Giles Lane Pink and Blue Zone car parks will be closed from 23.00 on Friday 29 May and will reopen on Tuesday 9 June, for the provision of Kent Union’s Party in the Car Park.

Please remember, that it is likely that other car parks in the centre of campus may be full and we advise you to consider alternative means of transport, where possible. As per the Traffic Regulations we do not guarantee a space to park, however there is normally parking available in Park Wood Courts.

Parking enforcement will continue during the closure of Giles Lane car parks, please ensure that you continue to park in marked bays only within the car parks relevant for your permit.

Pink permit holders – can continue to use all Pink and Blue zone car parks except Giles Lane.

Blue permit holders – can continue to use all other Blue Zone car parks which will include rear of the Sports Centre, Park Wood courts, Oaks and the Pavilion

On behalf of Kent Hospitality Pavilion car park will be closed on 2 June 2015 for one day only.

Pink permit holders – can continue to use all Pink and Blue zone car parks except Giles Lane & Pavilion.

Blue permit holders – can continue to use all other Blue Zone car parks which will include rear of the Sports Centre, Park Wood courts and Oaks.

Take part in our focus group on Friday 5 June at 14.00hrs and you will receive a £10 Amazon voucher for your time.

To sign up and for more details about the focus group please email communications@kent.ac.uk.

It will take place on the Canterbury campus and shouldn’t take longer than one hour.

The focus group is about some of the University’s poster designs for current students. You will be asked for your opinion on the designs and how you would improve.

Only current students can take part in the focus group.

[Image: University of Kent]

Medway Activities is going to Party in the Car Park, the Kent Union summer ball! This year is a once in a lifetime 50^th anniversary special not to be missed.

Medway Activities will be running free transport from Liberty Quays to the Canterbury campus available to Kent and Greenwich students registered with Medway Activities.

Tickets will be available to purchase for £40 from The Party in the Car Park website.

To register for free with Medway Activities or to book your seat email medwayactivities@kent.ac.uk (Medway students only).

Students travelling with us will benefit from queue-jump.

Transport will leave Liberty Quays at 7pm and leave Canterbury at 02.30am meaning you don’t miss any of the action on the night.

From Monday 13 April until Friday 8 May, the steps leading from Tyler Court to St Stephen’s Hill will be closed due to essential maintenance works.

During this time signage will be in place directing pedestrians via an alternative route.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

If there are any queries please contact the Estates Helpdesk on:

• Tel: 01227 823209
• Email: Estateshelpdesk@kent.ac.uk

While the rumour that the BBC game show Total Wipeout is coming to the University on Saturday 3 October 2015 is not true, it is true that we are holding an Open Day on that day for anyone wanting to find out more about what it is like to be an undergraduate, postgraduate or part-time student at Kent.

Find out more on our open days webpage.

Kent Law Student Gemma Blythe asks what incentive there is to become a legal aid lawyer in an article published by the Solicitors Journal online.

In the article ‘Happy 10th birthday to the Young Legal Aid Lawyers’, Gemma writes: ‘No legal aid lawyer is in it for the money, not that there’s much left of it.

‘What is the incentive to become a legal aid lawyer when the government are decimating public funding? Before becoming a law student, I was a legal secretary in London and earning £28,000. The average salary of a newly-qualified legal aid lawyer is £25,000.

‘I worked as a legal secretary in a criminal law firm and caught the bug. I started becoming more and more aware of social injustices, and wondered what I could do about it. I always had an interest in law, so becoming a legal aid lawyer was a no-brainer. I have chosen this career path, not for the money, but because I am committed to access to justice.’

Gemma is now a Stage 2 LLB Law student, studying part-time at Kent’s Medway campus. She is also an active member of Young Legal Aid Lawyers (YLAL) and works as a Criminal Caseworker for law firm, Kent Defence.

In her article, Gemma writes: ‘It is so important that students, paralegals, and young lawyers, who, like me, have an interest in social justice and legal aid, make themselves heard. Not only are the YLAL committed to practising in areas of law which are publicly funded, we are campaigning for a sustainable legal aid system and are committed to increasing social mobility in the legal aid sector. Aside from that, we are a social network for like-minded, passionate, and dedicated people.

‘This month, the YLAL are celebrating their 10th birthday. Join us on 23 April at London’s South Bank University. It’s a cause most definitely worth celebrating.’

Read the article in full on the Solicitors Journal website.

Gemma is also involved with a new YLAL Kent group which is hosting an event to celebrate the YLAL’s 10th birthday at the University of Kent’s Canterbury campus on Tuesday 21 April at 6pm.

Gemma said: ‘If anyone is interested in listening to some experienced legal aid lawyers, and watching a screening of the new Legal Aid Team animation (which sets out the cuts to legal aid), then please come along. We have four experienced speakers talking about legal aid in the following areas: crime, family, and extradition.’

You can register your attendance on Facebook or email Gemma direct at: ylal.kent@gmail.com.

Gemma is also an active blogger, posting articles about legal aid, many of which have been picked up and published on websites such as, OpenDemocracy, LegalVoice and The Justice Gap. She’s also been featured in Cilex Journal (with her photo on the front cover) in a story about students identified as wanting ‘to change the world.’ You can follow Gemma on Twitter @gemma_blythe

Please use our recommended walking route to and from the Dockyard.

This route is fully lit and it doesn’t take much longer.

If you leave your valuables unattended in the Templeman Library they are at risk of theft.

Take your laptop, tablet, bag or phone with you if you need a break while studying.

Use library-report@kent.ac.uk, the ‘Chat to us’ service or talk to a member of staff to report anything suspicious.