Our End of Year Awards Celebrations are run by students, for students, to recognise and celebrate the student-led groups who work tirelessly to create a vibrant, united, and inclusive student community at UCL.
We hold four separate celebrations across two days to make sure the thousands of students who commit their time and energy to run sports clubs, societies, and volunteering projects are properly recognised for their work. Some of these events (on 30 and 31 May) were targeted by protesters connected to the Main Quad encampment with protest aimed at students, clubs, societies, arts groups, and volunteers.
Protesters chanted at students, intimidating many in attendance, attempted to dismantle equipment, and one individual assaulted a member of university staff. Protesters also recorded videos of students without their consent and shared these videos on social media in an attempt to shame students. We have also received complaints about the use of antisemitic tropes in the chants used by protesters on Friday evening. We completely condemn this.
We have supported the rights of those in the encampment over the past month and we will always support students’ right to peaceful freedom of expression and assembly.
We know that many students support the aims of the protest and will continue to do so, however, we believe the escalation in tactics last week crossed a line. Targeting students, using threatening and racist language, or resorting to any form of violence cannot be tolerated. Added to this, we also know that some of those involved in the protests were members of the public who have entered university spaces to disrupt student activity. We will always defend our students from action intended to harm them.
It has been an extremely difficult year for so many in our community, if you are affected by the events on campus or the ongoing conflict, support is available to you. Please reach out and use this support, the details are below.
Support available to all students:
- UCL’s campus has security coverage 24/7. Security support can be accessed by calling +44 (0)20 7679 2222 or extension 222 from a UCL landline.
- You can also contact security directly through the SafeZone app. Download the SafeZone app.The app is available to all UCL students and makes it easier for you to contact UCL Security directly from your phone. Remember: if you are in an emergency, call 999 and ask for the appropriate service.
- You can contact the Support Team for Students affected by War, Conflict and Disaster. The team provides emotional and practical support to students affected by events in their home countries by offering sessions of Psychological First Aid (PFA).
- If you need to, you should access UCL's 24/7 Student Support Line for support with your mental health and wellbeing, and additional support services around faith and belief at UCL, including quiet spaces for prayer and advice from the Interfaith team.
- We know that it may be difficult to focus on your studies at this time. If you are struggling with academic work, you should first talk to your tutor, who will be able to offer support and advice. Departments can also provide Extenuating Circumstances or Academic Adjustments to support any student who experiences sudden, unexpected difficulties that may affect their performance at assessment.
- If you face financial difficulty due to the conflict, we encourage you to speak with one of our Student Funding Advisers. Students who are in unexpected financial need with their living costs can also apply to the Financial Assistance Fund. The Union also offers additional Financial Support for students who, for whatever reason, cannot access UCL support but are in financial need.
- The Students' Union Advice Service offers independent and impartial advice on a range of matters . We are separate from the university and are available to all UCL students, so if you need any advice on submitting an extenuating circumstances claim or applying for financial support, one of experienced Advisors could help.
- Reports of hate crimes are taken extremely seriously - report instances of hate crime on campus through the Report + Support tool page. You can do this anonymously.