Exceptional team rehome students after emergency evacuation
A brilliant team effort ensured that 188 students were quickly and safely rehomed after being evacuated at short notice from their residences.
Colleagues from across several services pulled together to look after students when West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue service issued a prohibition notice deeming Eldon Court residences unsafe under new regulations. Eldon Court Residence is owned privately and is not affiliated to the University.
Following the evacuation, the students were looked after temporarily in the University’s Refectory while the team in Residential Services made accommodation ready for them to move into. Catering staff stayed on to offer food and drink, and security staff were on hand to transport students to their new temporary accommodation.
Director of Residential and Catering Services Ian Robertson said: “Rehousing as many of our students late at night presented us with quite a big challenge , but the teams rose to the occasion, not just in accommodation services, but in Catering and University Security. The Leeds University Union (LUU) night bus driver helped as well. We couldn’t have done it without them.”
Thanks to the coordinated efforts of these colleagues, all 188 University of Leeds students that were displaced have now been found alternative accommodation.
Highlighting the collaboration and community spirit, Ian continued:
“Team members didn’t hesitate to volunteer, and they all worked through until the early hours of Wednesday morning to do what was necessary to make sure that everyone was safe and comfortable.”. ,
Please join us in offering thanks to our colleagues for their hard work, selflessness, and exceptional commitment to the student experience.
If you are dealing with students who might have questions, student communications have issued a new page with some frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) on the student website.
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