Xiaohongshu
Moving to the south (especially to London) can be a daunting, overwhelming, and often isolating experience, and we believe it is important to have a community of like-minded people going through a similar experience - Northerners society provides a network for students from similar cultural background to feel more comfortable in London. The society is open to those from all areas and backgrounds who want to meet northerners, learn more about northern culture and history, or support their northern friends!
Some of our social events include pub crawls and northern themed quizzes, classic northern gastronomic experiences such as Greggs (of course) and fish and chips socials, picnics, game nights, film nights, and more!
Why is it important to have a Northerners Society?
According to research by the children’s commissioner for England, children in London and the south-east are 57% more likely to get into universities ranked among the top third than their counterparts in the north (Pidd, 2016, https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/dec/05/london-south-east-children-top-universities-schools-north-england). This means that northerners in London are disproportionately represented, and therefore all the more in need of a community where we can connect with like-minded students going through a similar experience. To ensure that this statistic improves in the future, we believe it is important to take action now, which is why we are committed to increasing awareness of studying and living in London as northerners.
How will the society develop in the future?
We would really love to extend our outreach to young people from the north, potentially working with Access and Widening Participation to reach out to northern schools where application numbers are low. We are enthusiastic about sharing our own stories with prospective students, showing that it is possible to thrive as a northerner studying in London, and inspire and encourage them to apply. We would love to develop a new ‘Prospective Student’ membership for the society, allowing prospective students to ask us any questions or share any worries they have about the application process, and to learn more about life as a northerner in London and at UCL. We would also like to do joint events with other northern societies, establishing interuniversity relationships, and invite guest speakers to share their testimonies.