With the action-packed Freshers’ Week over, the hard work has begun for the new cohort students at UCFB.
A record number of students started their journey with UCFB this month joining second and third years, with many becoming the first cohort to walk through the doors of the brand new UCFB Etihad Campus in Manchester.
Based in around the state-of-the-art Etihad Stadium in Manchester, the new campus is the latest at UCFB to be situated within a working stadium environment, joining Burnley FC’s historic Turf Moor and the iconic Wembley Stadium.
As well as enjoying the exciting Freshers’ activities on offer throughout the first week, Manchester students have also been busy exploring their new campus and the world-class sporting facilities they’ll be able to utilise as part of their studies.
UCFB Etihad Campus students don’t just have access to the Etihad Stadium, but also as part of a landmark agreement with Manchester City Council, students can use the likes of the Manchester Regional Arena and Indoor Athletics Centre, National Squash Centre, Manchester Tennis and Football Centre, Belle Vue Leisure Centre and the National Basketball Performance Centre.
Students can also access the home of British Cycling, the Manchester Velodrome – also known as the Medal Factory. Some new students even had the pleasure on enrolling within the Velodrome while members of the cycling team were training around them.
The UCFB Freshers’ Week events were bigger and better than ever this year, with students across both campuses enjoying comedy from the likes of TV funny-man Russell Kane, a Tube hunt around London and fun-filled nights out in both cities. Both campuses also experienced a first for UCFB – the Freshers’ Festival, which was headlined by DJ Scott Mills in Manchester and DJ Fresh at Wembley.
Students also got their first taste of the unique Executive Guest Speaker Series on offer at UCFB. Those at UCFB Etihad Campus heard from former Crystal Palace player and manager Dougie Freedman, and former Aston Villa manager John Gregory gave valuable insight into the industry to students at UCFB Wembley.
Meanwhile, at UCFB Wembley, students new and returning were finding out more and seeing the new expanded facilities available this year, including the press lounge, photographers’ lounge and the brand new TV studio, which is due to open later this year.
Amy Platts, Student Services Manager at UCFB Etihad Campus, said: “I’d like to wish a very warm welcome to all our students at UCFB Etihad Campus. The opening of our new Manchester campus is an exciting new chapter in the UCFB story, and is further proof of the unique opportunities and facilities on offer to our students. Our team is here to help at all times so my message to students is please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need us.”
Nick Radley, Student Services Manager at UCFB Wembley, added: “We’re very excited to have everyone back on campus, and especially pleased to welcome many new faces to Wembley. I urge students to utilise their time to the maximum while at UCFB and get involved with as many of the activities on and off campus as possible, to make new friends and get the most from their studies.”
