Freshers #9 – Guildhall Boat Party

It wouldn’t be freshers without a boat party! We have organised a party boat to take you past all the famous sights in London all night! This is a truly unforgettable evening, a chance to dress up and have your photo taken with your friends by our very own photographer, dance the night away with the resident boat DJ and enjoy some lovely booze as we cruise down the river! This is our only ticketed event of Freshers week, so we can keep an eye on numbers, but don’t worry, for the first-ever time in Guildhall history we are making the boat party, free!

After the boat party if you are wanting to continue the night away head down to The Basement Bar where we have lined up a live DJ to continue your night away! 

You must be a current Guildhall student to attend, over 18 and you MUST bring your official ID (Driving License, Passport etc) to board the boat. We will be leaving Temple Pier (the nearest tube is Temple – Circle/ District Line) at 8pm sharp, so please get to the pier at 7.30-7.45pm, if you are late the boat will leave!

Tickets

A ticket link (Google Form) will go live on Friday 3rd September 5pm, get your forms in early to secure a place at the boat party! You will receive an email confirmation from our SU Events VP, Darcie Jago within 3 days of booking your ticket. 

Entry Requirements

• You must be a current Guildhall student to attend, over 18 and you MUST bring your official ID (Driving License, Passport etc) to board the boat.

• This year, we are strongly recommending that everyone takes a Lateral Flow Test within 24 hours of attending one of our freshers events. This shouldn’t be a problem because you should all be accustomed to the testing routine twice weekly as per the last term!
  It’s very simple:
  1. Order your test kits via GOV.uk (https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow…) or collect from the front desk at Silk Street or Milton Court Front Desk.
  2. Within 24 hours of the event you want to attend, take the test and log your result via the gov.UK website – https://www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result
  3. You will then receive a confirmation from the NHS within minutes.

Safety Policies

• Hand Sanitiser – we will be providing hand sanitiser across the venue at all points; you know the drill.
• Face Coverings – In line with current UK Government guidelines, it is not mandatory to wear a mask. But, we ask you to please be considerate in smaller enclosed environments such as the toilets. Wearing a mask is one way that we can help stop the spread of COVID-19. If you feel comfortable, it is a good idea to wear one in situations where you are in close proximity to other people. Many people will still feel more comfortable wearing masks and this should be welcomed and respected.
• Distancing Wristbands – whilst we will not require social distancing at our events, we ask that you respect other people’s safety, and whilst some may be comfortable having a boogie up and close, some may want to keep some distance. Upon entry, we will be asking students to choose one of 3 coloured wristbands, Green – Talk & Hug if you wish to, Yellow – Let’s talk but avoid contact, Red – keeping my distance. We ask you to respect people’s choice of wristband kindly, and of course, you can change your wristband choice throughout the week if you want to do so.
• No Drug Policy – if you are found with any illegal substances on your person or found taking drugs on our premises, you will be removed immediately, and we will not hesitate to ban you from some or all future SU Events.
• Safe Space Policy – at the SU, we are part of the rising movement globally to support positive change and acknowledge the experiences of those who are more at risk from incidents of sexual assault and harassment – typically, but not exclusively, women. We have a zero-tolerance policy towards any kind of sexual assault or harassment. Consent means agreeing to do something. When it comes to sex, this means someone agreeing to take part in a sexual activity. Any form of sexual contact without consent is illegal, whatever the age of the people involved. If you do not give consent and a person still engages in a sexual act, this is sexual assault or rape. Remember, you shouldn’t ever feel pressured into any kind of sexual activity. It’s ok to say no or change your mind. Sexual assault is never ok. If you or any of your friends experience this kind of behaviour, you should report it immediately and know that it will be taken very seriously by the SU, the School and the Police. It doesn’t matter if you are intoxicated; you will be listened to and given the support you need. We want everyone to have a good time, but we also want everyone to be safe. At our events, there will always be one Mental + Physical Health First Aider in presence, as well as a safe space where you can take yourself away from all the crowds and noise; this space will be regularly checked by a member of the bar/ SU team.
• New Queue System – we will be operating a new queuing system at the bar. Gone are the days of pushing and shoving to get your drinks to spill half of them by the time you get back to your friends. This will also allow people to keep their distance where requested. Our security team will be manning this queue to make sure there is no queue jumping.

Developing Symptoms at an Event

The main symptoms of COVID-19 are:

• a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature);
• a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual);
• a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you’ve noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal.

If you develop any of the three key COVID-19 symptoms while at our event, you should put on a face mask, notify people you are attending with and make arrangements to travel home as soon as possible. You should avoid any unnecessary contact with other people. When you get home you should book a free PCR test (https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test) and isolate until you receive a negative result. If you feel too unwell to travel or need urgent medical attention, please speak to a member of the SU/ Bar Team, and please make sure you are wearing a mask.

Creating a Culture of Respect

At all our SU events we want to help model a culture of respect. We can do this by looking out for each other and being aware of how our own behaviour can, sometimes unintentionally, make others feel.

• Be a friendly face in the crowd – if you see someone being objectified, harassed or looking uncomfortable with another’s behaviour, ask if they are ok.
• Respect personal space – for example in a crowd you may be standing very close to people, but keep your hands to yourself.
• Say ‘excuse me’ if you are moving through a crowd rather than just pushing or putting your hands on people.
• If you are moving into a small space that’s already occupied ask is it ok if I sit/stand here?’.
• In conversation, respect verbal and bodily clues about whether someone wants the chat to continue.
• Don’t flirt with someone who isn’t showing any interest.
• Only engage in ‘sexual banter’ if you are certain it will be found amusing and with people you know well.
• Don’t stare at people – it can feel unsettling and intimidating.
• Keep your mates in line – if someone you’re with behaves inappropriately, don’t just keep quiet.
• The Basement is a place to make new friends but recognise that if a stranger is wary of you, it’s not personal. Some people are not always immediately comfortable with people they don’t know.
• When walking behind people on their own at night, leave a bit of distance. The closer you are, the more threatening you may seem.
• Be sensitive to the fact that when people are intoxicated, things can sometimes be taken the wrong way.
• If you are feeling upset and need to talk, come and find one of the ‘on-duty’ SU Team members, or bar team, who can offer a confidential safe space to talk.