The Sugarhouse, the nightclub run by Lancaster University Student Union, has ranked third in the UK with a Gold standard for the sixth consecutive year in the National Union of Students’ ‘Best Bar None’.
The accreditation scheme focuses on venues run by student unions across the country. It aims to recognise and promote venues that display a social responsibility, particularly regarding student safety and alcohol responsibility. Student safety has been at the forefront of Lancaster University’s consciousness this academic year, spearheaded by the ‘Night In’ movement in the Autumn which aimed to tackle the high number of spiking cases occurring in venues across the UK.
LUSU CEO Misbah Ashraf celebrated the news on Instagram, writing ‘we have always considered the welfare of our students and have always recognised the importance of corporate social responsibility’ She continues to thank the Venue Manager, Sally Davidson, and Venue Assistants, Aimee Rostern and Jamie Barr, as well as the team of student staff which are employed by the venue.
This comes after a period of turbulence for the nightclub. The proposed sale of the Sugarhouse by the Student Union in 2019 faced backlash from the student community due to questions of how it would affect student safety, and the COVID pandemic caused it to remain shut for the majority of the 20/21 academic year. It is reassuring to conclude that 2022 has shed a bountiful approval on the venue’s welfare measures.
