NightSafe - a volunteering project of the University of York Students’ Union - is closing on to its 10th anniversary next year.

We go out on patrol every student club night and support the most vulnerable students by offering signposting, water, and first aid.

We went out into the night for the first time on September 28th 2014 , after a student died in the River Ouse in a tragic night-out incident.

Photo caption: NightSafe’s first ever shift: 28/09/2014

While initially dedicated to river safety and first aid, mental health signposting and eventually mental health first aid was incorporated into our training to respond to a rising demand, especially post-COVID.

COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns that followed in 2020-2021 hit NightSafe hard, as the night economy shrunk. Thanks to the hard work of the 2021-22 project committee, however, NightSafe bounced back stronger than before!

Photo caption: Training week and the first post-lockdown shift, September 2021

In 2023, NightSafe is in its prime - with 37 fully trained volunteers dedicating five nights out of their semester to help their peers. So far this academic year we sent 21 shifts out, aiming to be out there consistently four nights a week. We have made a brief appearance on BBC Look North discussing the night safety in York

Photo Caption: BBC Look North fragment from 25.09.2023 featuring a NightSafe volunteer

We aim to continue to grow and develop our project to keep making York students safe and keep York the safest city in the UK for a night out.