The Scene

www.thestudentsunion.org.uk |1

The Union Magazine10|2011

UCSU is now on

@Cumbriasu

@Lorricumbriasu

@RachelUCSU

@Liamcumbriasu

@Tomcumbriasu

Follow your SabbsYou can now follow your Sabbatical officers on twitter to know

exactly where they are and when you can talk to them. You

can also contact them through their twitter accounts to make

suggestions on how they can help you!

Follow UCSU on Facebook at facebook.com/CumbriaSU


register as a volunteer

hello! from our new advice manager

housing advice

meet the neighbours

activities assembly

Mature Student Representative

5

12

16

22


24

28


Have you registered with us as a Volunteer yet?

Maybe, you’re thinking volunteering isn’t for

you but this might change your mind…

Think about when you start applying for a job

(ok, so it might not be for a couple of years,

but you could maximise your learning during

this time!) - An employer has shortlisted and

interviewed suitable candidates and now

has to decide between two applicants with

similar qualifications; one who has volunteered

alongside their studies and gained extra skills

and experience and a second applicant who

hasn’t – who would you give the job to?

Would you like to gain extra experience either

relating to your course of study or doing

something completely different? Kati & Emma

are here to help you find the right opportunity

for you; one that fits with your interests,

aspirations and time schedule.

Please register with us online at

www.thestudentsunion.org.uk/volunteering

and we’ll send you more information. We

have opportunities for you to get involved

both within the SU and externally with local

charitable organisations, looking for volunteers.

We also plan project days throughout the year

which will be included in our bulletins and you

can sign up to as many of these as you like.

We will send you a regular bulletin with

opportunities for you to consider getting

involved in; alternatively if you contact us

we can give you some options around your

interests and aspirations.


Our student-led projects are also growing

so if you have a passion for a particular

volunteering project and would like some help

in getting it going please get in touch!

Student Academic Reps If any of you have put yourself forward to

be an Academic Rep or maybe you’re

thinking about it this is also a volunteering

opportunity. Any time you spend attending

meetings, training, gathering class feedback

etc all counts as volunteering because you’re

giving your time for the benefit of others. By

carrying out this role you will also demonstrate

to future employers that you have excellent

communication, organisational and

leadership skills.

Raise & Give (RAG)Are you creative, enjoy organising events or

just want to make a difference?

Even if you’re not and just want to try

something different…join RAG!

RAG raises money for charities through

organising various fun events and fundraisers!

With your help we can make this year’s RAG

bigger and better than ever!

Make a Difference DayIf you would like to make a difference to

someone’s life we’ll be spending Saturday

29th October out in the community with

people with Alzheimers. Details are being

confirmed but if you think you may have some

time then get in touch to express your interest.

Please see our website for details of our

current sports and student groups at

www.thestudentsunion.org.uk

[email protected]

(01524) 590 818

Volunteering

[email protected]

(01524) 590 818

Clubs & Societies

[email protected]

(01228) 616 164

Volunteering

www.thestudentsunion.org.uk |7 www.thestudentsunion.org.uk/volunteering

Lancashire Volunteering OpportunitySupport someone in your community and

make a new friend!

FANCY doing something interesting and

rewarding with your spare time? Something

enjoyable and challenging to improve your

CV as you start along your career path?

Want to help someone else into the bargain?

Well, befriending could be just what you’re

looking for.

Lancashire County Council’s Volunteer

Service helps to form and support friendships

between volunteers and vulnerable adults.

Our volunteers help people who have grown

isolated through low confidence or limited

social opportunities. You can offer friendship

to people who may feel they have no one to

turn to.

The support of a friendly face and a regular

routine can boost physical and mental health

and volunteers themselves enjoy a ‘feel good’

factor, together with those they befriend.

Supporting a vulnerable or isolated person

can be as simple as a weekly visit for a cup

of tea and a chat, or involve a range of

activities such as going for a walk, shopping,

or perhaps going to see a film or visiting the

local swimming pool.

Volunteers can take advantage of free

training courses and we can provide

references on completion of six months of

active volunteering.

To get involved or learn more about the

Lancashire Volunteer Service, please email

Emma at [email protected]

All details correct at time of printing: July 2011

Get kitted out just like Emily…visit nus.org.uk to see how you can save

can you afford not to?

colour suite

primary logofull clour print

single colour logospot colour print

EMILY REDUCED THE COSTof everything for Uni, from her laptop to a new mobile,her course books, a winter coat and an alarm clock

NUS922 Extra A5 DIARY ADVERT.indd 1 06/07/2011 14:15


UnisexHoodies£24.00 or

£21.60with an nus extra card!

Ladies Hoodies£28.00 or

£25.20with an nus extra card!

Hoodies and much more available in The Shop on Lancaster campus. You can also purchase hoodies from your local Students’ Union office or online at www.thestudentsunion.org.uk/shop.

The old SU Building

Toilets

Entrance

SmartiesLounge

Vacant Positions:

Independent Chair (2 positions)

Ethnic Minority Exec Rep

Hours: to suit you


The Union is looking for a dynamic, outcome-

orientated person to help us deliver our

exciting programme of change for all our

members. If you can create connections with

fellow students and help them work towards

making the University better then apply now.

As a volunteer elected officer you would

receive training, support, volunteer

accreditation and gain practical experience

in a fantastic range of leadership skills. Plus

you’d be playing a vital part in ensuring

that students like you have a voice in the

development of the University of Cumbria.

You can find out more about this

opportunity from the Students’ Union website:

www.thestudentsunion.org.uk/elections

Nominations open Monday 17th October and close Friday 28th October



I would like to take this opportunity to say

hello to all students at University of Cumbria.

My name is Roz Pilling and I have recently

started work for the Students’ Union as the

Information and Advocacy Manager. It is a

great honour for me to have been welcomed

so warmly into the role and I look forward to

further developing the service and continuing

with the excellent work undertaken by my

predecessor, Trish Lee. I have a background

in Social Care having spent the last 10

years since graduating from Lancaster

University working in children’s residential

settings, schools, adult disability and sensory

impairment teams and most recently at the

Royal Lancaster Infirmary medical social

work team.

from the Information and Advocacy Manager About the team…

Mike Taylor, based in Lancaster and Hayley

McCowan, based in Carlisle Fusehill Street are

the Students’ Union Information and Advice

Assistants and they will be able to support

you in accessing the relevant part of the

Union for your interests and needs. If you have

any queries about Students’ Union activities

and services Mike and Hayley will be able to

point you in the right direction. Chloe Merna

is our Student Advisor and she has a wealth

of experience in supporting students with a

variety of academic, health and social needs.

She also has long standing experience of the

University of Cumbria and the Students’ Union

having been a student and an officer here in

the past.

Lorri Millar, Academic Sabbatical and Rachel

Garlick, Student Life Sabbatical are the

student leaders of the department. They

represent you on the development of services

and run campaigns with the aim of improving

the overall experience for you during your

time at University.

supporting students with a variety of academic, health and social needs

About the service…

The advocacy and advice service is free,

confidential and impartial so whatever your

concern you can be sure that you can access

support in complete confidence. If you are

looking for general information and advice

Mike and Hayley will be able to support you

in the first instance. If you wish to make an

appointment to speak to either Chloe or

myself regarding more specific or in depth

concerns we will be able to help you do so

to ensure that we can arrange a confidential

and comfortable environment in which to

discuss your concerns. We are keen to work in

partnership with other services, both internally

and externally, for the benefit of the individual

student. As such, the team will be able to

signpost you to other relevant services which

might be beneficial to you, however, we will

not pass on any personal details to other

services unless you request us to.

Campaigns…

The primary Academic/Student Life Campaign

to look out for in November is running for the

week beginning 21st November. The RARA

(Rules And Regulations Awareness) campaign,

which also ran for a week from 10th October,

has been put in place to proactively inform

you of the University Academic rules and

regulations and any changes that have

been made to them. By being informed the

likelihood of you encountering difficulties

with your course is greatly reduced, so I

would encourage you to actively engage

with this campaign.

I hope you are enjoying the new academic

year and that both your academic and

personal lives are going well, however if you

are experiencing any difficulties please do

not hesitate to get in touch.

For Carlisle and all Cumbrian campus

enquiries contact Hayley on (01228) 616 272.

For Lancaster and Tower Hamlets contact

Mike on (01524) 590 810.

[email protected]

(01228) 616 272

Information and Advice

[email protected]

(01524) 590 820


[email protected]

(01524) 590 820


[email protected]

(01524) 590 810



Plan your night out, let someone know where you are going &when you will be home.Carry a charged mobile phone & put a trusted taxi number inyour contacts.Never accept a drink from someone you don’t know or don’ttrust.Keep your drink with you at all times, if it looks or tastessuspicious don’t drink it.Watch out for your friends & make sure they get home safely.Don’t walk alone after dark - plan ahead.Avoid taking short cuts, keep to well-lit main streets.Never accept lifts from strangers or unregistered taxis.Drink responsibly; binge drinking makes you more vulnerable.

Personal Safety TipsTop Tips for out on the Town

cumbriapolice

Personal safety tips.qxp 06/10/2011 12:25 Page 1

ContractsSigning a housing contract is amongst the

first significant legally binding documents a

student will sign. It is a big commitment.

Never sign a contract on the spot - you should

always be given at least 24 hours to read the

contract. It is vital that you remember that

once a contract has been signed that it is

legally binding on all parties, you do not get a

chance to change your mind. The University

of Cumbria Students’ Union runs a contract

checking service which can be accessed

through the Advice Service.

Are you sure you want to live together?If you have signed the same contract as your

house mates and you all agree to take the

property at the same time; you will be jointly

and severally liable with each of your house

mates for any rent arrears and/or damage

to the property. So, if one tenant moves out,

the landlord/agent can pursue the remaining

tenants (as well as the tenant who has left) for

any money due. The majority of students sign

Joint tenancy’s which is why it is so important

to make sure that you are moving in with the

right people.

You must:• Pay your rent as stated in the contract

• Not damage the property, furnishings or fixtures

• Agree any other clauses to be added to/

removed from your contract in writing

Your Landlord must:• Give 24 hours notice before visiting the property

• Keep the property in a good state of repair

• Protect your tenancy deposit in a

government scheme

housing advice


InventoriesAt the start of your tenancy your landlord/

agent should give you an inventory which

lists all the fixtures and fittings in the property,

and the condition that they’re in. It is the only

proof you will have at the end of the tenancy

that you are not to blame for existing damage,

and evidence if there is a dispute over the

return of your deposit.

Check that the inventory lists every item and

whether there is any existing damage (eg.

broken furniture, stains on the carpet etc.) The

inventory should be signed and dated by the

landlord and tenant, who should each keep

a copy. If your landlord doesn’t give you one,

draw up your own and ask your landlord/

agent to sign it and give them a copy. If your

landlord won’t sign it, ask an independent

witness to sign and date it, and send a copy

to the landlord by recorded delivery.

Any damage that occurs to the property

during the tenancy should be promptly

reported in writing (keep a copy) to the

landlord/agent. If you cause any damage,

for example, break a vase etc, and want

to replace it, always ask your landlord and

update the inventory accordingly and keep

receipts.

It’s a good idea to take photos of the

condition of the property when you move in

(include a newspaper showing the date) and

when you leave.

For more information visit our website

Gas SafeCarbon monoxide is a poisonous gas, don’t

mistake the symptoms for a hangover.

It is a criminal offence for a Landlord to rent

out a property without a gas safety certificate

– have you seen yours?

It may not be top priority for you right now but

knowing these rights could save your life. If the

boiler is old, poorly serviced, fitted incorrectly

or faulty it could put you and your flatmates at

risk. By law, your landlord must be able to show

you their landlord’s gas safety record to ensure

the safety of you and your house mates. The

great news is it won’t cost you a penny and it

could save your life!

Remember to always:Check the ID card of any gas engineer that

comes to do work in your home.

Cooperate with your landlord and let a Gas

Safe registered engineer in when a gas safety

check or servicing has to be done.


DepositsSince April 2007, landlords entering into new

tenancy agreements are now required

to place any deposit with a Government

authorised scheme, which will safeguard the

money and offer independent adjudication

in the event of any dispute. Tenants who have

kept their rented property in good condition

can be confident that they will not have all

or part of their deposit withheld unfairly. This

means your landlords (or agent, if undertaking

those duties) must also give you information

about how your deposit is being protected

(normally as a clause within the Tenancy

Agreement and by giving you a leaflet) at the

time of entering the deal.

The landlord must pay your deposit into one of

the three authorised schemes within 14 days of

receiving your deposit. One is custodial (where

the money is held with the company itself)

and two are insurance companies (where the

landlord keeps the money but it is insured by

these companies for pay out if the landlord

goes bankrupt etc).

If, at the end of your tenancy you can’t agree

with your landlord/agent over the amount of

the deposit to be returned, or aren’t satisfied

with the explanation for withholding the

deposit, you can register the dispute using

whichever scheme your deposit has been

protected with.

Deposit Protection Service 0844 4727000My Deposits 0844 9800290Tenancy Deposit Scheme 0845 2267837




exciting programme of change for part-time

students. If you can create connections with















Vacant Position:

Part-Time Students Exec Rep

Tuesday 1st November 6.00pm-7.30pm

AXB006 (Alexandra building)

University of Cumbria,

Bowerham Road, Lancaster, LA1 3JD.

Meet The Neighbours is for University of

Cumbria students and local residents of

Lancaster to meet each other and get

involved in a variety of activities, games, food

and drinks, and is completely free of charge.

There will be a number of our volunteering

opportunities showcased as well as ongoing

projects for all attendees to sign up for.

‘Street reps’ is a new project which we will be

specifically promoting and hope to recruit

both local residents and students to get

involved with. The basic focus of the scheme

is to identify both student and local resident

street representatives for streets with a high

number of both groups in order to improve

and enhance local cohesion. The main aim for

the project is to provide a new opportunity for

community members, both students and local

residents, to interact in a positive way.

Make sure everyone in your community

gets involved!

Meet the neighbours

For more info contact:

[email protected]

(01524) 590 818

Twitter: @Tomcumbriasu




exciting programme of change for Carlisle

students. If you can create connections with














Vacant Position:

Health and Wellbeing Faculty Rep (Carlisle)

Meet the neighbours


www.thestudentsunion.org.uk |25 www.thestudentsunion.org.uk |25

The Activities Assembly is your chance to

come and discuss how your Union is run,

specifically regarding sports teams, clubs

and societies, as well as volunteering

opportunities. There will be several more

meetings throughout the year that focus on

different aspects of the Union’s work, such as

campaigning, so keep an eye out for those

and make sure the Union is working on

your behalf.

*24 hours represents 1 working day from us accepting your claim.**£9.50 a month is based on a student living in halls of residence, covering a mobile phone up to the value of £750, laptop up to the value of £750 and £3,000 worth of contents cover.Endsleigh Insurance Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. This can be checked on the FSA Register by visiting its website at www.fsa.gov.uk. Endsleigh Insurance Services Limited. Company No: 856706 registered in England at Shurdington Road, Cheltenham Spa, Gloucestershire GL51 4UE.

We’re behind you

Get instant cover.

Get a quote.Visit endsleigh.co.uk/universityCall 0800 389 1920

Instant Student Insurance. 24 hour* laptop and mobile phone replacement.

Go online to find out more about our unique insurance bundles…

insurance recommended by

All this for just

£�.��a month**

£�,�� worth of

contents cover in your

accommodation

Includes cover for books, TV, valuables, handbags, wallets, etc...

Any mobile phone up to £750

Any laptop up to £750


Mature Student Exec RepresentativeHi, thank you for electing me as the ‘Mature

Student Representative’ across all campuses.

I am just starting the 2nd year of a degree

in Wildlife & Media, but I’m in my 3rd year of

study, having started as a Further Education

student in 2008.

What is the Students Union? When I started

here, I wasn’t really sure, and I only had two

words to go on, ‘Students’ & ‘Union’. I thought

it must be something to do with ‘Unions’, some

kind of left wing pressure group within the

University, and any student who was active in it

was sure to be some kind of anarchist!

Nothing could be further from the truth! The

Students Union is just that, a union of the

students, and is made up of a very positive

and fun loving bunch of people who all

dedicate their time to make the student

experience as fantastic and memorable as

possible for all of us. You can get involved as

much or as little as you like, but we are always

here to listen and help you, no matter what

you want to talk about. We organise events

to keep your time here alive and exciting and

you will also notice that we run campaigns

aimed at improving the things that matter to

all of us. We also do a lot more that you will

learn about.

What is a ‘mature student’? That’s hard to

define really, but it’s anyone over the age of

about 24. You will find that the wide range

of ages at our University gives it a very strong

family and community feeling throughout.

You will see me mainly around the Carlisle and

Penrith campuses, but I will be visiting all sites

over the year. Come up and say hello! You

can’t miss me; they’ve given me a coloured

badge so big that we can shelter under it if it’s

raining!

Join our Facebook group: Mature Students University of CumbriaTel: 07731 758774E-Mail: [email protected]

You can find out more about this opportunity from the Students’ Union website: www.thestudentsunion.org.uk/elections





exciting programme of change for students.

If you can create connections with fellow

students and help them work towards making

the University better then apply now.









Vacant Positions:

Arts, Business & Science Faculty Rep (Penrith)

Non-Portfolio Officer (3 Carlisle positions and 2 Penrith)

50%Discountfor students

25 London Road Carlisle CA1 2JZ

Tel:01228 528555www.jibeuk.com

Jibe®

O�er applies only to appointments with our stylists. �e o�er is only valid for students who must show their student ID at the salon.

Yea

rs in

P

a r t n e r s h i p

7

A3 poster college poster.indd 1 8/23/2011 5:24:35 PM

The Scene

Documents

Transcript of The Scene