Thursday 03-02-2022 - 09:29

University of Bolton SU - Crisis in a community - by Ansh Shacdeva University of Bolton SU President

Ansh Sachdeva, University of Bolton SU President

On Friday 15 November, a catastrophic fire broke out at The Cube, a privately managed building in Bolton town centre, which affected over 200 of our students. All of the students could not go back to their homes after the fire as the building was deemed unsafe. 

A huge critical support and recovery operation began at the university which required multiple resources. We set to work.

We initially focused entirely on the wellbeing and support of the many students affected by this terrible incident. (The university got them into hotels nearby and moved them to the other student accommodation). We also got mental health advisors in place to support them 24/7.

We got active over social media, also the support and lengths people went to in donating goods and items were humbling. The support flooded in from as far afield as sports retailer Decathalon, to individuals from mosques and churches, Manchester Giants Basketball team, and the Red Cross.

As a result of the event, we had to drop everything from our usual day and quickly make a number of changes so that we could best support our students. We continued to function at times sporadically, but we looked at the priorities, shared the tasks out and just did our best to stay focused on what needed to be done.

We are all be very proud of what the team here accomplished. We all worked tirelessly through the day and night to make a horrendous situation the best it could possibly be. 

The university staff and students came together to ensure everyone had accommodation and the essentials, as well as making sure all students were also seen and looked after by trained doctors and counsellors, after the traumatic experience. Our emphasis was primarily on mental health and we received support from Nightline and Student Services/Life Lounge.

Losing everything you have in a blaze was extremely daunting, not just your essentials like bank cards/ clothes etc, but it had an impact on people’s lives as some of our students’ work was lost as they couldn’t take anything with them. The important thing was they were all safe.

Our Vice Chancellor Prof. George Holmes, and Deputy Vice Chancellor Dr. Kondal Reddi Kandadi also worked throughout the day and night and I have never been prouder to be associated with them and this institution – it really is a privilege to be a part of this community. 

The staff and students have been amazing, and we are still very grateful that this Student Services/Life Lounge turned into, in the main, a positive outcome, as it could have been very different if it wasn’t for the fast-acting fire service. 

What is the longer-term goal? 
There’s a plan in place to carry out awareness about the importance of fire safety which will be implemented and strategized. 

Our outcomes for every student affected were:

1. Each has had their accommodation paid for by the university, until they are able to find a permanent place to live.
2. Every student directly involved in the incident was eligible to collect £500 pounds, in cash from the finance office.
3. Support with students’ mental health and wellbeing counselling was put in place for the duration of their study at Bolton. 
4. Course work assessments and deadlines were negotiated and extended.

Key advice in a crisis: 
I think it’s not ‘me’, it’s ‘we’: The university, students and all the staff who supported during this tough time. I learnt that this crisis can be managed by team week, communication and being calm at the lowest points.  Other things to think about in a crisis are:

1.    Safety of your students – assess the situation.
2.    Prioritise the essentials – understand the challenge.
3.    What exactly is needed and who can provide it?
4.    Draw up a list of tasks and share out amongst colleagues.
5.    Regular meetings to discuss next steps.
6.    Consider external activity and news interest use key spokespeople/ share a statement.
7.    How does this affect our community? Think about damage reputation.

Ansh Sachdeva, University of Bolton SU president