Students’ Union Cost of Living & Learning Update

An update from Dan Bichener, Union President.

Students continue to face the devastating impact and challenges of the Cost of Living and Learning Crisis. Here at Christ Church Students’ Union we want to update you on everything we have been working on, in collaboration with the University, to help you get through the coming months.

We have been raising students’ issues at a local level with the University, with the City Council, and nationally by writing to our MP’s and the Government. 

I'm part of the University’s Cost of Living Support Group, working with key people from across the University to look at different initiatives that would financially benefit students.  Here are some of the things that the group has implemented:

• The Helping Hand Menu - a selection of classic and healthy lunch dishes costing £3.00 or less.  Also a 5 item breakfast has been reduced to £2.20.

• There will no longer be student parking charges at the Medway campus.

• Library fines have been scrapped - the change will be in place for all our students, including those using the Drill Hall Library at Medway and our KMMS students.

• The Refillable Van - provides a cost-effective way to top up on essentials while avoiding unnecessary packaging. (last Thursday of each month outside Verena Holmes)

• Heat and Eat - dedicated spaces across both campuses for students to heat their own food.

• Emergency food vouchers for students facing hardship.

• The Access to Opportunities Fund, where the Union has allocated nearly £1,000 to students so hardship is not a barrier to joining a society or playing sport.

• The University has allocated £794,000 to students under the Diamond Jubilee Bursary scheme, and they expect to allocate a further £1m before the end of the year. 

Cafe 41?  Tea & Toasty! 

We have given Café 41, our warm hub located next to The Lounge, a makeover and it is now called Tea & Toasty! This will continue to be a place for students to grab a free hot drink and soup, but also a space to help bring the student community together. We put on some extremely successful takeovers before Christmas, including wellbeing and sustainability events, and we will be launching another series of Tea & Toasty takeovers in the coming weeks. Tea & Toasty will also be hosting Careers & Enterprise workshops to help build your skills and connect with the team. 

Cost of Living and Learning student survey 

We really want to understand how the Cost of Living & Learning Crisis is affecting you personally and are looking for students to complete this survey. As a thank you, we'll send you a £3 food voucher to use in The Lounge or The Deep End during February. The survey closes on January 31st, so please let fellow students know so we can get their views too.

Other things the Union has been working on

• We continue to allocate grants to students that cover the costs of memberships for sports clubs and societies to ensure that cost is not a barrier to participation.

• Continued with the weekly ‘Breakfast Club’ in Medway giving away free bacon or vegan sausage baps to students.

• Followed up with Canterbury City Council the status of the £150 energy support grant from HMOs to help ensure this is claimed where possible.

• Worked with other SUs in the south of England, and nationally at an NUS event, to share best practice and campaigning strategies.

• Written to all three MP’s covering the University's campuses in Canterbury and Medway to highlight how the Cost of Living & Learning Crisis is affecting students and the lack of targeted support for them.

• Increased two Students’ Union staff members hours to help support our Cost of Living and Tea & Toasty work.

Advice and Support

• Check out the university’s Money Matters, You Matter news article, which updates you regularly on how to get support and to highlight any new initiatives. 

• If you’re private renting, then your bills are likely to be one of your highest outgoings each month, and you might be feeling the strain of this due to the cost of living. So here is some advice and support to help you during this time. 

• If you experience any issues with finances or living costs, or need any guidance, the university’s Student Support Advisers can offer advice and support on: funding for full and part-time undergraduate and postgraduate courses, university bursaries and scholarships, applying for hardship funds including digital poverty hardship support and assistance available in the local community.

What are we asking the university for next?

• Creation of a Campus Pantry in Canterbury. 

• The University to further increase their hardship funds.

• Free laundry provision for all students in accommodation.

• Free parking for all students.

• Further subsidies to bus travel to facilitate on-campus attendance.

• Further subsidy for students’ travel to placement.

• Expansion of free food and drink in Cafe 41, and something similar in Medway.

• Creation of a ‘Too Good To Go’ hub for students.

Please get in touch with me by emailing president@ccsu.co.uk if you have any thoughts on what more the Students’ Union and the University should be doing.