On Thursday 6^th October, the first meeting for the Cost of Living Action Group was held in the Mandela Auditorium. Student Executives Adam Morrow (Student President) and Lewis McDermott (VP for Welfare) were both in attendance.

The main purpose for this action group is to ease the burden of the cost of living on students, by providing support across several key areas such as budgeting, eating and cooking on a budget, and student resources.

“Action groups are run by students to lead on important issues” and they give every student the opportunity to campaign, research, and challenge some of the concerns which many students face. The Climate Emergency, Housing, and Mental Health Action Groups are the three other groups at the university and all of them are funded and supported by Strath Union.

Strath Union has proposed a variety of initiatives to help support and ease the burden of the cost of living on students at the University of Strathclyde. The ‘Chaplaincy pay-what you can soup,’ is a project the union is working on alongside Chaplain, Meg Masson and student support services, to ensure every Strathclyde student has access to hot meals throughout the winter months and beyond.

In Addition, the union has plans to start several workshops such as budgeting and cooking on a budget, as well as encouraging students to use the university buildings and the union for keeping warm during the winter months and powering devices.

Studying is expensive. Having to buy multiple course textbooks and ensuring you have a suitable laptop for taking notes, completing projects, and studying is quite costly. To reduce the financial burden, students can access SUPrimo and use online copies for many of the essential course textbooks and the Digital Inclusion Fund can provide loans for laptops and Wi-Fi for eligible students.

Externally, the Strath Union is actively working alongside Power to the People Glasgow supporting the campaign, which aims to “freeze energy prices, not people.”  The union is also trying to get formal affiliation with the UK Enough is Enough Campaign, the movement seeks to get pay rises, lower energy bills and end food poverty for all, amongst other important issues.

The meeting also discussed initiatives in place at other universities - such as the weekday breakfast club at University of the Highlands and Islands - throughout Scotland and this has sparked ideas for other projects that could help students at Strathclyde.

The Cost of Living Action Group has the potential to make a huge difference to the lives of students and the student body has never had more of a chance to make changes at a time where it matters most.

*In addition to the Action Group you can also attend the Cost of Living Townhall event on October 27th.  Book your place now*