We have a number of spaces which are available throughout the week and offer you a warm and comfortable place to either relax or study.

The Bristol SU Loft and Bristol SU Living Room are both open in Senate House. The Richmond Building has study spaces and two community kitchens which are available for use throughout the week. There is also an SU Living Room in the Sloane Robinson Building.

The University have increased the amount of financial support available to students.

Thanks to lobbying from your officers, this is easier to access with a quicker turnaround after reaching out for support. If you're in need of financial support, you can find out more about university funding here.

Bristol SU recognises that the joining fees, trips and other costs of student groups can be prohibitively expensive for some students.

The Activity Hardship Fund was created to support those students who wouldn't otherwise be able to participate in their chosen activity due to the cost. You can find more information about applying for the Activity Hardship Fund here.

Your Full-Time Officers have worked with the university to secure £40k additional funding for our Activity Hardship Fund. This increase, alongside £20k from the Students’ Union, will allow 260 additional students to be supported – with the maximum award being increased to £200, which covers full membership fees for several clubs and societies.

The Sanctuary Support Fund has been set up by Bristol SU to support University of Bristol Sanctuary Scholars and other University of Bristol students who are facing deportation or other hostile environment for their migration status.

The Sanctuary Support Fund is previously known as "Sanctuary Scholar Legal Aid Fund".

Unfortunately, the Sanctuary Support Fund is not currently accepting new applications as all available funding has been allocated. We are actively seeking new fundraising opportunities to replenish the fund. If you would like to be considered for future support, please complete the application form. We will contact applicants should additional funding become available.

Throughout Welcome we facilitated free events for students and made sure these were highlighted clearly on our website. We'll continue to do this throughout the year. You can view free events here. Over half of our Welcome events this year are completely free.

The Bristol SU Living Rooms have tea, coffee, milk and hot water available so that you can help yourself to hot drinks throughout the day.

We have also recently open 2 new kitchen spaces in The Richmond Building. These are located in the former Centre for Innovation and Enterprise space on the 3rd floor.

There are microwaves available in the SU Loft and Bristol SU Living Room in Senate House and in the SU Community Kitchens on the 3rd floor in the Richmond Building. Microwaves now also available at TQ living room in Sloan Robinson Building. This is so that you can re-heat food during the day, rather than having to buy something.

Also find microwaves in the Queens Building Lobby, Anatomy Kitchen and Merchant Venturers Building (MVB) Kitchenette.

Coombe Dingle Sports Bus

Your officer team has worked hard to with the Uni to make sport more accessible. You can now get a free shuttle bus to the Coombe Dingle Sports Complex on Wednesday’s. For players and spectators, the buses run throughout the day. Please come back for details on timetables soon.

First Bus App

You can access a cheaper ticket for certain buses in Bristol. Download the First Bus app and log in with your university email. See more here: Young Person (16-21) & Students | First Bus

University Support

The University have a support fund available to help with the cost of a First Bus travel pass if you receive certain bursaries or financial support from us. For information on how to apply click here.

Your Full Time Officer Team have continued to secure cheaper food options on campus for you this year thanks to funding secured from the University on Cost of Living.

The Bristol SU Hatch is open from 11:30 Monday - Friday in the Hawthorns while stocks last and serves:

• Soup and roll for £1
• Hot meal £2
• Drinks and snacks

These deals are also available from the Balloon Cafe and Merchant Venturers Building.

This initiative is part of the SU's commitment to address student poverty. The current officer team is committed to monitoring demand, availability, pricing, and overall suitability of these offerings.

Bristol International Student Centre - A local organisation offering welcome, hospitality and community for international students - a home away from home in Bristol.

Multifaith Chaplaincy – Give out regular free meals at lunch time.

The Community Larder is somewhere where you can pick up basic food essentials for free. Remember to bring a reusable container, and please only take what you need so we can support as many students as possible. You can also donate to the larder.

The Swapshop is where you can give your old clothes a new lease of life by donating them, and then pick up something new to you for free.

The Bristol SU Living Rooms in Senate House and the Sloane Robinson Building have a Community Larder and SwapShop. There's also a Community Larder on the Langford campus.

Plus, The Hungry Caterpillar Food Co-Op, supported by Bristol University Conservation Group, provides grocery and ingredients at retail price. They're based at Multifaith Chaplaincy on Wednesdays, check them out!

Alongside over 70 organisations, we have submitted evidence (based on data from our Bristol student surveys) to the All-Part Parliamentary Group (APPG) Students’ inquiry. This looks into the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on students, whilst giving you – the students of Bristol – a national voice. The final report has been published alongside a series of recommendations for universities and the UK government.

In line with these recommendations, your Full Time Officer Team is working to minimise the impact of the cost-of-living crises. You can read the published report here.

Set up by Postgraduate Education Officer (2024-25) Gurvin Chopra, this scheme in partnership with the Careers Service allows students to borrow blazers for interviews and more!

This scheme makes use of donated blazers for you to borrow for interviews or assessment centres for graduate schemes, internships, job interviews and whenever else you may require one. Simply book a slot online and collect it from the Careers Service on Tyndall Avenue.

We’ll be reviewing demand for this scheme throughout the term and will consider expanding it if necessary. If you have feedback about the scheme, then please contact su-pg-education@bristol.ac.uk.