Skip to main content

What to do in an emergency

Phone 999 for the police, an ambulance or the Fire & Rescue Service

Your call should be answered within ten seconds. A trained staff member will ask you to describe what has happened and where you are, so that you can receive help quickly. Please keep calm, and be prepared to give a brief, clear and precise explanation of the problem. As well as obtaining immediate help, your information could be used to prevent other crimes and help keep other people safe.

Contact the University's Security Hub on 0191 334 2222

Once you have phoned the emergency services, you should alert the University's Security Hub to the incident. You can reach them on 0191 334 2222 - calls to this number are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by a trained Security Operator. 

University Security have access to a list of emergency contact telephone numbers of university staff who can offer support and guidance. Security will also ensure that any emergency services attending the incident can get access to where they need to be on site quickly.

What to do in a serious situation that is not an emergency

If you want to report a non-emergency situation, such as theft or damage, you should either call 101 to speak to the local police, or go to your nearest police station to report the situation (in Durham City, the local police station is on New Elvet). 

Again, information you provide can also help prevent other crimes and keep other people safe.

Finally, as above, you should also contact the University Security hub on 0191 334 2222 to make them aware of the issue.

If you need to contact your college about a student support matter, or other serious situation, you can use the below phone numbers 24 hours a day:

College 

Telephone number 

College of St Hild and St Bede 

0191 334 8300 / 07894 073335 

Collingwood College 

0191 334 5000 / 07979 753662 

Grey College 

0191 334 5900 / 07715 771447 

Hatfield College 

0191 334 2619 / 07884 386709 

John Snow College 

07912 746027 

Josephine Butler College 

0191 334 7270 / 07894 073322 

South College 

07921 897781 

St Aidan's College 

0191 334 5769 / 07741 237973 

St Chad's College 

0191 334 3358 / 07968 690830 

St Cuthbert's Society 

0191 334 3470 / 07776 681409 

St John's College 

08000 988084 

St Mary's College 

0191 334 5719 / 07793 268608 

Stephenson College 

0191 334 0545 / 07787 892048 

Trevelyan College 

0191 334 7000 / 07871 965526 

University College 

0191 334 3800 / 07880 442209 

Ustinov College 

0191 334 5470 / 07824 131678 

Van Mildert College 

0191 334 7100 / 07717 360985 

Remember to check your campus card

In the event of an emergency or other serious situation, you can find a list of useful contact information on the reverse of your campus card.

 

Other helpful contacts

As well as the contacts above, the University provides a number of other sources of help and support. There is a dedicated student support team within each College who are able to offer confidential and practical support on a range of issues. There are also many University, student-run and external services that are able to provide specialist help. These services provide a growing range of online guides, tools and other useful information.

Where to find advice and support

What to do if you're in crisis right now

Support hotlines and resources for dealing with a crisis
Man with head in hands

Reporting an incident of sexual violence

Support, counselling, and advice for reporting sexual violence to the police and University
Person writing on laptop with phone, coffee and glasses

Reporting a hate incident

Guidance on how to recognise and report hate crimes
Signpost

Durham Nightline

Anonymous, confidential active listening for Durham students
Nightline logo

Counselling and Mental Health Service

Access free mental health support for Durham University students.

Disability Support

Information and support for applicants and current students with disabilities
Two students emerging through the double doors of the Disability Support service office in the Palatine Centre

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Team

Information and resources on the University's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion commitments.
Stonewall Diversity Champion Logo

Health and Safety Service

Contacts and resources for health and safety at Durham University
Construction safetywear including a hard hat, visor and workboots

Student support and wellbeing

Find information and support contacts to help you feel safe, well and comfortable at Durham
Supportively holding hands

Staff networks

Find a staff network that supports your needs
Abstract network molecules

True Vision

Police guidance on recognising, reporting and stopping hate crimes

Helplines Partnership

Search for helplines specialising in different topics and issues to find the help you need
Support