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Help members manage debt.

  
       
     
 

The constantly changing demographics of the student population with different needs and problems presents us with one of our biggest challenges. Introducing 8,000 new students to the prospect of living and working in Leeds is a prime example of this. The September 2006 Induction programme saw the University of Leeds and the Students’ Union working closely on a highly organised and fun Intro period. Working together we were able to coordinate pre-arrival mail-outs for all incoming students; reception parties for international students; and recruit a well-trained friendly army of approachable staff with answers to every possible question a new student would have. The outcome was a busy, but smooth running, introduction to University life covering all the basic information, including accommodation and getting around campus, to more complex issues such as where to find work and staying healthy and safe in the busy urban centre of Leeds. The Induction programme allowed us to really display what services and facilities are open to all members of the Union to make their University life as easy and hassle-free as possible. This was a successful approach which we hope to build upon in the coming years.

 
     
  One of our key services for making student life easier is the ‘Student Advice Centre’ located on the first floor of the Union building. Dealing with over 1,000 one-off advice sessions and almost 900 pieces of casework, all while recovering £18,000 back from landlords on behalf of our members, it has been another busy year!  
     
 

November 2006 saw the ‘Student Advice Centre’ embark on a study to find the best landlords in Leeds as every year hundreds of students’ lives are made increasingly difficult through poorly maintained properties or financial issues. We asked our membership to rate their own landlords and then shared all the results of the survey so members knew which landlords were rated the best to rent with and which landlords to avoid. With just over 2,000 respondents the study was a success and the results have been well received by members, providing a helpful tool in allowing them to make an informed decision when choosing a property as a student in Leeds.
The constantly changing demographics of the student population with different needs and problems presents us with one of our biggest challenges.
 
     
 

The Student Advice Centre secured a contract with the Royal Medical Benevolent Fund to provide an online money advice service to medical students in the UK. This has greatly improved the ‘Student Advice Centre’s’ online help-desk with new articles and up-to-date information being added on a daily basis.

There are so many positive stories that come out of the ‘Student Advice Centre’ and many of our members like to contribute something back.

Caroline Doyle came to the ‘Student Advice Centre’ following issues with her private accommodation.

  
 
“... I turned to the Student Advice Centre who represented me to the property agents and landlords..”
 “It was just horrible!” the third year comments. “Everything looked fine with the property when I looked around but when I moved in things took a turn for the worse with damp and wood worm throughout the house. I can’t live here! I thought. So I turned to the Student Advice Centre who represented me to the property agents and landlords and help me move into a new property. I would still be stuck there if it was not for them.”
 
 

 
 
“I did not want any other student to be in the same situation as me, so when the ‘Student Advice Centre’ asked me to come along to talks with first year students who would be looking for houses next year, I was glad to pass on my experiences to them so they did not end up like me. It was also good to explain to them what a good service the ‘Student Advice Centre’ provides to students at Leeds, and by listening to what they say, can make life much easier for you in the future.”
 
     
 

During the refurbishments of the Union building in the summer of 2006, ‘Joblink’, our student employment service, moved from the lower part of the building to the heart of the Union, into the ‘Information Point’. With a new shop front and a new website, the past year has seen ‘Joblink’ find work for 4,800 students with the website receiving on average 10,000 views a month.

With these services, in addition to the Union Academic Representatives and the Student Executive Officers helping members with matters concerning their course, our vision of making members’ lives as easy as possible is well underway.

  
     
     
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