About us
The Essentials Hub is a collaborative project, co-developed by the Students' Union and UCLan’s Centre for Volunteering and Community Leadership. It has two aims. Firstly, to reduce food waste by sourcing surplus food products destined for landfill and secondly, to supply cheaper food and other essential products to students facing cost of living challenges.
It cost £5 to use the Essentials Hub. During this shop you will be able to collect food and other essential items which equate to a value of approximately £30.
Why It Matters:
We get it — student life can be tough, and worrying about how to afford your next meal shouldn’t be part of the Uni experience. That’s why the Essentials Hub exists: to take some of that pressure off.
We believe everyone deserves access to good food, no matter what’s going on in their bank account. So we’re here to help — no judgment, just support.
Every penny of your weekly membership fee goes back into the Essentials Hub and this ensures that we can carry on supporting the environment and our students.
How does it work:
To access the Essentials Hub, you’ll need to buy a ticket from our website.
We release a fresh batch of tickets every Monday, and once they’re gone, that’s it for the week.
The ticket system helps us make sure there’s enough food for everyone, so please don’t turn up without one — we won’t be able to let you in, and we’d hate to turn anyone away!
When you pop in for your first visit, one of our lovely staff members will say hello and walk you through how everything works. We’ve got a system where your shop fee gets you access to a set number of items from each category (think: food, toiletries, etc.).
To keep things smooth, we’ve got written instructions you can follow while you shop, plus posters around the space to guide you. And if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed (we get it, it happens!), we’re always happy to help you through your shop. Just give us a shout.
Location and opening times:
The Essentials hub is found on the 1st floor of the Students’ Union building on the down from the prayer space. We are open Thursday from 10am-4pm. We are looking at expanding to open on other days of the week so watch this space.
Get Involved:
Want to support the Essentials Hub? You can donate food directly at the Students’ Union or chip in online via our JustGiving page — every little bit helps us keep students stocked up and stress-free!
Donate your time instead! We’re always looking for friendly faces to help run the Hub — whether it’s greeting students as front-of-house, helping stock shelves, or keeping things running smoothly behind the scenes. It’s a great way to meet people, give back, and be part of something great.
To volunteer with the Essentials Hub, sign up Here