Community Cohesion

Newcastle was recently named the the country's top destination for students in a survey carried out by a national lettings website.  It was also recently named the best city for students by MSN.com, the Microsoft web portal. Newcastle's reputation for being a safe and friendly city to live in makes it an attractive option for students, and they bring much to the city in return.  Besides the valuable contribution they make to the regional economy and employment market, students enhance the diversity of our local communities and have an enormously positive impact on the social and cultural fabric of the region.

Northumbria University is proactive in ensuring that its students live harmoniously in residential areas. We encourage our students to be good neighbours and to integrate with their local communities wherever possible.  However, we recognise that the concentration of a large, transient student population in particular areas of the city can mean that, on occasion, there may be a need for some local residents to raise concerns with the University.  We work closely with Ward Councillors and community groups to identify issues in the community, and with Northumbria Police, Environmental Health and other agencies to ensure these concerns are addressed.

The University is committed to working with residents to resolve any issues quickly and effectively through established university-wide channels of communication, and by working closely with external organisations. 

Northumbria Students' Union works closely with the University's Accommodation Office and Security Team, the Police and other local agencies to promote responsible student behaviour.  The Students' Union delivers an annual Silent Students Happy Homes (SSHH) campaign which proactively promotes good codes of conduct for students, through print and online media and induction sessions with Northumbria Police for all first year students. Seasonal campaigns are also run at key points throughout the year, such as Christmas and welcome week, to reinforce student safety and promote the good neighbour message.

The Students' Union also runs an extensive volunteering programme for students.  There has been a significant increase in participation in community volunteering and fundraising activities over the last 12 months and Northumbria students are having a positive impact on the lives of people in the North East.

This increase in participation by students in community volunteering and fundraising activities is just one of the factors contributing to Northumbria University Students' Union being named as the UK's Union of the year in 2011 by the National Union of Students.