University of Westminster Students’ Union receives Best Bar None gold accreditation

Best Bar None (BBN) is a national accreditation and award scheme for licensed premises, which assesses venues’ commitment to ensuring the safety of their customers, staff and the venue as a whole.

UWSU has been a member of the BBN scheme for multiple years, and throughout this time they have created a set of robust venue policies and procedures that ensure all venues are safe, sustainable and responsible places for students to socialise and work in. This year UWSU has focused on training the student staff team to help them feel supported and confident in running each venue. They have organised additional skills programmes that all student staff can take part in, including being trained as mental health first aiders and undertaking bystander and green dot training. They have also ensured their wellbeing is a priority when working in these venues, as they offer flexible shift patterns so each student can prioritise their university work as and when needed. They also offer safe and subsidised transport home for those working later shift patterns, hold a series of socials planned throughout the year and provide access to an employee assistant programme. 

As an additional part of the Best Bar None awards, UWSU was also awarded a certificate of achievement for its commitment to welfare and wellbeing.

The awards were presented at the NUS trading conference award dinner, where achievements of Students’ Unions across the country were celebrated.

Claire Sutcliffe, UWSU Commercial Development Manager, said: "It is amazing to see the achievements of the team being recognised in these awards. Not only is this the third consecutive year that our venue has been awarded the gold BBN accreditation but to have received the additional award for commitment to welfare and wellbeing is the icing on top. These awards demonstrate that the commitment to our part-time staff’s welfare and wellbeing and also to making our venues safe for students is our top priority.”

Rithika Dorairaj, UWSU Venues Commercial Coordinator, added: “We have worked hard this year focusing on our practices, ensuring we are training our student staff with the best skills for them to feel confident in running our venues. We want to empower our student staff by giving them additional skills so that when they leave Westminster we can say we have added to their employability. The fact that we can do that whilst making our spaces safer and better for students is a bonus.” 

UWSU’s commitment to wellbeing directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: Good Health and Wellbeing. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.  

Find out more about the University of Westminster Students’ Union.