Liberty Living briefing for students' unions

New date: 31st March, London

NUS would like to point out to your attention a briefing day organised by Liberty Living , which offering private accommodation to students in Aberdeen, Coventry, Glasgow, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield. The Students' Unions in these localities or nearby are strongly recommended to attend.

Liberty Living is holding a seminar in London geared primarily towards improving links and dialogue with students and students’ union. It is particularly important that those links are formed where Liberty is a significant housing provider.

The seminar is your chance to input and feedback about your local students’ experiences with Liberty Living. Delegates will be encouraged to give their own views about what is important in student accommodation provision. The seminar provides for a short interactive briefing about Liberty and how it fits into the ongoing and emergent issues within student accommodation provision and then provides time for a number of issues, of interest to students, to be discussed in a round table format. Participation, dialogue and networking will form key aspects of the day.

The day is free to invited participants, and lunch is provided.

If you want an invite for the day, can you please e-mail agnes.gautier@nus.org.uk with your name, university or college name, and function within the students’ union (if applicable) by 5pm, Monday the 13th of February.

If you know students living in Liberty Living buildings interested to take part in the day, you can e-mail their details as well.

Places will be offered on a first come, first served basis.

This is NOT an NUS event, although NUS is taking part in it. This event is set up by Liberty Living. NUS wants to ensure students' unions participation is high to ensure Liberty Living services to students are improved in line with students' feedback.

Please find below details of the briefing day in London:

Liberty Living and Students
Thursday 30th March 2006
5 St James's Square
Central London

Students' unions unable to make it on the 30th can attend a similar event on Friday the 31st (however, the event on the 31st is aimed at educational establishment staff, rather than students' unions)

Agenda (PROVISIONAL)

11.00am - 11.30am Welcome and Introduction of Participants

11.30am - 12.05pm Liberty Living plc: History, Growth and Mission
Charles Marshall, Chief Executive of Liberty Living

• Why the Service was Established
• Where the funding comes from
• The Developments
• Where Liberty Plans to Go

12.05pm - 12.25pm Questions and Discussion

12.25pm - 1.00pm Present and Future Trends in Student Accommodation
Martin Blakey, Chief Executive of Unipol Student Homes

• Types of Buildings
• What Amenities and Services are Expected
• The Growing Importance of Student Care
• Affordability and Charging
• The Impact of the Housing Act 2004, the National Code for Larger Developments and Deposit Protection

1.00pm - 1.15pm Questions and Discussion

1.15pm - 2.05pm Lunch (provided)

2.05pm - 2.25pm Students and Private Providers
Veronica King, Vice President Welfare, National Union of Students

2.25pm - 3.15pm Round Table Discussion

• Initial points for discussion:
• What kind of developments and services do students want to see in the future?
• Are buildings getting too big?
• If lifestyle is important what is that?
• How important is security in a building and what is the best way of providing a proper service at a realistic cost?
• Are deposits still a source of problems and will Deposit Protection help?

3.15pm - 3.30pm Winding Up and End