Refreshers’ Fair
Over 2,800 students explored the Refreshers Fair, delving into the services offered by the Students' Union and discovering the diverse societies that thrive within our community. The fair welcomed 15 external organisations and companies, ranging from Dominos to Unite Students, creating a dynamic platform for students to engage with various opportunities and services.
Keep your eyes peeled on your emails to find out when our next events are coming up!
Student Volunteering Week
As the start of February, we embraced Student Volunteering Week, an opportunity to inspire students towards meaningful volunteer projects across the city. The week saw over 80 students actively participating in various events like Clean up Cardiff, an initiative to keep Cardiff’s streets tidy, benefiting students and the wider community. The engagement showcased the dedication of students to make a positive impact on the community. From litter picking to coffee mornings, you can find out more about volunteering opportunities here.
SHAG Safe
The SHAG Safe campaign took centre stage in February, focusing on Sexual Health, Awareness, and Guidance. With a commitment to providing information about safe sex, the campaign was popular amongst students, achieving over 49,000 views on social media, distributing 32 free STI testing kits, reinforcing the importance of accessible sexual health resources for the well-being of the student population.
If you would like to find out more about this campaign, or even pick up a free STI testing kit, please head to the webpage here.
Find Your Placement
We realise that it can be easy for students to feel detached while away from Cardiff on placement, which is why from the start of January, we ran a new campaign called Find Your Placement. The campaign saw over 250 packs given to students going to placements, which included some CSU merch and information on how we are there to support students who are studying away from Cardiff.
For more information on how we support students on placements, click here.
LGBTQ+ History Month: Celebrating Diversity and Inclusivity
Throughout February, we celebrated LGBTQ+ History Month, emphasising our commitment to creating an inclusive and welcoming space for all. Our LGBTQ+ Officer and LGBTQ+ Trans Officer organised events like craft sessions, film screenings and wellbeing walks that encouraged self-expression and creativity, providing environments where individuals could freely express their identities.
The standout events were the SU's first queer club night, Q, with over 150 attendees on its opening night, promising more inclusive gatherings in the future.
Another was the LGBTQ+ History Month Showcase, with 21 performances and over 120 attendees. The showcase celebrated individuality and encouraged those in the LGBTQ+ community to express themselves in the most inclusive environment.
In a powerful show of solidarity for LGBTQ+ History Month, 49 sports clubs at Cardiff University wore rainbow laces throughout February. We would like to thank all sports clubs who took part in this display of inclusivity, equality, and acceptance.
For more information on LGBTQ+ History Month, click here.
Speak Week: Amplifying Student Voices
We ran our annual Speak Week campaign at the beginning of February, providing all students with a platform to voice their opinions and contribute to shaping Cardiff University. Through an online survey, a total of 2043 feedback comments were received, reflecting the engagement and enthusiasm of the student community in influencing positive change within the university.
During this year's Speak Week, we gathered feedback on several specific themes, based on our Elected Officers' priorities this year. These themes ranged from support for Welsh students and international student support, to student experience on placements and accessibility on campus.
Our Venues
It's been a very busy term in terms of gigs and club nights at your Students' Union. In January and February, we welcomed over 20,000 of you through the doors to enjoy YOLO, the biggest student club night in Cardiff.
Cardiff Box Office did a great job of welcoming some incredible performers to the stage in The Great Hall and Y Plas in January and February, encouraging more than 15,000 people through the SU doors to enjoy some unforgettable gigs. Click here to find out what we've got in store for the rest of the term!
Period Dignity
We continued our dedication to period dignity, emphasising the importance of providing free, sustainable period products to students. We believe that everyone should have access to these products in a safe and dignified manner, and we will continue to distribute free period products to students across the Heath Campus and the Students' Union in Cathays. For more information on our pop-up stalls, see our Period Dignity page here.
As we conclude February, we want to extend our gratitude to YOU, our dynamic and engaged student body, for your active participation and commitment to building a community that values inclusivity, equality, and positive change. Thank you for making the start of 2024 full of impactful initiatives.