UCR - University Centre Reaseheath
University Centre Reaseheath

Student Life

Join the UCR family

Starting Higher Education, whether living away from home or travelling in, is an exciting adventure where you will meet life-long friends, learn new things and have a great time!

The Student Life Team head up a wide range of activities and student societies and clubs to ensure you have plenty to get involved in to get the best out of your university experience.

Freshers

Summer Ball

Reaseheath students let their hair down at the end of year Summer Ball, which is held annually to reward students’ effort and hard-work during the academic year. With food, drinks, fairground rides, dancing and special guests, students have a night to remember celebrating their achievements with their classmates.

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Freshers

Starting university can seem daunting for some but we have you covered. Your first two weeks will involve a number of activities, inductions, talks from societies and evening activities led by your Freshers Crew and Academic Team.

The Freshers Crew are all returning students who know how it feels to start a degree. They take great pride in their job and will do everything they can to help you.

They will be on hand over social media in the summer for all your questions and even print your ID badge when you come to enrol. They will be running a varied set of activities throughout your first two weeks, for you to get involved in and get to know your new friends. 

Student Union

Representing all students, the Student Union (SU) acts as the ‘Student Voice’ from both an academic and social perspective, ensuring you get the best ‘Reaseheath Experience’.

The work the SU does has ensured a busy social life on campus, a good reputation in the local community and over £300,000 raised for charities. This led to the SU being nominated out of the whole of Cheshire for the Queen’s Award for volunteering.

The SU committee is open for all to join with most committee roles opening up at the beginning of the academic year. We really encourage first year students to get involved and share their ideas.

At UCR, we are committed to working in partnership with students to enhance the quality of your University experience. Our approach to the student voice is to Listen, Reflect, Take Action. We work with the SU to form the Staff-Student Partnership. 

RAG Fundraising

Each academic year our students select a charity to raise funds for through a range of activities such as socials, community events and much more! Our students rival most fundraising done by similar land-based establishments and even some large universities.

If you’d like to volunteer to help and get involved in some fundraising events contact any member of the Student Union Executive Committee, who will let you know where to be and when! You can also get in touch with the Student Life team at studentlife@reaseheath.ac.uk.

What else will you experience as a UCR student?

This academic year (2023/24) we are delighted to be fundraising for The British Heart Foundation, a charity which funds around £100 million of research each year into all heart and circulatory diseases and the things that cause them. 

The Student Life Team organise a lively programme of social events throughout the year including a range  of sporting activities, society events and social clubs. These activities range from Zumba, archery, badminton, climbing, to yoga and even boxing.

There is a lively nightlife to enjoy in our Main Bar with a range of themed nights being held such as foam, UV, music themes and other nights with live entertainment or a simple pub quiz or bingo! We have also refurbished Courtyard Café in the University Centre, to give you and your friends a dedicated space to socialise, day and night. Courtyard Café and Bar is open to UCR students only and features a pool table, wide screen TV, cocktails and nightly entertainment and events. 

As well as entering competitive leagues UCR also offers recreational sports throughout the year and other opportunities to participate in sport.

Below is a list of all our sporting activities on offer weekly, all of which are free to take part in!

We ensure a student captain for each to act as ambassador for the sport, in driving engagement and seeking opportunities for competitions with other establishments.

  • Archery
  • Badminton
  • Bootcamp
  • Boxing
  • Climbing
  • Dodgeball
  • Fencing
  • Handball
  • Inclusive Ambassador (Foundation Sport)
  • Jujitsu
  • Pool League
  • This Girl Can
  • Zumba

 

Our Student Life Team are on hand to help and offer the opportunity to try new sports so if you have any questions about sport at UCR please email studentlife@reaseheath.ac.uk.

We have an onsite gym with Technogym equipment, Olympic lifting platform and weights area for you to use outside lessons (membership fees applicable). Click here to find out more.

The recreational football team is for any residential student. The recreational team has the opportunity to train with the academy football teams as well as having training once a week. The team play against other land based colleges as well as other local colleges, universities and teams.

We have a large number of busy student-led clubs and societies on campus, but are always looking for more! Come and find the Student Life Team when you start your course if you want to start a new group!

  • Aca’Rangers. The Aca’Rangers is an acapella singing group, welcoming all students who have an interest in music or singing. The long term goal is to perform in competitions!
  • Animal Enrichment & Training. Animal Enrichment and Training  is a society that helps increase the welfare and reduce the stress of the animals on campus, using positive training such as clicker/touch/treat training, this would aim to be able to show a significant reduce in stress levels. The society also helps around the Zoo with the Zoo keepers to help manage enclosures and maintenance.
  • Avian. The Reaseheath Avian Society was created to encourage members to develop their knowledge and skills based on a variety of bird species that call Reaseheath Zoo home. You’ll find yourself working with a variety of domestic birds (chickens, duck, kookaburras) as well as a variety of Birds of Prey from our own zoo and other collections. This will be form husbandry to public demonstrations.
  • Canine. The Canine Society is for any individual who has an interest or simply enjoys the company of dogs. The purpose of this society is for individuals to meet and discuss anything around the subject of the taxa. Further learning on specific taxa from expert staff is available. We enable the building of small communities of students, dissertation prospects and inter personal skill growth.
  • Communications. Members use sources such as social media, vlogs, blogs leaflets and posters to promote what the college offers. The society also creates of the weekly student life coverage, called the ‘Reaseheath Round-Up’.
  • Conservation. The Reaseheath Conservation Society aim to support local conservation projects, contribute the preservation for biodiversity, and promote the sustainable use and the enjoyment of nature. As well as this the Conservation Society also aims to promote the awareness of issues, deliver news on conservation tech & legislation, and raise money for selected charitable organisations.
  • Craft. A group of creative, ambitious and like-minded group of students who create unique crafts for certain events, such as socials and Christmas Fair. However, you can paint, stick, cut and write as much as you like and create yourself a master piece.
  • Herpetology Society. If reptiles and amphibians are your forte, then the Herpetology Society is for you. Current students are raising money for various reptile charities within the UK and other countries. Within the society students will be doing enrichment and practical sessions with the reptiles within Reaseheath zoo.
  • Culture. The culture society is new for this year, it is an open and well managed group of students who with support from a staff liaison, support students from different backgrounds, races and religions.
  • Sign Language. This society is a group of students interested in learning more about sign language. You don’t have to have any prior knowledge to be part of it!
  • Evening Entertainments. When we say ‘Your voice matters’ we mean it! The Entertainments Society is open to all students and works closely with the Student Life Team to develop your entertainment calendar. Not only does this society gather those ideas, most of they time they also deliver them. On top of all that they also work with the Student Life Team to arrange the highlights of the student life calendar, which is the balls: Freshers Ball, Winter Ball, Spring Ball and Summer Ball. This, like all societies is open to everyone!
  • Film & Photograph. The Film and Photography Society allows members to practice, use and develop their photography skills. Whether you are amateurs or experts, everyone is welcome. The society works closely with the Student Association to provide engaging content to promote student-life and all that it has to offer.
  • Animal Crossing Society. Like travelling, planting trees and creating your own landscapes? If you have the animal crossing game come along to this group. 
  • Harry Potter. This society is for any Harry Potter Enthusiasts! It allows students to meet on a regular basis to discuss all things Potter, so grab your broom, aperate or accio yourself to this group.
  • Herpetology. This society is all about herpetology and raises money for various reptile charities both in the UK and abroad. They also work with the reptiles within Reaseheath Zoo to provide enrichment.
  • Pokemon Go. Love Pokemon Go, this society is for you! Join a team of Pokemon Champions to catch them all!! (then catch them again to use for upgrades).
  • LGBTQPA+ & Allies. This society meet up weekly separately from the Wellbeing LGBTQPA+ group to socialise in a friendly, welcoming and inclusive environment to casually discuss topics in relation to this area in a respectful manner and plan cross campus events.
  • Raising and Giving (RAG). Each year our students select a local charity to raise funds for throughout the academic year. A highlight of the student calendar is RAG week. The RAG Committee and Student Union run a huge number of events for the student body, to help fundraise for different charities.

It might be your time to move on to pastures new, but that doesn’t mean you have to lose touch with us. We’d love to hear about how you’re getting on, and perhaps invite you back to share a story or two about the great things you’ll do after leaving Reaseheath. Stay connected by joining our alumni network.