TWSS’ Susie Long explores the impact of the open letter written by the University of Bristol Ladies’ Hockey Club (UBLHC), discussing with UBLHC’s Esme Doherty how the group have managed to encourage real change within the university community.
TRIGGER WARNING: Mentions of SA and violence.
When we join a university, we are told that societies, teams, and our Student Unions are safe places. However, recently published information from the University of Bristol’s Ladies’ Hockey Club (UBLHC) shows that this is not always the case and, most importantly, that Bristol SU is not enforcing adequate measures to keep society members safe from sexual violence.
Since March of last year, UBLHC has filed numerous complaints with the Student Union regarding sexual violence towards members of the club. Every time, they were met with poor advice, disrespectful dismissals of the importance of such issues and, notably, a rebuttal that there is nothing written in the SU Code of Conduct regarding the suspension of players who are under investigation. Finally deciding that “enough was enough”, the team at UBLHC wrote an open letter to protest the issues, which has since gained over 3,000 signatures and the support of over 200 societies.
Last week, I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with UBLHC’s Esme Doherty about the work that the team have been doing and their advocacy for safety on and around campus. “It’s not a new issue at all,” she explained, “in fact, I’ve had other societies’ committee members from over 10 years ago reaching out saying that they had the same issues we did.” Now, however, we could finally be seeing real change in our Union’s attitudes towards its students – all thanks to this group of self-proclaimed “gobby feminists.”
Talking to Esme about the current procedures – or lack thereof – surrounding raising such complaints, I was horrified by how much these students had had to go through: from an absolute lack of communication from the SU towards the victims to society presidents and EDI officers being made to gather testimonials from fellow teammates. Esme described the experience as “horrible, having to be a go-between between a girl I barely knew at the time and the SU.” Not only does this practice put an immense strain on teammates, requiring victims to disclose information to peers that they may not have told otherwise, but said captains and EDI officers received no SU training or support whatsoever. “Friendships on the team have gotten a lot closer since then,” former EDI officer Esme details, “but at the time it was a very awkward and stressful process.”
UBLHC’s open letter raises many valid points, outlining exactly what they expect the SU to amend and what action they should be taking.
These key demands are as follows:
- Update the Code of Conduct to directly include sexual assault and rape.
The lack of reference to sexual assault and rape under the SU’s Code of Conduct means that there is currently no protection for students.
- A concise framework with clear signposting for both committee members and SU alike to follow, should a sexual assault or rape complaint be raised.
This framework should be made in a trauma-informed way.
- Automatic and immediate suspension for members from SU activity if under investigation for sexual assault or rape.
A ban during the investigation process would ensure consistency, fairness, and immediate protection for all parties involved, prioritising the safety and dignity of victims.
- Mandatory welfare training and wellbeing support for all committee members.
The SU should provide mandatory training to society leaders to equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to respond appropriately to incidents within their communities.
“You’d be amazed at how much backlash we’ve got from this,” commented Esme, “particularly the suspension one. But it just makes it so much safer for everyone involved.”
Whilst it is easy to look at this story as a concerning insight into the continuous undermining of sexual violence cases, it is far more than that. Identifying a fundamental problem within the Student Union, and “not stopping until it’s changed,” is no easy feat, but the club members of UBLHC have stepped up and become the voices for all of those whom the system previously failed. The action they have taken has been nothing short of astounding. Recently, they staged a protest at their recent Derby Day – with full support from opponent Cardiff Ladies’ Hockey Club – leaving the match early to draw attention to the mistreatment of the club and other victims at the university. Esme described to me that “it felt really powerful, seeing everyone stood together in solidarity like that.”
Relentlessly fighting for change, UBLHC has banded together to become a truly unstoppable force. “There’s a group chat of five of us that might just be the gobbiest feminists I know,” laughed Esme, “it’s even called ‘Gobshites Assembled’.” This group (with arguably the best group chat name ever) have attended numerous meetings with influential figures within the SU, such as the Director of Impact and Influence and the Director of Student Opportunities, before then taking their concerns to Vice Chancellor Evelyn Welch.
Even as I finish up writing this article, it’s obvious that the work of UBLHC has paid off. This morning, myself and other society presidents received an email from the SU, asking us to give our feedback and review the Code of Conduct amendments. They have since rolled out information on their social media about the upcoming policy changes, crediting UBLHC every step of the way.
“We’ve been involved in all SU communication that will come out”, says Esme, and it seems like the SU may actually be beginning to implement the changes. “But we’re not stopping until it’s been changed,” Esme emphasised, “I don’t want to just see promises, I want to see action.”
The members of UBLHC and the ‘Gobshites Assembled’ have truly changed the lives of sexual violence victims at Bristol University forever. To create a platform where everyone knows they are, as Esme put it, “believed, heard, and trusted” is incredible, and serves as a true testament to what can be achieved through a strong sense of community and standing up for what you believe in. Esme tells me that “some amazing friendships have formed from this, and it’s been really nice to see some positives come out of something so negative.”
UBLHC are teaching by example that, if you believe in something enough, you can make it happen. The voices of these individuals – despite it taking a long time and a difficult battle – are finally being heard and, as a Bristol community, we owe it to them and to ourselves to continue holding Bristol SU accountable for their actions. As the Code of Conduct is revised, keep in mind what has been demanded of the Student Union, and show support for UBLHC by not stopping until it’s done.
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