We’re Here for You

We recognise that this is an uncertain and difficult time for many of our students.  Some of you are having to isolate due to the pandemic, and for those of you who are new to the University this may be with people you’ve only just met.  This is a difficult time for everyone and so we wanted to let you know that your Students’ Union is here for you and to share some of the things we’ve been doing on your behalf. Over the course of the pandemic, students have been badly let down by Government policies, from the disastrous handling of A-Level results to the lack of support being given to Universities to manage the obvious difficulties at the start of term.

We’re providing support and guidance to students through our Advice Service

Our Advice team are here to support you with any concerns you have, especially relating to your education, finances, housing and welfare.  No query is too big or too small and we can signpost to other services where necessary.  To access the Advice Service you can visit our website:  https://manchesterstudentsunion.com/advice , email us: advice.su@manchester.ac.uk or visit us at the Advice Gateway on the ground floor of the Students’ Union building – Monday to Friday 10-4pm.

 We've set up a buddying scheme for isolated students

Right now, it’s more important than ever that we come together as a community and help one another through this time. That’s why we’ve set up our UMSU Buddy Scheme - to connect you with other students! As part of the scheme, we’ll pair students who are feeling isolated with student buddies who will get in touch for weekly phone or video calls, providing some social contact and the chance to make a new friend.

UMSU Buddy Scheme

We’re supporting The Well for isolated students

‘The Well’ is a holistic response to the needs on and around campus caused by Covid-19, that has been developed by our friends at St. Peter’s House.

  • It provides groceries or cooked meals to those in food crisis.
  • It addresses isolation and loneliness through volunteering, online community events, interactive courses and the opportunity to be part of ‘something bigger’.
  • It provide cooking confidence and skills through recipe cards and online streamed content from the team at Milk & Honey.
  • It offers a programme of ‘Wholeness’ activities, including Pilates, mindfulness, yoga, crafts and virtual community events.
  • It offers pastoral and faith support from the team at SPH.
  • It provide an online safe space for conversations about the challenges of Covid-19 and much more

Accessing support from The Well

We’re mobilising our student staff to deliver food parcels

Our student staff are supporting the effort in halls to deliver food parcels to both catered and self-catered students. This will be commencing over the weekend, and Food on Campus have done a great job of putting together nutritious parcels from local traders.

We’ve worked with the Co-op to get student specific delivery slots

We’ve been working with NUS and The Co-Op on your behalf to get student specific delivery slots to halls outside of the normal system.  To access this you just have to download the Totum App and validate you University email address. https://www.totum.com/se/student-discount/co-op/delivery-offer

We’re lobbying the University to provide more information and support for students

Our officers are meeting most days with senior staff across the University. Every concern you have is being shared at the highest level and we’ve seen real movement in the support being given, although there is absolutely more which can be done. On Monday, our officer team will be meeting with the University Senior Leadership team, and student support is the number one thing on the agenda. We’ll be sharing more information about the work our officers have been doing.

We’ve put together a programme of online society events

Joining a society is a great way to meet like-minded people, try a new activity, enjoy your favourite hobby, and have fun. Despite current restrictions, many of our societies are still active and hold regular online events and socials. We’ve put together an extensive programme of online activities that you can get involved with from the safety of your bedroom - featuring everything from meditation to Zoom quizzes!

Find out more

For more information on any of the above, you can contact us by emailing info.su@manchester.ac.uk  

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