Enrichment newsletter
this ISSUE
02 Welcome
03 Society spotlight: Wildlife Media
05 Feeling inspired? Get involved with one of our academic societies
07 Score savings at Carlisle United
09 This month’s event & activity offering
11 Spark something new at Cumbria & set up your own activity
13 Tullie March offering
15 Help shape your enrichment programme
17 Student Opportunities Fund
19 Microsoft Office Certifications
20 Free webinar with metropolitan police
Welcome to the newsletter
A very warm welcome to March’s Carlisle Student Enrichment newsletter — the second of three editions as part of our enrichment programme pilot in Carlisle.
Last month, we saw a fantastic range of activities across our academic areas, the Students’ Union and services such as Chaplaincy. It’s been brilliant to see so many of you getting involved.
We’re now well into 2026 and, as we move closer to Easter, the evenings are getting lighter and routines are settling into place.
In this month’s edition, you can:
Discover our latest society spotlight
Explore academic societies — or find out how to start your own
See what events and activities are coming up
Learn how to try something new at Cumbria
Explore opportunities in our wider community, including Tullie, Carlisle Cathedral and Carlisle United Football Club
As always, we’d love to hear your feedback so we can continue shaping the programme around you. You can email max.young@cumbria.ac.uk or use the “Shape your enrichment programme” tab on the Carlisle Student Enrichment Blackboard site.
Society Spotlight Wildlife media
Last month, we celebrated the brilliant work of Pears Cumbria School of Medicine’s teddy bear hospital society. This month, it’s time to turn the spotlight to the Wildlife Media Society from our Brampton Road campus.
We asked the committee to tell us more about what they do and why students should get involved.
What makes your society special compared to others on campus?
The wildlife society is the only one on campus that is dedicated to wildlife and the preservation of species that live on campus.
Who can join the society, and what would you say to someone who’s thinking about signing up?
Any student is welcome to join us and it doesn’t matter what course you are on. If you would like to spend your Wednesday afternoon hanging out with a friendly group of people, and you like or would like to learn about wildlife, this society is for you.
What does a typical week or semester look like for your members?
We meet every Wednesday between 13.30 and 16.00. Every week there are different activities, so there is something for everyone. They range from outdoor, hands-on conservation to wildlife photography trips and painting, crafts, films, games and guest speakers. We’ve just put together a new display of wildlife found around campus, recorded by our members.
What has been your most exciting project or trip so far?
The Brampton Road Species Archive is my most exciting project - students are recording different species that are within the campus grounds. At present we have counted 339 different species. The members most exciting trip was to see and photograph red squirrels at Shap Wells Hotel, and it was enjoyed by all.
4 March - Easter Card Making
Get ready for Easter while testing out members craft skills in the Easter card making workshop. All materials will be supplied, just come along and have fun.
18 March - Conservation Afternoon at Cold Springs Nature Reserve
Meeting at 12.00 at the base room before heading out to Cold Springs Nature Reserve near Penrith. We will meet the warden and other volunteers where we will be helping with tree planting around the reserve.
Get Involved, Get Inspired: Academic Societies
As a student on our Carlisle campuses, the University of Cumbria Students’ Union (UCSU) offer a range of academic societies for you to get involved in. They offer an opportunity to meet new people, build new skills and enrich your university experience. From midwifery to law and physiotherapy to wildlife media, there’s something for you to get involved in and make the most of your time at Cumbria!
Current academic societies include:
Midwifery Society
Physiotherapy Society
Criminology Society
Law Society
Zoological Society
Allied Health Fellows
Emergency, Pre-Hospital & Primary Care Soc
Medsoc
Wildlife Society
You can find out more about each of these societies, and others, including how to sign up, to the right.
Nothing that suits you or your academic cohort? Why not create your own society – check out how any student can do this using the links and QR codes to the right.
Score Student Savings at Carlisle United
In February, the fantastic Carlisle United Football Club won against Scunthorpe United at their ground on Warwick Road, Carlisle. The club’s games offer a great opportunity to get to know your university city and its community – and with excellent discounts on tickets for university students, why not go and support them?
Home fixtures for March are:
Southend United – 07 March 2026 at 17.30
Boston United – 21 March 2026 at 15.00
Students are eligible for discounted matchday tickets for home games. For this football season students can buy their home match tickets at a discounted price of £11 (terrace) or £14 (seating).
In addition, a retail discount of 5% is available for purchases in the Club Shop on presentation of your University of Cumbria ID card.
You will need to show your student photo ID card at the Brunton Park ticket office the first time you buy a ticket, after which you will be registered on the system. The offer is not transferable, and you must be prepared to show ID on match day if requested.
Carlisle United Football Club’s address is: Brunton Park, Warwick Road, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA1 1LL. https://www.carlisleunited.co.uk/
This month’s event & activity offering
March is the month of both student money week and university mental health day. There are many events and activities from across the university being offered - you can read some of the details below.
GLOBAL CAFE
On 17 March between 15.00 and 17.00 in the Fusehill Street Chapel, meet staff and students, talk and make friends at the Global Café event hosted by the university’s international student advisor. There is no need to sign up, just simply arrive! Refreshments will be provided.
Chaplaincy
Living with loss – managing and exploring grief for students: 13.30 –15.00 on Wednesday 4 March and Wednesday 11 March in the Fusehill Street Chapel.
Life, the universe and everything – a student conversation group with cake: Wednesdays at 16.00.
Student Money week
Student money week 2026 is celebrated this year during the week commencing Monday 2 March. We’re offering drop in sessions online and across our campuses:
3 March 12.00 – 13.30 in the Learning Gateway (Fusehill Street)
4 March 12.00 – 13.30 in reception (Brampton Road)
5 March 12.00 – 13.00 online (Click here: Microsoft Teams link)
spark Something New at Cumbria: Set up your own activity!
Got a great idea for a new student group or society? Whether it’s a hobb love, a cause you care about or something completely unique, UCSU guidance and tools to support you in this.
What will you need?
Starting a group is simple. You just need:
Two or more students to form your group committee
A meeting with UCSU’s Groups Coordinator, who will guide you thro everything—from managing your group’s finances to planning ev getting your name out there
What does the union provide?
When you set up a new group, you’ll get access to loads of support and resources to help you thrive:
£75 Start up Fund once your group reaches three members
Three rounds of Group Grants each year, where you can apply for up to £500 to grow your society
Exceptional Grants, perfect for one off costs or special purchases
Access to on campus spaces, arranged through our links with the university
Help with booking transport or external venues for your activiti
Insurance for all UCSU approved events, tailored specifically to the types of activities student groups run
Most of your members should be University of Cumbria students, but exter members can join too—as long as you get approval from your Groups Coordinator. If that’s something you’re interested in, just let us kno support you with the next steps.
Tullie’s march Offering
After a packed February programme at Tullie, March brings another exciting range of events and activities for our students, in addition to the wider Carlisle community.
There’s something to suit a variety of interests. Some events may intrigue you, while others might be perfect to enjoy with family or friends — especially on our inevitable rainy Cumbrian days!
Highlights this month include:
01 March – Spring Floral Workshop 2026
01, 10 and 17 March – Gallery Talks and Tours
02 March – National Theatre Live: The Audience
03 March – The Edinburgh Woolen Mill: The Creatives Behind the Brand –Free Lunchtime Talk
07 March – Roman Women – In Carlisle and the Arena
08 March – Remake and Renew
08 March – Tullie Textiles
15 March – Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea
21 March – Step into Spring Creative Flow Workshop
22 March – Make + Create Sundays
28 March – Studio Saturdays
You can explore the full programme of events, and find additional information, on Tullie’s website.
Help shape your enrichment programme
We want your student enrichment opportunities to reflect what you care about — your interests, your ideas and the experiences you want to have while studying at university. That’s why we’re always looking for students who want to get involved, share feedback or even help bring new activities to life.
Share your feedback
Got thoughts on what’s working well? Ideas on what could be improved? We’d love to hear from you. You can share your feedback through:
Emailing your thoughts to max.young@cumbria.ac.uk
Going to the Carlisle Student Enrichment BlackBoard site and filling out the snapshot survey under the ‘Shape your enrichment programme’ section.
Make your idea a reality
If you’re feeling inspired and want to take your idea further, you can even work with us to set up your own activity, event or group. See the information on page ten to find out more.
Student Opportunities Fund
The Student Opportunity Fund has been created in consultation with the Student Advisory Panel to support eligible students with low household income to access development opportunities that support employability through professional and personal development. Eligible UK undergraduate University of Cumbria students can apply for up to £500 towards an opportunity that supports their development.
Applications are assessed in two rounds during the academic year. The first deadline is 17.00 on Monday 30 March 2026, with a final deadline of 17.00 on Monday 25 May 2026.
For full eligibility criteria and details of how the fund works, click here or scan the QR code below.
Get a Microsoft Office Specialist Certification
This March, boost your academic work and strengthen your CV when applying for placements, internships or graduate jobs with a Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification.
As a University of Cumbria student, you can complete up to five MOS certifications free of charge including:
Word Associate
Word Expert
Excel Associate
Excel Expert
PowerPoint Associate
To ascertain the certification, a small examination is required. Exams are inperson at Fusehill Street and last 50 minutes or 1 hour 40 minutes for people with time accommodations approved by the exam provider.
The next examination for the certification at Fusehill Street will be Wednesday 11 March in the afternoon. Doesn’t work for you? Not to worry, there will be opportunities in April and June too!
Find out more and self enrol today by clicking here.
Free webinar with metropolitan police
Date: Wednesday 4 March from 11.00 to 12.00
Location: Online, book your place here.
The webinar is tailored specifically for university students, aiming to equip you with the necessary skills to detect and prevent fraud.
Join officers from the Metropolitan Police Service for a webinar session aimed to give you an edge in identifying all manner of frauds, tackling emerging cyber threats and navigating the world of crypto.
Find out why university students are a targeted demographic for serious and organised criminal groups and what vulnerabilities are being exploited by these groups in our ever-evolving technological age.
The webinar will cover:
The power of social media
Social engineering
Employment & accommodation fraud
Financial motivated sexual extortion, exploitation & blackmail
Online shopping fraud & ticket fraud
Phone theft and the harvesting of personal information
Emerging technologies - AI & crypto crime
