AUBSU’S Money saving tips and support
Just a FYI before we get started, this is not a definative list of discounts or support, but some we think you may enjoy and find useful. We are not affiliated with any of the below organisations and this is not a promotion for these organisations. The purpose of this document is to make you feel empowered when saving money and making financial decisions.
This list is accurate from when it was made in February 2025, some information may have changed since this document was created.
The Sabbs Top Tips and Favourite Discounts
We’re going to start off our list with our Sabbs top tips and discounts. Things they've done to save money, and how they survived student life. If you couldn’t tell, the Sabbs both are very money savvy and they love saving money.
Beth: I always, always shop around, any time I want to buy something over around £10 I do some research on where I can get it cheapest. I have a google search and then look in various shops. Castlepoint is good for this as it has lots of options. I have found generally: Asda is good for homeware (plates, glasses, kitchenware etc), B&M is good for cleaning products and branded items, Superdrug own brand beauty products are good, Collection is a good budget friendly makeup brand and Lidl is the best for groceries. I spend £45 total a week in Lidl on average, this is for breakfast, lunch and dinner pre y much every day. I use a lot of own brand products as they are usually the same quality. I scan the shelves for the cheapest item I want, (they are usually at the very top or bo om), I batch cook once a week (most of the time) and save leftovers in the freezer. I also always used to ask for a student discount wherever I shopped, and I use a lot of different loyalty cards.
For me my financial health is important. I have a 0% interest credit card from HSBC, (if you are thinking about ge ing one then 0% interest is the most helpful as you don’t have to pay extra on what you borrow, more info on banking on page 9) I use this for bigger purchases and then pay it off at the end of the month. I now have a good credit score which is handy.
I also try... and budget. I put my bill money aside for the month, then break down how much I have left to spend week by week and stick to this amount. I have a small savings account for spending money, e.g. when I need shoes or want to treat myself, then I have a bigger pot of savings for my future. I also set budgets for gifting for Christmas and birthdays and keep a list of what I have spent on people on my phone. This means I can keep track of what I have bought and how much I’ve spent so I don’t overspend (I really like buring gifts) .
Gabrielle: I love bargains and saving money. Day to day I save money by pre-planning my meals and bringing a packed lunch to work as well as making my own coffee in the morning rather than buying one. Having a bus pass is also a big saver, otherwise I would be spending around £5 a day on the bus to get to work!
When it comes to fun, me and my friends enjoy a good night-in watching a movie, doing crafts and eating premade pizzas we cook in the oven. My other main hobby is DND, which depending on how you play you can spend very li le money on doing.
In terms of bills, I save money by not using subscription services – instead I use my family accounts for things like Netflix (I know its quite cheeky). For a subscription I do pay for: having a Spotify dual subscription with my twin sister saves me around £42 a year.
Our Fave Student Discounts
Gabrielle: Fika, National Express
Beth: Cafe Nero, Superdug and National Express
We love Nation Express becuase we get to express ourselves nationally.
AUBSU Support
Student Pantry: We have the student pantry, this is located in the back right corner of the library. It is filled with free food and hygiene products for those who need it.
Sanitary Products: If you are in need of sanitary products, we always have some in the AUBSU office. Come in and grab them, they are in the shelving unit by the window. We are open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 10:0016:00.
AUBSU Cookbook: We have our very own affordable meals cookbook. Designed by student Bee Taylor. Click the link to access it.
Events: On a regular basis we hold very cheap or free events and activities. This includes Coffee with the Sabbs (free hot drinks and cake), Noodles and Doodles (free noodles), and other fun events through the year like Quingo.
Free Stuff: We often hold material and clothes swaps, where you can pick up free items second hand. You can donate items too, just bring them to the AUBSU office Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 10:00 - 16:00.
Campaigning: Campaigning is an important to AUBSU. We will continue to campaign about cost of living nationally and to the university
Clubs and Societies: Many of or clubs and societies are either free or very cheap to a end. More information about these can be found here:
On Campus Support
Food
The community island – This is located in The Refectory and any leftover food is added in here at the end of the day.
Free fruit Fridays – On Fridays there is free fruit available to take from The Refectory and the student pantry.
Free alternative milks - on campus alternative milks are free.
Earn stamps - Earn stamps to get a free coffee with the reusable cup scheme and save 30p per drink. All you need to do is purchase an AUB reusable cup and bring it back each time you buy a coffee on campus in the Gallery Cafe or The Arts Bar.
The Savour Range - A hot lunch at £3.95 every day on campus. Purchase a coffee on campus before 11:00 and pay £1 for a Breakfast Bap or Crossiant.
Free Cooking Sessions - Learn to cook a meal and eat what you make for free at The Social Kitchen. These sessions will be advertised on the ArtsUniFood account on Instagram so keep an eye out.
Other savings - buy a hot drink and a sausage roll for £3.75 or opt for the Meal Deal in the shop, a sandwich with a soft drink or snack for £3.75 in the Gallery Cafe.
Part time jobs
AUB Futures share updates on Instagram of Jobs while you study, they also post these on Target Connect.
Access and Participation Bursaries
There are a few other access and participation bursaries:
- Stand Alone bursary for students who are estranged.
- Care Leavers bursary for those with experience of being in care from the age of 14 for at least 3 months.
- Young Adult Carer bursary for those who provide ongoing care for a family member.
A bursary of £2,000 per annum is available. This is not means-tested and is in addition to any other bursaries and benefits that you may be entitled to.
If you would like to enquire about these three Bursaries, speak to Vicky-Nenya Uzzell - Progression Officer. vnenyauzzell@aub.ac.uk
Support for Students (pre 2024 entry)
To be eligible for support you must be in receipt of a full maintenance loan from Student Finance England, with a net household income of £25,000 or less. Our support offer is based on household income information provided by Student Finance England and eligibility is verified annually. What you’re entitled to receive will depend on your precise, individual circumstances.
Travel costs - If you’re an undergraduate student in your second year (Level 5) or third year (Level 6), you’ll receive a £250 payment to assist with travel costs associated with your studies.
Educational visits award - If you're in second year (Level 5) or third year (Level 6), we have an annual fund available for you to receive a one-off award of up to £400 for support in a ending a visit that's part of your course. The opportunity needs to be on eVision to be eligible for the award.
Progression Scholarship - If you’re in your third year (Level 6) of study, you’ll receive a £300 Progression Scholarship to support with costs relating to your final year of study.
Additional support for students (2024 entry onwards)
Travel costs - If you’re an undergraduate student in your second year (Level 5) or third year (Level 6) you’ll receive a £200 payment to assist with travel costs associated with your studies.
Opportunities linked to graduate employment -If you're in second year (Level 5) or third year (Level 6), we have an annual fund available for you to receive a one-off award of up to £300 for:
Travel and accommodation costs for interviews, internships, and other opportunities
A endance fees for courses, conferences, or residential training events
Smart clothing Application costs for further study
Specialist equipment (not including laptops, computers, or books)
Some costs associated with the course
Other expenses related to engagement with opportunities in the creative industries
Please note, you can apply for this award in either second or third year. However, this is a one-off award, so if you apply for it in second year, you won't be able to apply again in third year.
Budgeting
It can be a challenge to budget for the whole year and there's lots to think about. However, our Student Services Advisers are here to help! We have twice weekly drop-ins for practical budgeting advice – just book online via AUB Bookings.
Hardship Funds
BA Hardship Fund - Students who have faced unexpected and exceptional circumstances that have led to financial hardship, are encouraged to contact Student Services to discuss any support available. This can be done via AUB Bookings, studentservices@aub.ac.uk or popping into the Student Services building to speak to an Adviser.
To apply for the BA Hardship Fund, please visit the myAUB app > eVision > Search and Apply for Funding, and you will see the BA Hardship Fund application listed there. This is open to all students including those that are international.
You will have to submit evidence as to why you are applying for the Hardship Fund and proof of your circumstances, that demonstrate exceptional and unforeseen circumstances as well as a end a Hardship Meeting. Once you have completed your application, we will review it and ask you in for a meeting to chat a bit more about it before we present it to the panel who makes the final decision.
Support for disabled students
f you’re required to make a £200 contribution towards a laptop previously provided through DSA, AUB will reimburse this £200. In addition, we provide support for the cost of Educational Psychologist reports where required. This is in addition to any other bursaries or benefits that you may be entitled to.
Off Campus Support
Universal credit
You may be able to apply if:
You’re disabled, were assessed as having limited capability for work before starting your course, and are ge ing: Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance, A endance Allowance, Armed Forces Independence Payment
You’re responsible for a child
The child may be adopted or a foster child.
For couples, one of you or both of you may be a student.
Live in the UK but do not recieve a maintainance loan, and have less than £16,000 in savings or income. The criteria is complicated but you can inquire about it here:
Grants
Turn2Us has a self assessment tool, where you can enter your details and find any grants you may be entitled to.
Citizens advice
They offer various advice and support. If you would like to get in touch with them. Here is when their drop ins are:
Bournemouth Drop-in Service
Monday – Thursday, 10am – 2:30pm. Civic Centre, Town Hall, BH2 6DX. Entrance from St. Stephen’s Road, Civic Centre Customer Services
Please arrive before 9 a.m. to register to see an adviser on the day. Drop-in is operated on a first come first served basis.
Christchurch Drop-in Service
Monday – Friday, 9:30am – 12:30pm. Christchurch Central Library, BH23 1AW
Poole Drop-in Service
Monday – Thursday, 10am – 2:30pm. Poole Central Library, BH15 1QE.
Please arrive before 9am to register to see an adviser on the day. Drop-in is operated on a first come first served basis.
Citizens advice is also offering a household support fund, this is a limited pot of resources so it will run out. The deadline to apply for this is the 21st of February. You can apply for this here
Off Campus Support - Food
Bournemouth Food Map
There is a map of free food that is available in bournemouth for those who are struggling to afford food.
Bournemouth Foodbank
You may be able to recieve free food from Bournemouth Foodbank. You need to be referred. AUB Student Services can reffer you, and you can also contact other local organisations for refferals. These are below on the Bournemouth Foodbank map:
Bournemouth Foodbank also run weekly events, The Social Canteen and Recovery Cafe. The Social Canteen is a cheap hot meal (donations taken) where you can go along, eat something hot and meet new people. They are held on Friday evenings from 5 to 7 p.m. at The Garden Rooms Café, located at 118 Haviland Road, BH7 6HW in Boscombe. The Recovery Cafe is a space where community and support bloom over free coffee and cake. Whether you’re on the journey of recovery or supporting someone who is, this is your sanctuary for connection and encouragement. These sessions are held on Monday’s from 4-6.30 pm at The Garden Rooms Café, located at 118 Haviland Road, BH7 6HW in Boscombe. For general information about bournemouth foodbank click here: Click Here
Student Discounts
Food and Drink
Arch Coffee House - 10%
Baraca Resturant – 20%
Beirut Lounge – 15%
Bombay Express – 20%
Bournemouth Lahore – 10%-20% off
Butlers Bague es – 10%
Cafe nero - download the nero app, go to se ings and you will find student verification
Coffee #1 - 15% off, download the app and verify you are a student
Cosmo all you can eat Buffet – 10%
Creams – 10%
Dominos – 50% off with a code from Unidays.
Fika
Flirt – 20%
Giraffe World Kitchen – 20%
Halabway – 10%
Handmade Burger Co – 25%
Indi-go – 10%
L’Arte - 10%
Las Iguanas – 25%
Levant – 20%
Luxor Resturant – 25%
Mad Cucumber – 10%
Mandarin Fusion – 15%
Mexigo – 20%
Moose Kitchen – 10%
My Shake – 10%
Naked Coffee – 10%
Nativ – 10%
Noodle Bar Restaurant – 30%
O’neils - 33% (Unidays)
Poole Hill Brewery – 10% on Mondays
Roosters Piri Piri – 10%
Shakeaway – 10%
Southbourne Ales – 10%
Spinkles Gelato – 10%
The Brunch Club – 10%
Tipsy Cow – 10%
Art and Entertainment
Hobby Craft – 10% off. Show student card in store or find a code on Unidays for online
Art Pass - £10 year long membership and they have a £5 sale twice a year
Click Here for the link
Box of Broadcasts - Lots of different films and tv programs are on Box of Broadcasts, it’s free all you have to do is sign up with your AUB email address.
Spotify Premium - £5.99/month.
The works – 10% off at the till.
Waterstones – create an account with waterstones using your AUB email address. You can collect stamps and receive a 5% discount
Dorset Scrap Store is also good for cheap materials.
Beauty
Boots – 10% off - Sign up to the Boots Advantage Card, Pop into store & head to the till to link your Boots Advantage Card with your valid Student ID to activate your membership. UNiDAYs, Student Beans or TOTUM IDs, both digital and physical, are accepted. Student ID must have a valid end date.
Fade Barbershop – 20%
Francesco Group 10%
Jynx Ta oo and Piercing – 20% off Ta oos and £5 off all piercings over £25
Retail
Accessorize – 10% off
Adidas – 15% off.
Asos – 10%
Bobbys – 10% off
Boohoo – 20%
Lewis Manning Hospice Care – 10% off
Mountian Warehouse – 10%
New Look – 10%
Obsidian
Wild Roots, Poole – 10%
Lily’s Nail Bar – 10%
Perfect Nails – 10%
Sally Beauty – 15%
Superdrug – 10% off - To use your discount in store, you need to sign up for a Health & Beauty card, show this and your Student ID or NUS/TOTUM/Unidays card at the till.
With a Health and Beauty card you also earn points when you buy.
Misc
National Express - 15% off with unidays 1/3 off 16 – 25 Railcard
Amazon Prime – free 6 month trial then discounted at £4.49 a month
Cross country trains - 10% off
For this you need to verify your student status when you sign up through an external service called SheerID.
Cheap Days Out
Salisbury
Grab a coffee at Naked Coffee in Lansdowne (10% discount) then get the bus from Bournemouth to Salisbury for £6 return. Have a wander around Salisbury cathedral, (£7.5 ticket if you book in advance, £8.5 on the day) and Elizabeth gardens (free to enter). Look in charity shops and around the historic city, there is a market on a Saturday too. Get a Tesco meal deal for lunch and have a mini picnic in Elizabeth Gardens or you could save more money and bring a packed lunch.
Total: £20.43 (excludes spending money in charity shops and depends on the coffee you buy)
Hengistbury Head
Get the bus to Hengistbury head for (£6 maximum for a return), this is the 33 or 70 bus depending on the time of year. Walk up Hengistbury head and have a sketch. You can grab a coffee and some lunch in the Cafe (around £10 per person). In the summer you could also have a paddle in the sea and sketch the scenery To make this cheaper you can pack a lunch and make coffee at home. Jump on the same bus home, get on by the Cafe.
Total: £16
Studland and Swanage
Take the bus to Studland village, (maximum £6 return) , walk to Old Harrys Rock, have a picnic, then follow the coastal path down into Swanage. Make sure you wear sensible shoes. Have a look around the shops, bring your pennies to use in the arcade and have an ice cream. You can buy an ice cream in a corner shop to save some money.
Total: £10 - £15
Other Tips for Days out
High Score Arcade Poole – 60 minute session only £11.95. Book online
Some other places you can visit for cheap/free are: Stour Valley nature reserve, Talbot Heath, Bournemouth beach and Bournemouth gardens.
Travel - Busses
Tap on tap off on the bus or purchasing tickets on the app can save you money. Single bus fares are £1.9 with your student ID, but if you purchase 10 single tickets on the More Bus App this is £12.5 (this means it is £1.25 for a single). Purchasing tickets in bulk may help you more easily predict how much you are going to spend in a week or month too, which can be helpful for budgeting.
An annual bus pass is £296 and is unlimited tickets for Zone A travel. This is about £25 a month. A weekly MoreBus Zone A ticket costs £19, £25 is great value even if you are not in Bournemouth for a whole 12 months. This bus pass also lasts 365 days from the activation date.
More information can be found here:
Groceries/Food Shoping
Here are some top-tips to get you started:
1. Don’t shop when your’e hungry. - Trust us you will just buy snacks and nothing that you went in for.
2. Write a list – it can help you make sure you get what you need and avoid having to go to the corner shop in a panic because you have run out of loo roll.
3. Meal plan, this means you can avoid again a panic trip or click on deliveroo. Batch cooking and saving leftovers is also a great way to have quick and easy meals.
4. Own Brand – own brand products are often equal in quality but much cheaper.
5. Offers – bigger supermarkets often have great offers on things you might like to buy, they can help you treat yourself and save money.
Lidl Plus – multiple items a week on offer and free items per milestone. E.g when you spend £10 in a month you get a free bakery item.
Tesco Clubcard – collect points and earn vouchers. Also benefit from a range of discounts.
Sainsburys (nectar card) - collect points with personalized offers on things you frequently buy. Spend your points on a range of things and different brands.
Asda Rewards – earn £s of your shop when you have a certain amount in your cashpot. You are also able to get exclusive discounts.
MyWaitrose -if you sign up to MyWaitrose then you can get money saving vouchers tailored to you, exclusive competitions and free hot drinks when you shop (you do need to bring a reusable cup with you).
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-low-income-scheme
Bills
Council tax – If you are a full-time student you are exempt from council tax. All you need to do is to sign onto Evision, then go to useful documents. Download the council tax exemption certificate. You will need it as evidence. You can apply for exemption here:
Water and Sewage – Most landlords cover the cost of water with rent, however this isn’t always the case. Check with your landlord/estate agent if you need to pay.
NHS Low Income Scheme - You can get free or discounted prescriptions, dental care and eye care depending on your income and savings.
Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC)
A PPC could save you money if you pay for your NHS prescriptions.
The certificate covers all your NHS prescriptions for a set price. You will save money if you need more than 3 items in 3 months, or 11 items in 12 months. The prescription charge in England is £9.90. A PPC costs: £32.05 for 3 months or £114.50 for 12 months
Click here for more info on PPCs:
Banks
To get us started here are some definitions of the terms used below.
What is a credit card?
A credit card is a plastic card that you can use to pay for goods or services or to get money from a cash machine.. You can use the card wherever it is accepted. You are allowed to spend up to a certain amount on the card, called the credit limit. The amount of your credit limit depends on your circumstances. Each time you make a purchase using your credit card the amount is added to your account. The total amount you owe is called the balance. You have a set period of time during which no interest is charged, usually between 20 and 55 days. This is called the interest free period. After that, if you do not pay the full balance on time interest may be added to the account. Some cards offer a special deal where you are not charged interest even if you do not pay the balance off in full. The credit agreement tells you what rate of interest is being charged and when it will be added to your account. - Information from Citizens Advice.
What is an overdraft?
An overdraft lets you borrow money through your current account by taking out more money than you have in the account – in other words you go “overdrawn”. There’s usually a charge for this. You can ask your bank for an overdraft – or they might just give you one – an overdraft is a type of loan that often has interest.
Authorised overdrafts: are arranged in advance, so they’re also known as ‘arranged’ overdrafts. You agree a limit with your bank and can spend money up to that limit.
Unauthorised overdrafts: these are also known as ‘unplanned’ or ‘unarranged’ overdrafts and happen when you spend more than you have in your bank account without agreeing it in advance. This includes going over the limit of an authorised overdraft.Information from Money Helper
What is interest?
When you borrow money, interest is the fee you pay for using it, usually shown as an annual percentage of the loan or credit card amount. When you save money, the bank or building society is borrowing your money and pays you interest in return. When you borrow money, you’ll pay back the original amount loaned (called the ‘capital’) plus the interest.
Let’s say you borrow £1,000 from a bank:
If your loan a racts an annual interest rate of 10%, you will have to pay back £1,000 plus 10% interest (£100). So £1,100 is the amount you will have to pay back after one year.
The total might be different if you borrow the money over a longer or shorter period. - Information from Money Helper
Different Banks
Here is some information about banks and the offers they give to students. If you choose to bank with a specific organisation you choose to do so at your own risk.
HSBC - An interest-free arranged overdraft . Get a guaranteed interest-free limit of up to £1,000 when you apply for a Student Account, regardless of what year you're in, which could rise to £3,000 by year 3.
Nationwide - You can apply for an interest-free arranged overdraft of up to £1,000 in your first year, up to £2,000 in your second year and up to £3,000 in your third year. You’ll need to pay in at least £500 each term, keep up with any bill payments and stay within your arranged overdraft limit.
LLoyds - If you’re 18 or over, you can apply for an interest free arranged overdraft of up to £1,500 in years 1 – 3 and then up to £2,000 in years 4 – 6.
Barclays - Our maximum interest-free arranged student overdraft limits are From account opening and during your first term: up to £500 Year 1: up to £1,000 Year 2 and beyond: up to £1,500
NatWest - Interest-free overdraft - get an overdraft of up to £2,000 from year one (limited to £500 in term one, year one) with an instant online decision. Students can apply for up to £3,250 interest free from year three onwards. No monthly Student current account fees.
Santander - Free 4-year Santander 16-25 Railcard worth £100. Saving you 1/3 on rail travel in Great Britain. Interest-free arranged overdraft. An interest-free arranged overdraft of £1,500 in years 1-3 and up to £2,000 by year 5. An overdraft is for short term borrowing. Subject to status.
Saving Money - In Practice
Here is a copy of a blog Beth wrote for NCS.
Monday: Saving Money Stories at the Supermarket
My first savvy shopper budgeting tip is to shop around. So, I did my weekly shop at Lidl. According to statistics published by Which?, Aldi is the cheapest supermarket but Lidl came a close second and it’s the most convenient one for me. Lidl has its own rewards app, with discount codes:
I had a coupon for a free bakery item I got a code for 15% off skincare
This saved me £0.63, which is not the best start but it's more than nothing at all!
Tuesday: Store cards are a Money Saving Tip
My second savvy shopper budgeting tip is to take advantage of store cards and discounts! If you didn’t know, Superdrug offers a 10% discount if you have Student Beans/ Unidays or if you show them your student card — all you need is to be in full-time education or studying an apprenticeship. When I went in, they had lots of offers on products I needed to buy. Here’s what I saved:
£5 on the offers . £1.90 student discount. That’s a total of £6.90 saved. Not bad! FYI, Superdrug also offers a points card for anyone aged 12 and above. With that, you get £1 off for each £100 you spend, and there are also exclusive deals and ways you can get bonus points.
Wednesday: Budgeting Tips for Students
I wanted to have a crafty evening with my friends, and we fancied painting mugs. We went to The Works and bought three mug-painting kits. We got a 10% student discount so we saved £0.30 each — between us that’s £0.90. I had no idea The Works had a student discount until I asked when I paid. Also if you're like me and never remember your student card, the UNIDAYS app is brilliant to show, and most shops will accept this as a valid student ID.
Thursday: Only Buy What You Need
Today’s savvy shopper budgeting tip is to only buy what I really need — but because I’m going on holiday there were a few things I needed to buy:
New suitcase. The one I already have is too big for the restrictions set by the airline. I went to a range of shops to look for a new one, but they were all expensive, so I went to Primark where I found one for £28 (£29.99 in Home Bargains). Luggage tags. On Amazon, the ones I liked were £3.99, whereas they had them in Home Bargains for £0.99. Carry-on bag. This time Amazon was cheaper than Primark (£8.99 on Amazon, compared to £12 in Primark). Luggage scale. This was averaging £5 in the shops but £2.75 on Amazon. By looking around, I saved a total of £10.25.
Friday: Take-out Budgeting Tips
Me and my boyfriend wanted a takeaway. So we went online and looked at different options:
Franco Manca had two pizzas and a dip for £21.70 Domino's had the same for £22.48 (after student discount) We went for Franco Manca and saved £0.78.
My Saving Money Success Story
By shopping around, and using rewards apps and student discounts, my budgeting tips helped me save £19.46 this week. I know student discounts aren’t accessible for everyone but shop rewards cards are available to most people. My advice to you is to check what you're buying as sometimes quick isn’t always cheap — so do your research and find the best deals.
Useful Sites and Money Advice
Save the student covers lots of money saving advice and ways you can get free things
The Mix has lots of different tips on ways you can help your financial situation, from managing your student loan, to checking your financial health, to support with choosing the right isa.
Money to the masses. This site offers a lot of different money advice. Such as savings, investment, loans and credit card advice.
Money Saving Expert . This site offers lots of different financial money saving for a range of different things, from bills to travel and it also includes different deals and offers.
Wellbeing - On Campus
Wellbeing Drop-In Support
There is a Wellbeing drop-in that offers same day support to all of our students. It’s a chance to have an initial chat with one of the wellbeing team and explore options of support. Then Wellbeing drop in runs Monday–Friday and can be accessed face to face or online. The face to face drop in runs from 10.00-14.00 and is held at the student services reception on campus. The online drop in runs from 15.00-16.30 and can be accessed via AUB’s online booking system.
You can contact the Wellbeing team on: Telephone: +44 1202 363780
Email: wellbeing@aub.ac.uk
Counselling
If you feel you need help and support beyond that offered by tutors, friends or family, counselling could help. Talking to a counsellor in a safe, non-judgemental and confidential se ing can enable you to work through your problems with the aim of reaching a solution. Counselling is also an excellent tool for your own personal development.
You can book counselling sessions on the AUB Bookings page.
University Retreat
University Retreat is a new mental health drop-in service for students from Arts University Bournemouth and Bournemouth University.
University Retreat offers a welcoming, safe space for any student who needs face-to-face support. If you feel like you are struggling with your mental health and potentially approaching a point of crisis, then this service is here to support you. You don’t need an appointment; simply come in and talk to one of our friendly team.
University Retreat is open Monday to Saturday from 14.00 until 21.00. You can find it in the Tolpuddle Annex 2, on the edge of the BU campus next to Fusion building.
Wellbeing - Off Campus
Student Space
Student Space is there to make it easier for you to find the support that you need. However you’re feeling, help and guidance is available. Explore a range of trusted information, services and tools to help you with the uncertainty of student life.
There are three ways that Student Space is here to help:
1.Information and advice to help you through the challenges of student life 2.Helping you find what support is available at your university
3. Access to dedicated support services for students
The support provided by Student Space is safe, confidential and free. It has been developed collaboratively with services, higher education professionals, researchers and students to complement the existing services available to students. Student Space is run by Student Minds, the UK’s student mental health charity.
The Mix
The Mix is the UK’s leading digital charity for under 25s, reaching over 6 million young people each year. Whatever issue a young person is facing, The Mix is always there for them – via our website, text, or social media. Their support is free, confidential and anonymous and can be accessed wherever young people are.
The Retreat
The Retreat is open to anyone aged 18 or above, providing a safe space to seek face-to-face help and support. The Retreat – a safe place to discuss your problems and access peer support. If you are struggling to cope with life and feel yourself approaching a crisis point, you can a end The Retreats in Bournemouth and Dorchester.
The Retreat aims to provide you with a safe and welcoming environment where you can discuss your problems and work towards solutions. Staffed by both mental health professionals and peer specialists (people who have their own lived experience of mental health issues), The Retreat offers out-of-hours support and advice on self-management.
You can a end if you want to try to avoid a crisis, or if you feel you have already reached a crisis point. It is up to you how you define this - you don’t need to be referred by a doctor or other health professional. You don’t need to phone ahead, just turn up and ring the front doorbell. However, where possible we would encourage you to a end before 11pm in order to make best use of this service.
Hahnemann House, Hahnemann Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH2 5JW
Click Here for the link
Face-to-face drop-ins: 4.30-11:30pm, every day
Access wellbeing
The Access Wellbeing hubs in Boscombe, Poole and Weymouth provide a welcoming space for members of the local community to find support on the issues affecting them. Hubs are staffed by skilled wellbeing coordinators, supported by a team of experienced managers and administrative staff.
The wellbeing coordinators are trained to provide help and advice across a wide range of areas. They have the time to listen, then can help people to access support on topics including:
Mental health and emotional wellbeing
Social connections and activities
Grief and loss/bereavement
Work, money, housing, benefits support
Support for carers and family members
Volunteering
The hub teams will help people to access support from across the local system, whether that’s through a charity or community group, the NHS, the local authority, or another provider.
Boscombe: Drop-in: Monday – Friday, 9:30am – 4:30pm Visit: 3-5 Palmerston Road, Bournemouth, BH1 4HN
Poole: Drop-in: Monday – Friday, 09.30am - 12.00pm, 1.00pm - 4.00pm. Visit: The Dolphin, Poole, BH15 1SZ
Steps 2 Wellbeing
Steps2Wellbeing is a free, NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression service for adults over 18 years old in Dorset and Southampton City.
The service is part of Dorset HealthCare, an NHS trust which specialises in mental health support and treatment
Steps2Wellbeing is for adults aged 18 and over who are registered with a GP in Dorset or Southampton City.
h ps://www.steps2wellbeing.co.uk/
Shout
Shout is the UK's first and only free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging service for anyone who is struggling to cope.
Text shout: 85258
Thoughts?
If you would like to share your thoughts about cost of living, please complete the annonymous survey. As a Student Union we are working on championing Your voices, so we want to hear your experiences.
If you would like to add anything to this document please email: sabbs@aub.ac.uk
References
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