The race-related riots and violence that occurred in the days immediately after the tragic deaths of three young girls in Southport were appalling. Everyone – whatever their colour, their religion or cultural belief – should be able to live their life in safety in the UK. Hate-fuelled violence, racism and Islamophobia have absolutely no place here.
We know that members of our staff and student community will have been deeply affected by these events and may be feeling particularly concerned, frightened and vulnerable right now. I want to reassure you that the º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ community stands in solidarity with you all.
º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is proud to be a welcoming, international community, with students and staff from more than 130 countries and regions. At times like this, it is more important than ever that we unite and offer one another support, understanding and compassion. The sources of support available to our staff and students are included at the bottom of this message, along with links to some useful external sources of guidance.
While incidents like those we have witnessed over the last few days are truly shocking, racism and discrimination are sadly always with us. I have acknowledged previously that here at the University we see discriminatory incidents. We are not perfect but we are striving to create an anti-discriminatory experience for all of our º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ community. It will be a long journey, but we will dismantle unfair and discriminatory structures and processes and tackle discriminatory behaviour.
And the peaceful anti-racism protests that occurred in towns and cities yesterday give us hope that the majority within UK society are also united against such appalling demonstrations of racism and discrimination.
Professor Nick Jennings
Vice-Chancellor and President
Sources of support and guidance
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Student Services (Email: studentservices@lboro.ac.uk, Tel: 01509 222765) offer a range of support, including mental health and wellbeing, and advice specifically for international students. Support for London students is also available by emailing London-Welfare@lboro.ac.uk or calling 020 3805 1303/1351. â¶Ä¯
One-to-one support with an advisor is also available. If you would like to access this support, please complete the online referral form. â¶Ä¯â¶Ä¯â¶Ä¯â¶Ä¯â¶Ä¯
If you feel your studies are being affected, you can contact your Academic School or Personal Tutors so that we can provide the right support to you. If you wish, you can also submit an individual Mitigating Circumstances claim to explain how you have been impacted by recent events. More information on this can be found in the Student Handbook. â¶Ä¯â¶Ä¯
Staff  
Colleagues can access support through our Employee Assistance Programme, as well as our Mental Health First Aiders. â¶Ä¯
Should you need some time away, we would like to draw attention to our compassionate leave arrangements, including our specific policy related to those experiencing trauma as a result of a protected characteristic (e.g race, or religion). 
°¿³Ü°ù Staff Networks  also exist to provide peer-to-peer connection and support. â¶Ä¯
If staff are approached by students who are concerned about the situation, please direct them to the sources of student support above.
If any member of staff is scheduled to work in a location affected by the incidents, please follow any guidance provided by the Police and make alternative arrangements as appropriate. 
EDI Services are organising an online wellbeing session on Wednesday 21 August for racialised minority staff and PGRs to allow people to safely reflect on their emotions and harm they may have experienced. Further details will be available soon. 
For both staff and students
°Õ³ó±ð University Chaplaincy (·¡³¾²¹¾±±ô: chaplaincy@lboro.ac.uk, Tel: 01509 223741) offers a space for quiet reflection for both staff and students. University Chaplains are here to listen, to care and to help anyone within our community. No appointment is necessary. 
EDI Services are organising drop-in sessions on 13 August (1pm-5pm) on both campuses to allow staff and students to share thoughts and emotions about the incidents. These will be held on the º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ campus in EHB 209 and London Campus LDN0.14. Should you wish to engage online in a hybrid manner, please email EDIservices@lboro.ac.uk
To report an anti-Muslim incident, visit Tell Mama. You can also contact The Race Equity Centre and if you have been subjected to hate crime, you can access support in Leicestershire or in London.
Advice on protecting yourself during civil unrest
Citizens Advice: if you’re affected by the race-related incidents