Happy New Tier

The Government has announced that Portsmouth is now in Tier 4, meaning there are a whole host of new restrictions and rules to follow in order to keep every safe and stop the spread of the virus. The reasons this has been brought into effect is because of a new strain of the virus which is up to 70% more transmissible, meaning it can be passed between people much easier, and spread much quicker.

We understand that this may have had an impact on your plans over Christmas holidays. We want to reassure you on what these new regulations mean for you still on campus and what support is available.

We have set up a Facebook Group where you can see what services are available to you and you can also chat to Student Staff if you have any questions or simply want a chat. You can connect with other students and have some social interaction.  

ResLife are available to help support ALL students, whether you are in halls or you are in private accommodation.

They will be available as usual Monday 21st December to Wednesday 23rd December 11:30am to 8pm.

You can also access Out of Hours support - you can call the Security Lodge on (0)23 9284 3418 and ask to speak to Res Life. The team will be monitoring emails to reslife@port.ac.uk from Monday 28th December to Monday 4th January.

Below are the official Government guidelines for what you can and can’t do as part of Tier 4.

A lot of the University building and services are closed for the Christmas period. You can find out more information here.

The new restrictions means that the gyms are now closed.

The library is still currently open.

You can meet with one other person outside as part of the restrictions.

There are online events and activities taking place - find out more here.

(information correct as of 10:30am 21/12/2020)

This last minute announcement has meant that lots of plans have had to be changed or cancelled and this may have had an impact on your mental health. You are not alone. It is important to reach out if you are struggling.

Student Minds have set up Student Space, an online platform exclusively for students, where you can access help and support.

You can also find out more about the services available to you over the Christmas period by checking out this article.

You can also speak to The Samaritans, who provide confidential, non-judgmental emotional support for free 24 hours a day.
W: Samaritans.org
E: jo@samaritans.org
P: 116 123 (available 24 hours a day)

The first few weeks of the new term are, as originally planned as a staggered return to blended learning, however, as we've seen, things can rapidly change and we must work to Government guidelines. Pending the Government's updates and announcements on the 30th December we will act swiftly and in partnership with the University to inform students if there are any changes.