Tuesday 23-06-2015 - 16:04

We’re proud to announce that all seven partnerships who took part in the first year of Alcohol Impact have successfully received their accreditation.

Across the UK, seven universities and colleges have worked with their students’ union to take action on a crucial student welfare issue, by challenging the social norms around unhealthy drinking culture.

At the Home Office today, our outgoing vice president Colum McGuire presented the seven partnerships with their accreditations, demonstrating their commitment to driving positive change around alcohol culture.

“Evidence suggests that students consistently report higher levels of alcohol consumption than the wider young adult group, claiming to drink nearly double the amount in a week of every type of drink”, he told people attending today.

“And a shocking 40 per cent of students have reported that alcohol has negatively impacted their university or college life, which is not acceptable”

Reaching 100,000 students in its first year alone, Alcohol Impact shifts the social norms around drinking across our campuses and communities. Using the same behaviour change model as our incredibly successful Green Impact programme, we help students’ unions and institutions work together in partnership to drive top-down reform.

For hundreds if not thousands of students going into education every year, it can feel like you have to socialise. We think that our unions, campuses and communities should be much more inclusive than that.That’s why we’re running Alcohol Impact.

It’s not about stopping people from drinking. It’s about making our campuses healthier, safer and more inclusive. It’s about creating a more positive education experience, supporting retention rates, and helping students to form healthier habits for life.

“We want good quality welfare for students across the UK with appropriate and successful support services available to them”, Colum said “and that’s what Alcohol Impact is all about”

The full list of accredited partnerships are:

• Swansea University and students' union
• Manchester Metropolitan University and students' union
• University of Brighton and students' union
• Royal Holloway, University of London and students' union
• Loughborough University and students' union
• University of Nottingham and students' union
• Liverpool John Moores University and students' union

This year, your students’ union and institution can take part in Alcohol Impact too. Email us to find out more or sign up today.