This year, we welcomed our largest-ever cohort of new students. Student expectations are understandably high, UCL is a world-leading university and the way we welcome students to their new university helps set the tone for the year to come.
New students are keen to settle in quickly, form bonds with their peers, feel included in a thriving community, and be inspired for the year ahead.
After a brilliant Welcome 2022, which led to a record-breaking year of impact, we were more determined than ever to make Welcome 2023 our best yet, raise the bar for student life, and deliver on our mission to make more happen at UCL.
With the support of the entire UCL community and in particular the Welcome and Induction Team based in Student and Registry Services, we set out planning our biggest Welcome yet.
This article shows a snapshot of our 2023 Welcome activity, and what we achieved. Unless specified, the figures relate to the two-week period from 18 September to 1 October.
Welcome 2023 in Numbers
→ Together with our student-led groups, we hosted more than 727 events, up from 620 in 2022
→ During Welcome, more than 800 students signed up to volunteering opportunities
→ Our website was visited 440,000 times, up 10% from last year
→ More than 12,500 students joined a club or society during Welcome
→ More than 8,600 tickets were booked for big nights out across London
→ More than 14,000 students attended our two-day Welcome Fair
→ We showcased 70 live club and society performances on the Main Quad festival stage
→ More than 40,000 tickets were booked for events during Welcome, with many more students attending non-ticketed events
→ Our events programme is diverse and wide-ranging, with 87% of Welcome events alcohol-free
→ 3,900 students have enrolled in our Active Bystander programme
We’re here to help students make the most of their time at UCL, to help them feel part of the UCL community and help them achieve the things they want to during their time here. We’re the route to more than 390 Clubs and Societies, countless volunteering opportunities, events, great places to eat, drink and chill in, an Advice Service when students need it, and if students want to make lasting change at UCL, we can help them do that too.
Welcome is our chance to connect thousands of students with opportunities to do more at UCL. We want students to form friendships, find groups to join, experience new things, learn about the Union, UCL and London as they settle into university life and have fun.
We start the Welcome planning process by setting out our aims. This year, we wanted to;
- Help new students settle into life on our campuses, and into London, meet each other, form friendships, and find communities to be part of,
- Develop high levels of trust with new students,
- Introduce new students to the Union and our Sabbatical officers, and
- Welcome new students into our Students’ Union spaces, and help them feel at home.
These aims set the framework for the everything that is delivered over the summer and during the first few weeks of term
For the first time since 2019, we delivered a fully in-person Welcome events programme. A significant change from 2021 when 32% of our events remained online, and 2020 when 100% of events were online.
This was no 'return to normal', we have considerably enhanced our Welcome programme since the pandemic - moving from a programme of activity covering 175 events in 2019, to a programme of more than 600 events this year, accessible to the whole UCL community.
From sustainable fashion shows to wine and cheese evenings, trips to the Sky Garden to karaoke, picnics to mahjong - we had it all. The Welcome week calendar has never been fuller, more diverse, or as exciting. Once more we have been able to show off our amazing campus, as well as the city of London, to incoming (and returning) students and put everything we have to offer as a Students' Union on display.
Over 15,000 students booked tickets to Welcome events
Exploring London
Our students live in one of the best cities on earth and during Welcome we help them explore, settle in, and feel at home in London.
From trips to the Sky Garden to crazy golf at Birdies, food market trips, bowling, and visits to London's top museums - we showcased the very best of what London has to offer.
Every one of our London excursions sold out, with more than 350 students exploring our beautiful city with us.
Going out-out...
Although a small part of our Welcome programme in terms of the number of events, our club nights attract 1,000s of students.
These events help students experience the best of London nightlife, with events at venues like the world-renowned Ministry of Sound and Fabric. The events are run with student safety as priority, with welfare zones created in the venues and staff on-site trained to support those attending.
Over 8,600 tickets booked for nights out across London, up 26% from last year
Introducing students to life at UCL
Once again, we delivered in-person induction talks. Working closely with the Welcome and Induction team, during Welcome week thousands of students came along to a UCL 101 session in the Bloomsbury Theatre.
Hosted by our Sabbatical Officers, UCL 101 gave students a personal perspective on life at UCL, covering how to navigate the first term and make the most of the support and opportunities on offer.
Getting students active
Our social sport programme Project Active kicked off during Welcome, encouraging both new and returning students to get active.
Between 18 September - 1 October, Project Active held 27 classes, from Vinyasa Flow Yoga to Kickboxing and mass-participation events including two Football Tournaments. In total, the programme engaged 746 students across the Welcome period- a fantastic start to the year.
746 students got involved with Project Active across Welcome
Building communities
Over the five days of Welcome week, the George Farha Café was host to Welcome Breakfasts for our student Networks: the People of Colour Network, the Women's Network, the LGBTQ+ Network and the Disabled Network.
These events help to encourage those students who identify as part of these groups to meet up with others and feel at home at UCL.
Our Networks hosted speed friending sessions, games nights, socials and more, helping to create an inclusive and welcoming community at UCL.
Supporting the local community
For the first time during Welcome, we hosted a volunteering drive with Meningitis Now and Anthony Nolan. These opportunities are designed to help get groups of students out volunteering in the local community and develop an interest in taking on further opportunities.
One-off opportunities included Games and Afternoon Tea, Walking through London's Green Spaces, Conservation Volunteering, Picnic and Foodbank Collection, and Supermarket Volunteering.
These opportunities helped to launch the Volunteering Service during Welcome in the lead-up to the Volunteering Fairs in the following week.
Over 1,000 students enquired about volunteering with our 90 community partners during Welcome.
Creating the next generation of Active Bystanders
We want our entire community to stand together and say 'No' to bullying, harassment, and sexual misconduct.
Our sector-leading Active Bystander programme aims to empower students to make safe interventions if they witness problematic behaviours.
Students first take an online module and then attend an in-person workshop. So far, 3,900 students have enrolled in our online module and we’ve delivered around 160 Active Bystander workshops since Welcome Week.
3,900 students enrolled in the Active Bystander programme during Welcome
“I appreciate learning about a more systematic and practical approach to safely intervene in situations where help is needed.”
Student comment after taking the course
The weird and wonderful
We hosted a Denim Upcycling Fashion Show and a Sustainable Film Night in the Main Quad, as well as a Live Music Quad Gig. These events drew huge crowds to the Main Quad at twilight.
We also ran a Boardgames Evening where various different societies (including Board Game Society and Sci-Fi and Fantasy) came together to share their love for boardgames!
This year, we transformed the main campus into a festival, with two stages for live music and performance, food stalls, and more. This put Students' Union UCL at the heart of student life on campus, showcasing everything we have to offer from our clubs and societies to our cafés and bars.
The stage, lights, music, performances and decoration around campus, as well as the cultural, sport and arts society takeovers brought a festival atmosphere to UCL.
Club and Society Takeover Days
On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of Welcome Week, our student groups took centre stage. Each day was packed with performances, demonstrations and workshops for our different student groups.
Alongside these performances, we hosted fairs for our sports, arts and cultural student-led groups. These fairs enabled students to find and join clubs and societies before the Welcome Fair took place.
Welcome Crew 2023
This year we took on more student staff than ever before to help deliver our expanded events programme. Over the summer we recruited and trained 50 students to be this year's Welcome Crew, supporting all things Welcome. Across the Welcome period, the Welcome Crew helped set up events, scanned tickets, stewarded, answered questions, and were ambassadors for the Students' Union and for UCL. From Sky Garden to Postgrad Cheese and Wine Nights to the British Museum, Boat Parties and Walking to Camden Market, our Welcome Crew were central to everything happening on campus and across London. We could not have achieved what we did without them!
The Hey Team
The Hey Team are a group of friendly and enthusiastic student volunteers who wanted to make a difference, help ease new students into their new surroundings, and welcome them into the UCL family. This year, 16 students joined the Hey Team family and made their impression on Welcome.
16 student Hey Team volunteers
Our volunteers attended events where we saw opportunities for the team to mingle with new students and make them feel at home. Events such as The Big Breakfast, Speedfriendings, and Ice Cream Socials really benefitted from their presence, from engaging with lone individuals to chatting to whole tables sharing their uni experiences and giving advice.
The Hanger
Over the Welcome Fair weekend, the Hanger set up shop on the Wilkins Terrace with a selection of hoodies, tops and accessories- and students loved it. Over 1,700 individual items were sold over the weekend...
1,700 items sold over Welcome Fair weekend
Bars
From a Silent Disco to the legendary LGBTQ+ night Glittoris, our bars provided a safe, accessible and fun environment for new students to enjoy.
Our bars hosted the Wilkins Terrace stage during Welcome Fair, showcasing the entertainment on offer across our venues...
Cafés
Our cafés have been paving the way in sustainability. The reusable cups available at all outlets are going down a storm with over 350 sold in the Welcome period with money off every drink when using a reusable cup.
364 reusable cups sold over Welcome
Bloomsbury Fitness
From gym tours to taster classes on the Wilkins Terrace, Bloomsbury Fitness made their mark on Welcome. Membership sales are up by 57% compared to last September!
57% increase in Bloomsbury Fitness membership sales compared to 2022
Welcome Fair
Welcome Fair is the biggest event of Welcome fortnight. Two days of clubs, societies, live music, freebies and thousands of students keen to explore everything the Union has to offer.
The Welcome Fair takes place all over campus, with 240 stallholders spread out across the Wilkins Building, main quad, lower refectory and JBR. In the main quad, the Portico provides the perfect backdrop for live performances from our incredible clubs and societies.
15,000 students attended this year's Welcome Fair, the most ever
Watch our Welcome Fair video below
We're planning for another record-breaking year of engagement in the lead-up to our 130th birthday in June 2023.
Help us make more happen at UCL, follow the links below.