Remembering
Daniel Mervis
SafeCourse was founded by Hilton Mervis, following the
tragic death of his son Daniel by drug overdose in 2019.
​
Daniel, gifted and much loved, had developed an addiction during his time as a student at St John’s College, Oxford.
The coroner found that the adoption of a zero tolerance approach by the college may have prevented him from asking for or getting help.
​​
St John’s now promotes harm reduction and runs an
annual Daniel Mervis prize on student drug use.
NEWS
Legal opinion
SafeCourse is deeply grateful to Victoria Wakefield KC and Tim Johnston of Brick Court Chambers for providing an opinion on the legal risks of zero-tolerance versus harm reduction drugs policies in universities.
The full opinion can be found <here>
The press release accompanying the opinion is <here>
Context
Despite its impact on student health, learning and futures, student drug
use remains a neglected and stigmatised area.
​
Many universities still have zero tolerance policies on drugs. In practice this very often
means zero action– no open and honest discussion about drugs, no engagement with students about risks and harms and a disciplinary response to students who need support. This puts students at risk.
​
In July 2024, Universities UK issued guidance that asked all universities to
adopt a harm reduction approach rather than zero tolerance.
​
It’s time that universities recognise the importance of this issue, do the right thing and
work with students to reduce demand for and harms from drugs.
Our Aims
Reduce the demand for drugs
Minimise
the harms associated with drug use
Change
the narrative about student
drug use
Our Objectives
Encourage universities to implement harm reduction approaches.
Tackle the stigma around drug use and addiction.
Improve student awareness about drug risks and behaviours.
Connect universities to drugs charities and bereaved parents.
Our Approach
-
Keep students at the centre of our work
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Work with universities to embed harm reduction
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Be guided by evidence
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Work with specialist agencies and charities
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Stay lean and demonstrate impact
Our Work
With Students
Student Media Competition
Student Peer
to Peer
Drug Testing
We will run a national student competition on the theme of drugs harm reduction.
We will develop a
student peer to peer
work programme.
We will explore
helping students’ unions
to provide drug testing
kits for students.
Our Work
With Universities
Legal Advice
Monitoring Universities' Progress with Harm Reduction
Promoting City
Harm Reduction Partnerships
We will produce authoritative legal advice on the role and responsibility of universities including their liability if they do not adopt harm reduction approaches.
We will audit sector progress on harm reduction one year on from the publication of UUK’s national guidance.
We will support universities to work together in local partnership with public health, police, charities, and bereaved families.
Priorities 2025
-
Legal advice: SafeCourse is very grateful to Victoria Wakefield KC and team at Brick Court Chambers for providing pro bono legal advice regarding universities’ liability if they are not following established good practice to keep students safe and well. This will be shared in July 2025.
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Monitoring Universities’ Progress with Harm Reduction: SafeCourse has issued Freedom of Information requests to 144 higher education institutions to report their progress in moving towards harm reduction as recommended in the UUK drugs framework. This will be reported in July 2025.
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Student Media Competition: SafeCourse will be running a national student media competition on the theme of drugs harm reduction. This recognizes that the best drugs awareness materials for students will be made by students.
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Promoting City Harm Reduction Partnerships: SafeCourse has donated to the set-up phase of this important initiative which aims to bring together city partners – public health, police, universities, colleges, night-time economy, accommodation – to energise and evaluate drug and alcohol harm reduction for students.
Our Charity
STATUS
​SafeCourse is a registered charity [charity number: 1201967]
FOUNDER
Hilton Mervis is a leading commercial litigation solicitor. He founded and chairs the www.commerciallitogatorsforum.com and works to raise support for the National Pro Bono Charity. As well as Daniel who died in 2019, Hilton is father to two daughters.
TRUSTEES
Sir Robin Knowles CBE was appointed a High Court Judge in 2014. He has a lifelong commitment to access to justice for those without means, and is the Chair of the National Pro Bono Centre.
Martin Rushton-Turner is Executive Chair at IPG and a former banker. He is an Honorary Fellow of UCL and supports a number of children and young adult charities.​
John de Pury is an independent health and education adviser. He worked previously at Universities UK where he led the development of the sector drugs framework, published in 2024.
Our Support
SUPPORT
If you wish to make a donation or to volunteer your time and expertise to SafeCourse, we would love to hear from you at safecourse@gmail.com
THANKS
We are very grateful to all our donors and supporters:
Ethan Jacobs
Byfield Reputation Counsel
Herinder & Alka Singh in memory of BalMohinder Singh & Satwant Kaur
The Hillier Trust
St John’s College, University of Oxford
How your donation will be put to work:
Will reduce immediate risks for students who are using drugs –
at the same time raising awareness of the dangers of drug use - by
providing drug-testing kits.
1. Preventing student deaths
£2500
Will set out universities’ liability if they do not adopt a harm reductionapproach - recommended in Universities UK sector guidance - via authoritative legal advice, to be sent to every vice chancellor.
2. Providing legal advice
£5000
Will publish an assessment of how universities are implementing the recommendations in the UUK guidance, one year on from launch.
3. Encouraging universities’ commitment to harm reduction
£10,000
Will give students the opportunity to shape the messages that work
for themby funding a national student media competition on the
theme of drugs harm reduction.
4. Running a student media competition
£20,000
​Will allow students to understand their own personal drugs risk profile - as well as to access non-judgemental information about drugs and to be signposted to support - via the co-funding of a student drugs app.
5. Developing
a student
drugs app
£50,000
Will fund a groundbreaking, student-led campaign across 12 campuses, withstudents trained to audit drug use at their own universities and to engage with their peers about drugs - raising awareness of risks, behaviours, signs of addiction.
6. Carrying out
a student-led drugs awareness campaign
£55,000
Will fund a new national platform to join up city-wide harm reduction partnerships which are bringing together students, universities, local authorities, drugs charities, police and those with lived experience including students and staff in recovery and bereaved families. The platform will provide a coordinated approach, sharing best practice and optimising existing resources.
7. Launching a new national platform to coordinate local harm reduction partnerships
£60,000