From the summer we will be making some changes to our catering offer on the Canterbury campus through a new partnership with Chartwells Universities, a catering firm who work with lots of other universities and colleges.  

We wanted to work with someone who could bring investment and modernise our outlets, helping us broaden menu choices and give you more great options to eat on campus. We’ve been working to give you more healthy and affordable options which will continue through the partnership, with Chartwells Universities also bringing links with high street brands.   

The contract will start on 1 June 2025. Refurbishment of outlets and menu changes will take place over the coming months, with Chartwells Universities engaging with students and staff throughout. This doesn’t affect outlets run by Kent Students’ Union, which include Woody’s, the Library Cafe and the Venue.  

All current catering staff – who have been committed to delivering the highest quality service – will become Chartwells Universities employees with protected salaries and conditions, meaning we will continue to see familiar faces around campus.   

Melissa Browne, Interim Director of Commercial Services and Estates explains: ‘We’re excited to announce this partnership with Chartwells Universities, which will further support our commitment to providing quality, healthy and affordable food on our campus. The partnership will bring much needed investment to our catering service, which will help us to deliver a fantastic catering experience on campus.’  

Rachel Carter, Managing Director of Chartwells Universities, said: ‘We are very excited about the opportunity to work collaboratively with the University of Kent to enhance the experience of students on campus. This is a symbiotic relationship, with shared values and beliefs around providing affordable, quality, nutritious food for students through the Right to Food initiative. Creating a compellingly positive student experience has never been more important. Under this partnership, we are committed to delivering great value to the University of Kent, its students and staff while embracing innovation and driving forward a dynamic food and drink offer that brings people together.’  

Are you a home undergraduate (on your first degree) or a home taught master’s student? If you’re getting a loan from Student Finance but not the full amount, you might be able to get more support.

If your household income hasn’t been assessed yet —or your financial situation has changed this academic year (for example, your parents’ or partner’s income has dropped) —you could be eligible for extra funding.

But don’t wait! The deadline to report a change in financial circumstances is the end of May.

Updating your financial information with the Student Loans Company could increase your loan amount. It could also strengthen your case if you apply for University Hardship Funding.

What to do now:

1. Check if you’ve had a full financial assessment.
2. If not, update your household income details with Student Finance.
3. If your circumstances have changed, report it ASAP.

Need help?
Contact Kent Students’ Union’s Advice Service for support, and check out the official guidance on the GOV.UK website.

Kent Students’ Union (KSU) is calling on all students and staff to sign a petition aimed at improving employment policies for those holding a student visa.

International students contribute greatly to the vibrant and diverse communities within universities, yet many face financial strain due to the current restrictions on working hours and the inability to engage in independent work.

The petition, created by Cláudia Moreira (VP for Postgrad and International Student Experience at KSU), seeks to make changes to the current employment restrictions.

Key changes the petition advocates for:

1. Increasing working hours: The petition calls for the cap on working hours for international students to be raised from 20 to 30 hours per week. This would enable students to better support themselves financially without affecting their academic performance.
2. Independent work and entrepreneurship: It also advocates for international students to have the right to engage in independent work, such as freelancing, or even start their own small businesses. This would provide them with more opportunities to gain real-world experience and further their careers.
3. Flexibility during intermission periods: Students currently can only work full-time during the holidays. The petition calls for full-time work flexibility during intermission periods as well, giving students a chance to work without constraints.
4. Extension of intermission periods: Finally, the petition calls for an extension of the intermission period from 59 to 120 days. This will provide international students more time to balance their academic commitments and prevent burnout.

How you can help

Signing this petition is an easy yet impactful way to support international students at Kent and beyond. You can sign the petition and learn more by visiting the petition page here.

The Main Entrance to the Templeman Library will be closed during the first week of the Easter vacation from Monday 7 until Sunday 13 April. This is to enable essential building work to replace old light fittings and install Smartscan lighting as we continue our journey towards Carbon Net Zero.

The Library will remain open 24/7 and be fully accessible via the three alternative entrances: Library Road, Terrace and Grimond. All Library services and facilities will be available during these building works.

Kent students and staff will need to use their KentOne cards to access the building. Visitors are advised to use the Library Road Entrance intercom system to request access.

Welcome Desk services will be available from the Welcome Hall, and Nexus and Library & IT Support will remain open in D Block ground floor.

We are sorry for any inconvenience.

Last week student volunteers from across the University were presented with certificates on completion of their training as East Kent Mind Ambassadors. East Kent Mind, who run the  Kent Community Oasis Garden (KentCOG) in partnership with the University, have developed the Ambassador scheme as part of a newly launched East Kent Mind Society, which will run with a strong affiliation between the society and its parent charity to give support. To become an ambassador an individual completes a training package and takes on an element of social action volunteering for the charity.

Simon Dolby, Development Lead at East Kent Mind told us: ‘So far 30 students from the University of Kent have completed their ambassador training and are now planning social action to support the work of East Kent Mind, but we are keen for more potential ambassadors to come forward.’ 

Students who were a mixture of KentCOG Ambassadors, student volunteers and ResLife Ambassadors received their completion certificates from Professor Iain Wilkinson and were inducted to take part in EK Mind Social Action Projects. These include creating supporting East Kent Mind’s Wear It Blue campaign during Mental Health Awareness Week in May, encouraging positive conversations around mental health wider community, a fundraising fun run, as well as volunteering in the wider community for example, at Mind’s Revival Cafe in Whitstable. 

Earning their East Kent Mind Wellbeing Ambassador status with the charity, were third year students Katie Whitewood and Rosie Hawkins, Co-Presidents of the new society who helped create the initiative along with Simon Dolby.

Katie explained her motivation for getting involved: ‘Mind is all about connections and helping others feel seen and supported. I want to help strengthen our links with East Kent mind and really make sure that students are aware of our support off-campus.’ She added: ‘We are looking to expand our outreach, particularly to students at Canterbury Christ Church University, where bridging connections between universities is an important step in supporting mental health universally.’

Rosie told us why she feels this initiative is so important saying: ‘Mental health should always be top of our priority list. It is a given that Uni adds to mental health stresses, with deadlines, presentations and exams – it’s not easy. But one of our driving motivations is to create a safe space so you fell you have a shoulder to lean on, whether you need advice, guidance or a chat.’ 

There is also invaluable experience to be gained too. Wellbeing Officer, Reiss is thinking about this path for his ongoing career: ‘I hope to be able to take my training forward, as I go through a masters’ and hopefully a PHD.’

The full list of East Kent Mind Wellbeing Ambassadors are as follows:  

• Katie Whitewood 
• Gellian May Legaspi 
• Reiss Cordrey 
• Alisa Chin 
• Neive Wright (external to Uni)  
• Daisy Gower 
• Tabi Oyewumi 
• Mashaal Chughtai 
• Eren Newham 
• Balpreet Kaur 
• Ikeoluma Modebelu  
• Franco Brichetti 
• Neemisha Das 
• Dacian Stan 
• Nehi Eigbefoh 
• Preston-Paris Ingold  
• Zarine Zafar 
• Emily Catlin 
• Hayley Blackburn  
• Ria Groz 
• Rosie Hawkins
• Parvathy Rajeev
• Kerriva Kent-Ramotar
• Chloe Birkett
• Lauren Mansfield
• Himadri Himadri
• Melissa Da Silva

If you are interested in the East Kent Mind Society email ( society@eastkentmind.org.uk ) Rosie’s. If you would like to apply to become an East Kent Mind Ambassador contact the East Kent Mind Society ( ambassador@eastkentmind.org.uk ).

An exciting new fusion cocktail brand took top honours at the Business Start-Up Journey pitching finals in a close fought competition bringing together students from across the university. 

The winners

Kent Business School student, Danika Hossain, and her business partner, Arshia Bhatnagar, were crowned winners after a slick presentation of their start-up business, Bhangra Blends, a ready to drink cocktail combining traditional recipes with Indian flavours. 

Danika said afterwards: “Winning the competition was an incredible experience for us, and we’re truly grateful for the opportunity. We had a fantastic time participating.” 

Danika and Arshia win £1000 to support making their start-up dream a reality. 

The runners up

Runners up in the competition were Kent Business School students Toyin Sanyaolu with Wonder Lab an immersive STEM teaching programme and Akash Ramakrishna Iytha with Stitchcraft, a customised tailoring business aimed at the Indian wedding market. 

The both win £500 to support their business journey. 

The finalists

In total, eight Kent students entered the dragons’ den in to impress judges including the founder of international fashion brand Dune London, Daniel Rubin. 

They were selected following the inspiring 15-week Business Start-Up Journey programme. 

The other worthy finalists were 

• Jane Davidson (History) with Positive Procrastination – time management tools. 

• Felicity James (LSSJ) with Dive Right In – an inclusive swim school. 

• Aamir Khokhar (KBS) with Khocars tours – inclusive sports car road trips 

• Rhoslyn Singh (Engineering) – Rhoslyn’s Art – direct to consumer hand-painted artwork 

• Likith Reddy Ramidi (KBS) – Gigamesh – hybrid digital marketing agency 

The finalists competed in the pitching finals in Sibson on Wednesday 19 March.  

The judges

The judges were: 

• Emay Enemokwu, KBS graduate and founder of JEHUCAL streetwear brand  

• Nadia Simpson, KBS graduate and founder of Your Amora and NuEleFa beauty brands  

• Daniel Rubin, KBS graduate (second 500), Kent Hon Doc and founder Dune London  

• Alex Ford, Computer Science graduate, serial entrepreneur and founder Claro Wealth  

• Laura Bounds MBE owner of award-winning brands Kent Crisps, Kentish Oils, Kentish Condiments and A Little Bit Food Co  

• Debbie Zaman, Angel investor and mentor for the Innovation RCA incubator at the Royal College of Art. Supporter of woman in business and (Exited) Founder of With, PR agency. 

The finalists worked with mentors to help them prepare for the pitching finals. Mentors include owner of Garage Coffee, Luke Underdown, owner of Macknade Fine Food Hall, Stefano Cuomo and Dan Crooks, MD of iFruits. 

ASPIRE pop-up market

Alongside the pitching finals, the ASPIRE pop-up market saw students from across campus showcase and sell their wares with start-ups including fashion, jewellery, crochet, food and drink and a virtual reality world.  

Learn more about the Business Start-Up Journey.