A University of Surrey staff member contacted Defence Lab Training during the unfortunate Sarah Everard case.
She was very interested in having Personal Safety & Self Defence sessions, and surprised that the University did not previously have these sessions, especially as there have been incidents in the past around the university area in Guildford where girls were attacked whilst walking by themselves.
Because of the recent Sarah Everard case, the University were also carrying out a ‘No More’ Campaign and the staff member said that our Reality Based Self Defence training would also be in line with this. She felt that all the 16000 students and 2000 staff members at the University can really benefit from our bespoke training program.
The staff member decided to first join a private group session consisting of other young ladies and women in Guildford to get a taster of what we do, and she gave the following feedback:
“I really enjoyed the online class last month – thank you so much – it has made me much more aware of my surroundings when I am out walking/running… I’ve stopped looking at my phone, and now regularly glance behind me! Just these simple tips alone are something I think everyone can take away from a class.”
She then had a very positive meeting with the Student Union team, HR and Student Experience regarding holding self-defence classes at the University of Surrey.
We held two separate pilot sessions at the University which were open to both Staff members and Students, and got the following feedback:
“The feedback from the pilot sessions was excellent, the participants thought you and your team were great and learnt some valuable skills from the sessions. As a result of this, we would like to continue with the classes on a monthly basis.”
Kara Nutley – Student Activities Manager
Defence Lab Training is now holding monthly training sessions at the University, with a view to hold two sessions per month as the demand increases.
