Range of Welcome Week activities to help new Chester students safely settle in to the city and its communities
The University of Chester is getting ready to host a series of events that will ensure new students are safely welcomed into the city.
This year’s Welcome Week will see the majority of newcomers arriving in Chester on Saturday, October 4, and the University has lined up a host of fun activities to help students settle in.
Among the events to help provide reassurance will be the return of the Cheshire Police Safety Bus on the Exton Park campus. Local police officers will be present to share friendly advice on staying safe in Chester and the local area, allow students to familiarise themselves with the bus and why it is deployed.
The Safety Bus is a specially adapted vehicle deployed in the city centre during the night-time, staffed by officers who are on hand to ensure anyone in need of help is cared for until they can go home safely. Equipment on board includes first aid kits, bottles of water and phone chargers.
As well as the visit to the University, there will be dedicated officers on foot in and around the Garden Quarter area to provide reassurance to all residents and ensure students have a safe and enjoyable time.
Support for students will also be offered with a part-time jobs fair hosted by the Careers and Employability team, a Uniwell fair to support physical and mental health led by the Student Experience Team, and a money matters fair to help with all matters of student finance, from managing money and budgeting, help with a student bank account, being aware of work placements and part-time jobs, and recognising common scams.
Other events to help new students familiarise themselves include a walking tour of the city, Speed Friending sessions and a barbecue garden party, organised by Chester Students’ Union, while there will also be simple cooking and gardening sessions, plus gym taster days.
Getting around the city is made easy with cycle storage at all Chester campuses, as well as the popular Blacon Pointer bus services (numbers 14 and 15) which pass by the Exton Park campus, the number 53 bus service which has a stop by Kingsway, and the number 16 bus service which stops near the Wheeler and Queen’s Park campuses.
Dr Helen Galbraith, Senior Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer at the University of Chester, said: “We are really looking forward to welcoming new and returning students back to the University of Chester in the coming days. Our partnerships with civic and community partners are hugely valuable in ensuring our students feel safe, supported and part of our vibrant Chester community.
“My thanks also go to all of our fantastic University of Chester staff who are working so hard to help our students settle in to University life and achieve their goals.”
For more information on Welcome Week, visit: https://www.chester.ac.uk/welcome/before-you-arrive/welcome-week-2025/.