In order to support this community, the student unions of Newcastle University and Northumbria University, alongside Newcastle College and Newcastle City Council have joined forces to launch the Students as Partners forum. With the aim of supporting the needs of an ever-growing student population, Students as Partners are working to foster positive relationships in communities across the city, highlighting the mutual benefits that students can bring to residents.
The student-led group are working with Newcastle City Council to secure the efficient delivery of public services to the city’s vast student population – from housing to mental health services, Students as Partners are striving to ensure that Newcastle is a welcoming place for students past and present, as well as those who already reside here. President of Newcastle University Students Union Ilsa Hartley commented that "Whether our students were born and brought up in Newcastle or have made it their home while they study, the city is an integral part of their university experience. Similarly, they are an integral part of the city bringing a diversity of culture, contributing to the local economy, sharing their employability skills and volunteering with community projects.”
"Whether our students were born and brought up in Newcastle or have made it their home while they study, the city is an integral part of their university experience"
NUSU President, Ilsa Hartley
The Students as Partners forum operates as part of the Collaborative Newcastle Universities Agreement (CNUA), a partnership that came together in 2021 with the view of enhancing the student experience while supporting the local community. With their project the IntoNewcastle East centre in Walker launching the same year, the collaboration has continued to be a fruitful one, as the team remain committed to their goal of improving social mobility and regional skills development within the city. As Jane Robinson, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Engagement and Place at Newcastle University, stated, “we want students to be valued members of the communities they live in, in this way we’ll not only increase the likelihood of them continuing to live in the city after they’ve graduated but also promote improved community cohesion”.
Students as Partners focuses on three of the key areas of student life – housing, community, and student mental health services. As any student past or present knows, these facets of living in your university city are vital, requiring care and attention in order to ensure that both Newcastle residents and students are able to access the support they need. Commenting on the work of the forum, Jane Robinson highlighted how Students as Partners is “encouraging mutual respect between students and permanent residents”, and how this is beneficial to all involved. Taking these factors into account, the work of Students as Partners “is building on – and complementing - long running initiatives” including ‘Leave Newcastle Happy’ and ‘Best Neighbour on Campus’.
Considering the majority of the student population is concentrated in the districts of Heaton, Jesmond and Sandyford, animosity could develop between residents and their student counterparts. However, these initiatives aim to foster more positive community relationships, while highlighting the many benefits of diversity within the areas.
Commenting on potential friction between residents, Jane Robinson emphasised that “these areas are already represented at the Community Unity group meetings between the two universities and their Student Unions, Newcastle City Council and Northumbria Police. Operation Oak, which is jointly funded by the two universities and aims to promote positive community relations as well as offering crime prevention advice, is a key part of this. The Students as Partners forum will complement this by ensuring there are clear routes for students and residents to raise concerns or make suggestions.”
One of the longer running initiatives ‘Leave Newcastle Happy’ aims to reduce waste generated by students moving out of properties across the city. To prevent fly-tipping, the universities are working together with Newcastle City Council to provide free skips around the most densely populated student areas. With the aim to promote care for the community, the initiative encourages recycling and donating of unwanted items as a way to “leave Newcastle happy!”.
In the same vein, “Best Neighbour on Campus” (BNOC) recognises students that go an extra mile to support their community, whether through volunteering or keeping a watchful eye over their neighbours. The judging panel for this award is comprised of local residents, councillors and representatives from both universities, and prizes of up to £250 can be won for services to the community. In 2019, a group of 50 students organised an alternative trick or treat event, visiting houses in Jesmond and Heaton asking for food donations for the Newcastle Food Bank, an activity that both helped the local community and won them Best Neighbour on Campus.
Students as Partners strive to highlight the wide variety of benefits that students can bring to their respective areas. As many students require part time jobs, the influx of students to various areas of the city brings economic as well as community benefits. As Jane Robinson stated, “we’re proud that so many of our students choose to work in the City - it’s a fantastic way for them to build experience, confidence, and local connections that enrich both their studies and their lives. When students work in local businesses, cafés, creative industries, and charities, they bring energy, fresh ideas, and skills that benefit everyone. At the same time, they gain valuable insight into the City’s character and culture. By highlighting these shared benefits, we hope to create even closer relationships between students and residents, recognising that together they make the City a more vibrant and welcoming place for all.”
"We're proud that so many of our students choose to work in the city - it's a fantastic way for them to build experience, confidence, and local connections that enrich both their studies and their lives."
Pro-Vice Chanellor Engagement and Place, Jane Robinson
It is initiatives such as these, and collaborations such as Students as Partners that will light the way for a more inclusive and beneficial student-resident community within Newcastle. Jane Robinson’s passion for the forum shines through, as she emphasises “students bring huge cultural diversity and vibrancy to our city and have a positive social and economic impact though the volunteering activities that many students take part in and through the associated visitor economy from friends and family visiting”.
Students famously sport a bad reputation – they’re young, full of excitement and vigour for life, while apparently caring little for the mess, noise or lasting effect they leave on residential communities across the country. However, they constitute a key part of the foundation of this city, regardless of whether they have lived here for a decade or a day. By supporting students through a time that can be fraught with complications, Students as Partners can successfully fulfil the needs of both residents and students, helping the two groups to find community with each other. As our very own NUSU president states, “through this forum we can collectively shine a light on the positive contribution that students make to the city. We look forward to deepening our relationship with our key partners, to ensure our city remains a vibrant and inclusive place for all."