp out episodes of abuse but to create communities which will actively stand against sexual violence, harassment and hate crime through the development of a model of working with the Students’ Union and their prospective partner, CitizensUK.

Ekaterina Dragomirova, Students’ Union Vice-President Business and Law, said she is "absolutely delighted that our bid has been successful".

"We are pleased to partner with the University and CitizensUK. This is an extremely important piece of work that will benefit not only students, but staff and the community,” she added.

In this section

Back to top