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Students’ Union fails to meet target by £45k

By River Reporter Feb 16, 2012

The Students’ Union is planning to ask for extra funding from Kingston University after their overall income is down by £45,000

Vegard Botterli

The Students’ Union is planning to ask for extra funding from Kingston University after their overall income is down by £45,000 on their targeted budget.

 

This is because SU bars and shops fell short of their expected targets by £30,000 on top of other budgetary deficits.

KUSU president Chris Dingle, commenting on the problems, said: “Kingston Hill’s Hannafords Bar was badly hit during Freshers’ Week. The bars and clubs of Kingston began targeting students particularly as their own trade was suffering.”

The report handed to the Trustee Board in February said that the surplus fell from £66,000 to just £15,000 last year, meaning there is less money for the SU to spend.

This decrease was put down in the report as a result of “organisational failures,” including overspending on sports facilities by £8,000, going over budget by £2,000 on bank charges and a fall in profits at the KU student bars. 

This caused a budget shortfall and the SU have said they will ‘tighten their belts’ for the remainder of the year”.

“Whilst some areas are behind annual budget this is mainly on the Kingston Hill site which has suffered this year and we have changed our operation to match,” said Mr Dingle.

“Hannafords now has Sky TV to boost its appeal particularly to residential students during weekends and evenings.

“This was installed in late November and we have already begun to see the benefits”

To tackle the continuing losses at the student shop at Kingston Hill, due to competition from local businesses, the SU is planning to open an independent convenience shop and close the existing food store.  

The SU is currently negotiating with bidders to run the new shop.

Mr Dingle said: “We will be able to bring the range and convenience of a local Co-op to campus. For the Union this will undoubtedly raise awareness on the Kingston Hill campus and bring income for all projects.”

Because of a large number of events booked for this term, sales figures from the student shop and The Space Bar at Penrhyn Road campus are within budget.

Mr Dingle said that running the meal-deal scheme has helped to generate successful figures.

 The Urban Eat deal in particular offers the same sandwiches available within the food store but at a bargain price, with a drink and a crisp deal at £2.99.

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