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www.staffsunion.com/welcome
Rochelle
There really is something for everyone here at Staffs with over 100 sports teams and societies it’ll be hard to not find something that you’ll love. Maybe you’re interested in film, becoming a writer or TV presenter? You might be passionate about raising money for charities or volunteering in the community, you could be the next Olympian or just like trying something different – whatever you’re interested in you’re sure to find it here. We appreciate that all of our students are different so if we don’t already have something for you we’ll give you all the support you need in setting it up.
Alice
We’re here to support you in every aspect of your student life with our Student Academic Reps, Advice Centre, Money Doctors service and shops, bars and venues.
Alongside all of the fun the Students’ Union provides opportunities through training and volunteering projects to help you develop different skills and gain experience. These opportunities help you stand out from the crowd as a Staffordshire University graduate.
www.staffsunion.com/welcome
Kris
Dayo
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Mel
Enjoy your time at Staffs, we can’t wait to meet you! Keep updated and stay in touch:
Welcome Week The perfect way to kick off your University experience. The Students’ Union and University have worked together to design a jam packed calendar of events for both campuses to make sure you have the best start here at Staffs. Welcome Week is a really exciting time - you’ll be busy getting started on your award, settling in, getting to know your surroundings and making friends.
Staffordshire University Students’ Union @StaffsUnion
The Welcome Survey Keep an eye on your student email inbox between 30th September and 13th October to take part in the Welcome Survey. This survey lets us know exactly what you think of your time with us so far and you will also be entered into a prize draw for completing it.
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www.staffsunion.com/welcome
Your Guide to Welcome Week The Students’ Union has worked very closely with the University to develop and improve the welcome experience this year. You will have received detailed information of your welcome program for the week with all of your faculty activity listed. This guide provides you with more details on the social side of the week and how you can get involved.
Page 5 What is your Students’ Union? Page 6 Welcome Week Reps Page 7 Clubs and societies Page 8 Advice and shopping on campus Page 9 Where to eat on Campus Page 10 What’s on Stoke Page 12 What’s on Stafford Page 14 Stafford Campus map Page 15 Stoke Campus map Page 16 Getting around
www.staffsunion.com/welcome
What is Your Students’ Union? We represent you, support you and make sure you’re proud to be Staffs.
As a student at Staffordshire University you’re automatically a member of the Students’ Union – a student led, not for profit organisation that strives for the best experience for students.
We represent you through Student Council and Forums, to the University, Government, community groups and the media. We help you to enjoy your time here with our club nights, sports teams and societies. We run key campaigns through our elected officers fighting for positive change and getting results for our students. Most importantly, we are your Students’ Union and we can be whatever you want us to be.
Our services, go beyond our bars and shops to our confidential and free Advice Centre and our Money Doctors service for when your loan doesn’t quite stretch far enough! The best part is every penny you spend in our shops, venues and club nights is reinvested into our services making sure we’re constantly providing better student opportunities and improving our offer to you.
Staffordshire University Students’ Union is affiliated with NUS. The National Union of Students (NUS) is a federation of affiliated Students’ Union, Guilds and Associations. The NUS represents the views of over seven million students in the UK.
Being part of Staffordshire University allows you to reap the benefits that NUS provides for students. So grab your NUS Extra discount card. NUS Extra gives you exclusive student discounts in selected stores and online. NUS Extra cards cost £12 and can be upgraded for an International Student Identity Card (ISIC) for an additional £1.99. Cards can be purchased online and will then be posted to your chosen address. Get your card now and start saving.
www.nus.org.uk/en/nus-extra
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www.staffsunion.com/welcome
Welcome Week Reps
Look out for our “Purple People” they’re here to help you settle into University life and get the most out of Welcome Week. They’re all current students here and so are the perfect people to answer all of the questions you’re bound to have as a new student. They’re experts on life at Staffs and are more than happy to help, so ask away.
Find our Welcome Week Reps at any of the information points or around campus in their purple T-shirts.
Information Points
All of the Information Points are marked on our campus maps at the back of this booklet. Head to any of them for:
Campus/Town tours start points, friendly guidance and for the answers to all of your questions and details of all of the activities you can get involved with. They’re all over the place… Stafford – Outside the Beacon Building, Halls
Stoke – Students’ Union, Ember, Brindley Building, The Science Centre, Cadman Building
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www.staffsunion.com/welcome
Clubs and societies
The Students’ Union have a whole team dedicated to student activities, they support and sponsor a diverse range of student-run groups. These include both competitive and recreational sports groups, special interest groups, academic societies and some that we just couldn’t categorise! Find out for yourself on our website:
www.staffsunion.com/activities/clubsandsocs
Clubs and societies during Welcome Week and the following week have what is called “Give it a Go” sessions where you can come along and join in for free before you commit to signing up. For dates, times and venues as well as information about our team trials follow this link: www.staffsunion.com/welcome/2013
:
Everyone knows that volunteering is one of the best ways to enhance your CV and make you stand out from the crowd, that’s why at Staffs we offer a wide range of volunteering opportunities through our InVOLved service. It’s up to you how much time you volunteer and there’s loads on offer such as working as a youth mentor, helping out in local schools and great one-off opportunities. More information at: www.staffsunion.com/ activities/volunteering
Active Uni offers commitment free opportunities for students to participate in recreational sport leagues and competitions within the University.
There are over 800 students and staff participating in a variety of sports through the year so Active Uni really is a great way of meeting new people whilst becoming more active, keeping fit and having fun! Sports on offer include football, netball, hockey and badminton with teams of halls, courses and friendship groups.
Active Uni is designed to be fun, friendly and hassle free – find out more online:
www.staffsunion.com/activeuni
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www.staffsunion.com/welcome
The Advice Centre
Free, confidential, online and face to face.
We can help with student finance, academic affairs, student housing, debt management and a range of other issues that you may face during your time here. We provide online self-help materials that are accessible via our website and have full time student advisors on hand to help. Appointments are always impartial and confidential and are available at both campuses as well as drop in sessions and advice over the phone, via email or online. www.staffsunion.com/advice
Shops on Campus
Fresh produce, sandwiches, snacks, frozen foods, cupboard essentials, household goods and an extended range of ethical product lines – our shops have it all. Whether you’re on campus all day or live in halls the Union shops are a convenient way of stocking up on essentials right on your doorstep, and remember every penny you spend with us gets reinvested into improving your student experience.
Stoke Campus; Leek Road Shop next to LRV, College Road Shop next to Squeeze Box, Book Shop on College Road, Staffordshire University Art & Design Shop signposted in the Henrion Building Stafford Campus; Beaconside Shop in the Beacon Building
Spot our shops on our campus maps at the back of this booklet
www.staffsunion.com/welcome
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Eat Out On Campus
No matter what gets your taste buds tingling, our food outlets offer a variety of great quality food at student friendly prices, there’s something for everyone!
Stoke Campus
Ember Lounge – College Road Campus
ember lounge
Ember Lounge is loved by those looking to grab an early morning espresso before lectures, or picking up a great meal deal with friends. There are also themed nights including The Chip Shop and Karaoke nights that are especially popular.
Verve – Leek Road Campus
Verve was part of this summer’s £800,000 refurbishment, so make sure you come and see what we’ve done with the place! You can sample our pizzas, burgers, salads, subs and delicious milkshakes – the perfect venue for grabbing lunch with friends or just relaxing with a coffee between lectures.
Squeeze Box – College Road Campus
Freshly prepared, made to order food including hot jacket potatoes, paninis and the Staffordshire favourite – oatcakes! Kick back with our Wi-Fi whilst customising your own milkshake or adding a range of syrups to your hot drinks.
Grumpy Mule and Costa Coffee – College Road and Leek Road
Delicious Fairtrade Coffee and tasty muffins. You can find the Grumpy Mule coffee bar in the Ashley Building and Costa Coffee is located in the new Science Building.
Pavilion Café and Brindley Food Court –College Road and Leek Road
A full array of fresh home cooked dishes and snacks and a wide range of confectionary and drinks with daily promotions on hot food and drinks.
Stafford Campus
The Lounge – Beaconside
As well as a stylish refurb ahead of the new year we’ve also updated our delicious menu! We’ve got freshly made, value for money meals, pizzas, subs, salads and desserts.
Dolche Vita – Beaconside and Ruxton Building
Stafford Campus’ very own Fairtrade coffee bar serving a range of premium coffees tasty treats, cakes and muffins.
Food for Thought – Blackheath Lane
This is the place for made to order meals; hearty breakfasts, healthy salads, paninis, jacket potatoes and much more. Join friends here for lunch between lectures and take advantage of our free Wi-Fi.
Terrace Café – Beaconside
You can relax here enjoying the views whilst you tuck in to delicious meals, snacks, drinks and sandwiches.
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What’s on Stoke
Saturday 21st September (Stoke Move In day) 10am-5pm OMG Move In coverage OMG cover the day’s events, interviewing the newbies whilst playing some music.
10am-4pm Enrolment Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre Students complete enrolment with the University and pick up their student cards.
Campus/Town/Supermarket Tours Info Points These run throughout the day, ask at an info point for when the next one is.
5:30pm Halls Pizza Delivery A free pizza for your halls from your Students’ Union. 8pm Move In Party! LRV host the official Staffs move in party.
Sunday 22nd September 10am-4pm Enrolment A second chance to enrol if you missed it yesterday at the Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre. Campus/Town/Supermarket Tours Info Points These run throughout the day, ask at an info point for when the next one is. 1pm-6pm Football Ember Lounge It’s Super Sunday down at Ember and we’ll be showing’ Arsenal v Stoke followed by Man City v Man Utd.
2pm Mature Students Meet and Greet Squeeze Box
Campus/Town/Supermarket Tours Info Points These run throughout the day, ask at an info point for when the next one is. 4pm–6pm Meet the 999 Crews Leek Road A chance to meet the local emergency service crews and explore the equipment they use whilst getting some tips on staying safe this year.
5pm–7pm Give it a Go Cocktail Training Verve Places are limited so sign up now to learn how to make the cocktails we offer at Verve, includes free samples. 9pm Cocktail Night Verve Its 2 for 1 cocktail night at Verve.
Tuesday 24th September 9am–5pm Poster Sale Stoke Cadman Student Space Decorate your room with some new posters. Campus/Town/Supermarket Tours Info Points These run throughout the day, ask at an info point for when the next one is.
Monday 23rd September
12pm–2pm Bring your kids along Stoke Nursery Bring your kids along and enjoy an afternoon coffee with us at the Stoke Nursery. A chance to meet other parents.
10am–4:30pm Student Welcome and Induction A welcome to Staffordshire University including talks from your Officers about the Students’ Union.
4pm-6pm Dance GIAG Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre Activity Room
DISABLED STUDENTS ARE WELCOME AT ALL EVENTS AND WILL BE CATERED FOR A BEST AS POSSIBLE
www.staffsunion.com/welcome 4pm–6pm Rush Hockey Astro Pitches 3:30pm–7pm FIFA Tournament Stoke Cadman Student Space
10pm Gobble – Back to School theme LRV’s weekly event kicks off with a back to school theme.
Thursday 26th September
8pm Karaoke Ember Lounge
2pm-4pm Men’s Hockey GIAG Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre Large Astros
Wednesday 25th September
2pm-4pm Ultimate Frisbee GIAG Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre
12pm Find & Seek Treasure Hunt (First years only) Find all the clues and be entered into a prize draw. 11am–4pm Clubs & Societies/Commercial Fair Sports Centre and LRV A chance to meet all the clubs and societies at Staffs with a ton of free stuff from loads of companies.
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2pm-4pm Fencing GIAG LRV 2pm-4pm Bites - Creative Collaborative GIAG Cadman Student Space
4pm–6pm Bring your kids along Stoke Nursery
2pm-4pm Rock, Alternative and Metal Society GIAG Students’ Union Boardroom
4.30pm-6.30pm Rugby GIAG Training Pitch
2pm-4pm Forensic and Crime Society GIAG Crime Scene House
4.30pm-6.30pm Politics and a Pint Ember Lounge
3pm-5pm Dance GIAG Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre Activity Room
7pm Mature Students Meal, please speak to the Mature Students Society to book your place. 8pm Biology Society Meet and Greet Ember Lounge 5:30pm–7:30pm Games Night Hosted by ACS Come along to this games night hosted by the African Caribbean Society, all are welcome.
4pm-6pm Pole and Aerial Arts GIAG LRV 4pm-6pm Active Uni Glow in the Dark Badminton Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre 5.30pm ACS Games Night Cadman Student Space
DISABLED STUDENTS ARE WELCOME AT ALL EVENTS AND WILL BE CATERED FOR A BEST AS POSSIBLE
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www.staffsunion.com/welcome
6pm-8pm Believers Loveworld Meet and Greet Brindley B234 6pm-8pm AmDram GIAG contact AmDram for further info 7pm Christian Union Meet and Greet Brindley B165 3-4pm Urban Tennis Sports Centre 6-11pm Film Night Leek Road Marquee Bring a picnic and watch some films.
Friday 27th September GoApe Trip Cannock Book online early as places are limited on what should be a great day out to the GoApe Centre. 11am Swimming Meet and Greet Ember Lounge
2pm-5pm Library Open House See the private Peter Cheeseman Collection, a theatre visionary who pioneered “theatre in the round”
12pm–5pm Market Day College Road The hustle and bustle of a city market on your campus, with live music and stalls from local businesses.
2pm-4pm Lacrosse GIAG Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre Field 3.30pm-5pm Cricket GIAG Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre 5pm-6pm Halls Dodgeball Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre 6pm-8pm LGBT+ Meet and Greet, contact LGBT+ for more information 1–4pm Growing Concern Leek Road Growing Concern (sustainability in action) on Leek Road in Stoke. Visit the organic allotments, greenhouses, pond and wildlife garden – and become a volunteer. All the research acknowledges the positive health and mental wellbeing effects of gardening and those gardeners are amongst the happiest of us. 2–4pm Student Enabling Centre Open House SEC Cadman Square Call in for coffee and cake. Meet some of the team and find out what we do. Chat to the Peer Mentors about their experiences and pick up some tips to support you in your first weeks at University. 2–7:30pm Afternoon Coffee and Evening Walk Trentham Gardens Enjoy the shopping village and food court then have an evening stroll around one of the most picturesque places in Staffordshire. £4 includes travel. 3–7pm 5 a Side Just Play Small Astro Pitches
12pm Mountaineering Meet and Greet Ember Lounge
4-5pm Halls Dodgeball Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre
2pm-3.30pm Men’s Basketball GIAG Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre
10pm Super Friday LRV
DISABLED STUDENTS ARE WELCOME AT ALL EVENTS AND WILL BE CATERED FOR A BEST AS POSSIBLE
www.staffsunion.com/welcome
Saturday 28th September Rugby GIAG Join Staffs Uni Rugby team at their home ground of Longton Rugby Club for a training session before watching the game. 9am Hanley parkrun A free 5km timed run in Hanley Park. 10am-3pm Men’s Football Trials Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre Fields 11am-1pm Trampolining GIAG Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre 11am-1pm Mountaineering GIAG Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre 1pm-3pm Men’s Hockey Trials
Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre Large Astros 12:45–7:30pm
Football
Ember Lounge
Spurs v Chelsea followed by Swansea v Arsenal. 2-6pm
Longton v Sutton Coldfield Rugby Match Local rugby with free transport to the event. 2pm-4pm
Men’s Basketball Trials
Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre 4pm-6pm
Volleyball GIAG
Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre 3.30pm LGBT+ Meet and Greet Verve
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5pm Equestrian Meet and Greet Verve 5.30pm Kayaking Meet and Greet Verve 6pm OMG Meet and Greet Verve 6pm Badminton Meet and Greet Verve
6pm-9pm Believers Loveworld Film Night Ashley Lecture Theatre LT001
8pm Men’s Basketball Meet and Greet Ember Lounge
Sunday 29th September
9am–6pm Trip to Alton Towers Buy your tickets at the student shops and we’ll arrange the transport, just pop into the Students’ Union. 11–5pm Bowling Have a burger and a bowl with friends, transport provided. 12am-4pm American Football GIAG Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre Training Area 1pm-4pm Men’s Football Trials (continued) Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre Fields 1pm-3pm Badminton GIAG Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre 3.00pm Women’s Basketball Meet and Greet Verve
DISABLED STUDENTS ARE WELCOME AT ALL EVENTS AND WILL BE CATERED FOR A BEST AS POSSIBLE
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What’s on Stafford
Sunday 22nd September (Stafford Move In) 10am-5pm OMG Move In coverage OMG cover the day’s events, interviewing the newbies while playing some music. Cider Festival The Lounge Make sure you don’t miss the Cider Festival running all week in The Lounge. Campus/Town/Supermarket Tours Info Points These run throughout the day, ask at an info point for when the next one is. 10am-4pm Student Enrolment The Octagon Students complete enrolment with the university and pick up their student cards. 5:30pm Halls Pizza Delivery A free pizza for your halls from your Students Union. 9pm Move In Party! The Lounge and Legends VK presents Beach themed Move in Beach Party.
Monday 23rd September 10am–4:30pm Student Welcome and Induction A welcome to Staffordshire University including talks from your Officers about the Students Union.
5:30pm–8:00pm Video Games Night The Other Room Come along and play some console games. 9pm Juice Comedy Night with Gary Delaney (Mock the Week) Legends
Tuesday 24th September 10am-5pm Video Games Society Charity Event Stafford Student Space Campus/Town/Supermarket Tours
Info Points
These run throughout the day, ask at an info point
for when the next one is. 12pm–5pm
Market Day
College Road
Enjoy the hustle and bustle of a city market
on your campus, with live music and stalls from local businesses.
4pm-6pm Ultimate Frisbee Beaconside Sports Centre 4:30pm-5.30pm Urban Tennis
Beaconside Sports Centre 4pm–6pm
Meet the 999 Crews
Campus/Town/Supermarket Tours Info Points These run throughout the day, ask at an info point for when the next one is.
A chance to meet the local emergency service
9am–5pm Poster Sale Lounge & Legends Decorate your room with some new posters.
7pm Karaoke & Cocktails The Lounge
Beaconside
crews and explore the equipment they use whilst getting some tips on staying safe this year.
DISABLED STUDENTS ARE WELCOME AT ALL EVENTS AND WILL BE CATERED FOR A BEST AS POSSIBLE
www.staffsunion.com/welcome
Wednesday 25th September 3pm-6pm 5-a-side Just Play Matches Beaconside Sports Centre Come have a friendly game of footie. 3:30pm–6pm DJ Give it a Go session Legends Ever fancied a spin on the decks? Now’s your chance. 4pm–6pm Bring your kids along Beaconside Nursery Bring your kids along and enjoy an afternoon coffee with us at the Beaconside Nursery. A great chance to relax and meet other parents too. 8pm Pool, Poker and Gaming Lounge Have a fun night of activities at The Lounge.
Thursday 26th September 10am-5pm Video Games Society Charity Event Stafford Student Space 11am-4pm Men's Football Beaconside Sports Centre 12pm Find & Seek Treasure Hunt (First years only) Find all the clues and be entered into a prize draw. 11am–4pm Clubs & Societies/Commercial Fair Beaconside Sports Centre A chance to meet all the clubs and societies at Staffs with a ton of free stuff from loads of companies. 6pm-10pm Film Night TV Centre Bring a picnic and watch some films with your mates.
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7:30pm–22:00 Laser Tag Tenpin Stafford Hosted by ACS Join the African Caribbean Society for a social night at Tenpin Stafford. 9pm Fronds – Disco, House, Dubstep, etc. Legends
Friday 27th September GoApe Trip Cannock Book online early as places are limited on what should be a great day out to the GoApe Centre at Cannock. 12pm-2pm Bring your kids along Beaconside Nursery Bring your kids a long and enjoy an afternoon coffee with us at the Stoke nursery. A chance to meet other parents too. 1.30pm-3.30pm Stafford Campus RUFC Give it a Go Beacon Building Stafford 2pm-4pm Student Enabling Centre Open House One Stop Shop Call in for coffee and cake. Meet some of the team and find out what we do. Chat to the Peer Mentors about their experiences and pick up some tips to support you in your first weeks at University. 2–7:30pm Afternoon Coffee and Evening Walk Trentham Gardens Enjoy the shopping village and food court then have an evening stroll around one of the most picturesque places in Staffordshire. £4 includes travel. 3pm-4pm Halls Versus Dodgeball Beaconside Sports Centre
DISABLED STUDENTS ARE WELCOME AT ALL EVENTS AND WILL BE CATERED FOR A BEST AS POSSIBLE
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www.staffsunion.com/welcome
9pm Mukky Duck Halls War Lounge & Legends
5:30pm-7.30pm Kayaking Society Meet and Greet The Lounge, stafford
Saturday 28th September
7pm-9pm Stafford Christian Union Meet and Greet The Other Room, Stafford
9pm Music Through the Years Charity Event Legends
Sunday 29th September 9am–6pm Trip to Alton Towers Buy your tickets at the student shops and we’ll arrange the transport, just pop into the Students’ Union.
5:30pm-7.30pm Kayaking Society Meet and Greet Ember Lounge
7pm onwards Video Games Society Give it a Go The Other Room
11am–5pm Bowling Have a burger and a bowl with friends, transport provided.
Sunday 29th September 11am Airsoft Society Meet and Greet Stafford Court, Archway 12am-4pm Airsoft Give it a Go Frontier Airsoft 2pm-4pm Mixed Martial Arts Give it a Go Dance Studio 4pm Mixed Martial Arts Meet and Greet The Lounge
Monday 30th September 5pm-6pm Netball - GIAG Beaconside Sports Centre 5pm-7pm Men's Football Trials Beaconside Sports Centre
Tuesday 1st October 5pm-7pm Men's Football Trials Beaconside Sports Centre
Wednesday 2nd October 5pm-7pm Men's Football Trials Beaconside Sports Centre 4pm-6pm Basketball men's GIAG Beaconside Sports Centre
Sunday 6th October
8pm-4pm Airsoft Give it a Go Trip Frontier Airsoft ST19 5RE
8.30pm-6pm Paintballing Give it a Go trip Unreal Paintball, Madelely
4pm-5pm Kayaking Stafford Leisure Center
DISABLED STUDENTS ARE WELCOME AT ALL EVENTS AND WILL BE CATERED FOR A BEST AS POSSIBLE
www.staffsunion.com/welcome
Getting Around
One of the perks of life in Staffordshire is its central location that makes travelling around the country that much easier. There are great transport links between Stoke and Stafford and the rest of the country, with Manchester and Birmingham under an hour away by car or train.
By Rail
Stoke-on-Trent Train Station is two minutes away from the Stoke Campus and Stafford Train Station is in the town centre just a short bus journey away from Stafford Campus. www.railcard.co.uk
Follow the link to register for your 16-25 railcard and save 1/3 every time you travel by train. Not aged 16-25? Don’t worry you’re still entitled to a railcard whilst you’re in full time education, so register today!
By Bus
Bus travel is cheap, easy and GREEN! First Buses, Arriva and Baker Buses all operate in the Staffordshire area check their websites for up to date timetables and routes.
Taxis
Stafford Campus – Kaminski Taxis 01785 603 030
Stoke Campus – City Cabs 01782 844 444
Free Shuttle Bus Service
Just show your student card for free travel between the two campuses. The Shuttle Bus will run hourly between 07:00 and 19:00 and will depart at 10 minutes past the hour to arrive at 10 minutes to the hour from the following stops:
Stafford Campus – Outside the Beacon Building
Stoke Campus – Outside the Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre
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Every student will be proud to be part of Staffs.
In much smaller font, can you just put the following details and include both the logos in white-out:
Students’ Union www.staffsunion.com/welcome www.facebook.com/staffsunion twitter.com/staffsunion www.pinterest.com/staffsunion Staffordshire University www.staffs.ac.uk/welcome www.facebook.com/staffsuni twitter.com/staffsuni