Facilities and entertainment

The Venue and The Attic, run by Kent Union are student-only venues located in the centre of campus and play host to a variety of entertainment to suit every genre of music. Recently refurbished, The Venue is open four nights a week, offering two floors of state-of-the-art design, sound and lighting where lots of different club nights are held, from commercial to cheese, dance to disco and a variety of theme nights. It has played host to a huge range of acts including Zane Lowe, Ministry of Sound, Florence and the Machine, Pendulum, Coolio, Reggie Yates, S Club and stars of The X Factor. The Venue has won a number of awards for its efforts in maintaining a safe environment and looking after the welfare of its customers, including the 2010 ‘Best Bar None’ award.

The Attic, which opened in 2010, is the place for live entertainment including local, student bands and mainstream bands, DJs and musicians. View the full giude to what's on.

Food and drink

Kent Union also runs Woody’s, a traditional pub serving tasty homemade food in the heart of Park Wood and the Library Café serving coffee and snacks. Listening to students’ requests, Kent Union has recently refurbished space in Rutherford College. This is now the only space on campus that is not licensed and offers students a brand new study space with study pods and refreshment facilities.

Campus shops

Shops on campus run by Kent Union include Essentials, one of the biggest students’ union shops in the UK, and Park Wood Essentials, where you can find everything from food to health and beauty items. It also runs Extras, an off-licence with a large selection of stationery. Recently, Kent Union opened UNIque, selling University of Kent clothing and memorabilia.

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Getting involved

As a student at Kent, you can get involved in all sorts of activities. All academic courses have student representatives who contribute to the way their subjects are run, and most locations (such as the colleges) have student committees that represent students’ views and organise social activities. Other ways of getting involved include becoming a member of Union Council (Kent Union’s governing body) and standing for part-time officer positions within the Students’ Union itself.

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Clubs and societies

A good way of following a current interest or taking up a new one is to join one of the many clubs and societies run by Kent Union.

Societies at Canterbury reflect the wide spectrum of student interests; music, dance, current affairs, photography, film, chess, paintball and science are just a few examples of what is on offer. Different faiths and nationalities are also well represented along with subject-related societies. The list is ever-changing – see our website. If you have an interest that is not represented, you can also start your own society with help from Kent Union.

You can also help out with the student newspaper inQuire or at CSR fm, the UK’s first community and student FM radio station.

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Volunteering

Kent Union offers you the opportunity to enhance your CV and gain work experience by getting involved with volunteering. This can be anything from tutoring, working with the elderly, conservation activities or stewarding at concerts. Kent Union can arrange local placements that fit in with your studies.

Visit the Kent Union Volunteering Portal for more information.

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Student Advice and Information Service

Kent Union has qualified staff who provide a free advice and support service to Kent Union members, on issues that could affect you while you are a student, such as finance, housing issues, course problems and health matters. If we can’t help you ourselves, we can point you in the direction of where you can find further assistance.

Kent Buddy Scheme

The Kent Buddy Scheme introduces applicants with an offer from Kent to students who are currently at the University. Future Kent students are able to get a sense of life at Kent from those who are currently enjoying the Kent experience, and be assured of a friendly face to meet them when they arrive.

Jobshop

Kent Union also run Jobshop@kent, which can help you find part-time or temporary work whilst studying at the University.To view the range of jobs you can apply for, please visit The Kent Union Jobshop website.

 

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Further information

Kent Union,
Mandela Building,
University of Kent,
Canterbury,
Kent CT2 7NW

T: 01227 824200
E: kentunion@kent.ac.uk
W: www.kentunion.co.uk

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