Join Us for Community Takeover Day!
Celebrate the spirit of togetherness at our Community Takeover Day! As a student at UCL, you immediately are part of a student community of 50,000. But, as big as it is, our student community is also a really important part of the Camden and London communities as well.
There's so much potential for fun, social justice, skills, careers, and lasting friendships between you and your new neighbours... 1000s of amazing local charities, social enterprises and other non-profits!
The Community Takeover Day is all about bringing people together!
There's lots on so scroll down for all the key activities and events on the day. You can read more about each activity and book your spot really easily. Most activities are drop-in but with limited capacity, it's always best to book a spot to avoid disappointment.
Build-Your-Day
Here's a few top picks from our team depending on what you might want to get out of your day
Making friends
Why not pop over to the Wilkins Terrace for the Welcome Breakfast any time from 09.00? There'll be lots of friendly faces and someone will greet you on arrival and make sure you get settled in. After you've had your coffee, grabbed a croissant and had a few chats, why not join one of our groups on the Big Help Out? Spend a few hours volunteering with other new UCL students. A sure fire way to make an early friend! Come back on campus, grab some lunch at one of our local food trucks before enjoying the live music and dancing at our Community Ceilidh.
Giving back
Come meet the wonderful London Fire Brigade at our Community Fair and hear how you can contribute to their incredible cadet programme, supporting young Londoners. They'll even book you a local appointment on the spot. Watch out for our pop up fundraisers and drop a few coins in their metaphorical pot (it's okay, they'll have card/contactless machines!) - see how much UCL newcomers can raise! Drop in to the Community Showcase to support our students performing some of the incredible work they do with beneficiaries across London. Finally, meet some special community organisations and network during our Community Ceilidh.
Have a mental wellbeing day
Live your best creative life. Start with a spot of sustainable shopping at our Vintage fair for that feel-good factor in the most environmental way! Meet some inspiring people at our bijou Community Fair to get your creative juices flowing about the opportunities here. Grab a coffee at one of our local street vendors as you head on through to the tranquil Japanese Gardens for some quiet crafting at our Crafternoon, away from the usual Welcome chaos. Or leave it all behind for the greenery of London's beautiful squares and gardens on our Green Spaces Tour. Still got a little energy but want to keep a lower sensory vibe? Finish the day off with our Silent Disco.
Making Change Happen
Get your democracy on and take in one of the Student Intro to British Politics talks to really settle in to your new home if you've moved here to study. Then walk on over to the Community Fair to find out about how student representation could work for you before getting your photo taken outside Number 10 Downing Street (okay, not the real one but probably as close as you can get...).
| Timings | What's on | Key info | Where? | Book your place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09.00-10.00 | Welcome Breakfast | Grab a croissant - plain, chocolate, vegan - and coffee and plan your day! | Wilkins Terrace | Book |
| 09.00-18.00 | Vintage Fair | Sustainable shopping! Take a browse through our popular vintage fair and get something special for the weekend | Roberts Building Foyer | Drop in |
| 10.00-14.30 | Big Help Out | Want to get your hands dirty right away? If another fair is not your vibe, join our Big Help Out! Hyper-local organisations need your help today! We'll get you right back to campus in time for a late lunch and ceilidh of course | Stage on the Quad | Bookor drop in |
| 10.00-15.00 | Pop-up Fundraising | Our students work hard to raise money for great causes. Last year, £1000s were raised for local as well as global humanitarian efforts. No donation is too little. If everyone who visits UCL during Welcome donated £1, as a community we'd raise over £15,000! | Various! | Drop in |
| 11.00-14.00 | Community Fair | Your first chance to meet the community organisations and student volunteering and outreach projects where real social change happens. Pop in and have a chat to hear how you could get involved! | Marquee on the Quad | Drop in |
| 11.00-12.00 | Where Student Community Meets UK Politics | An introduction to British politics and find out what this has to do with being a student. Repeated at 14.00 | TBA | Book |
| 12.00-14.00 | Community Showcase | Many student groups share their talents with local beneficiaries and extend the reach of their Club or Society. Think salsa dancing with older people! Cheerleading with school pupils! Come and be dazzled | Stage on the Quad | Drop in |
| 12.00 | Local Lunches | Grab a bite at one of our food trucks on campus just for you! Local produce and sustainable fare to keep your energy levels up | Main Quad | Drop in |
| 14.00-15.30 | Crafternoon | Did you know there are 6 Sabbatical Officers who have been elected to represent you this year? Fancy a quieter spot during all the Welcome chaos? Come and Meet Your Officers and get crafty | Japanese Gardens | Book |
| 14.00-15.00 | Green Spaces Tour | Did you know London is one of the greenest cities, with wetlands, parks, and green spaces? Lots are so close to campus and between our buildings - amazing places to hang out between classes, take a green moment, read a book. This tour will help you pick your fave spots ahead of term starting | Meet at Gordon's Square (outside IOA) | Book |
| 14.00-15.00 | Where Student Community Meets UK Politics (repeat session) | An introduction to British politics and find out what this has to do with being a student. A repeat session from 11.00 | TBA | Book |
| 15.00-16.30 | Community Ceilidh | Live music and excellent dancing - we promise you a good time or your money back (it's free so we can't do that. But if it wasn't, we would totally stand by this statement) | Marquee on the Quad | Book |
| 21.00-01.00 | Silent Disco | Be social or anti-social! Get your headphones on and sing & dance or simply hum and enjoy being part of a group having fun in their own way. Enjoy yourself without some of the usual judgements that can come with a night out! | Phineas Bar | Book |