‘It’s performative’: Birmingham slammed after asking staff to donate to student food bank

The University of Birmingham has a £58 million budget surplus yet has turned to staff and students to help students who are financially struggling, and people are not happy.

The university’s Guild of Students has set up a “community pantry” which is where students who are struggling financially at the moment due to the cost of living crisis can collect a Food Parcel.

The food parcels are discretely packaged and are said to provide students with food for a minimum of five days, including items such as cereal, soup, pasta and more. The Guild have also said toiletries are available upon request.

screenshot from the Guild of Students website

It is a great sentiment that the university appears to be helping students during this time, but the gesture becomes less significant when you realise that the uni currently has a £58 million budget surplus yet are “encouraging” staff and students to donate.

Last Thursday staff were specifically emailed with the information that is already online “encouraging” them to donate to the community pantry.

This caused an uproar of negative reactions as many feel the university should be doing more to help rather than relying on staff and students who may be in the position to make donations.

The Big Issue was told by Mike Moore, the join secretary of Birmingham’s UNISON branch that “No member of the university, staff or student, should be relying on foodbanks – our own branch has recently been accepted as a referring organisation by the Trussell Trust precisely because many of our low paid members are also struggling.”

The National Union of Students has warned the nation that no amount of budgeting will be able to stop university students falling into poverty. The NUS ran a cost of living survey that found that one in ten students are using food banks.

The Birmingham Tab asked some students how they felt about the university urging for donations from staff and fellow students.

Ellie simply said how the university need to “subsidise food”.

Gracie told The Birmingham Tab how the community pantry scheme is “very performative” this is because of the fact they are “seeking credit for the scheme but not supplying the food”.

Alfie told The Birmingham Tab that he believes “the university should ask the government to give students more financial aid instead” of relying on staff and student food donations.

A postgraduate student, who will begin teaching at the university in January spoke to The Birmingham Tab. The postgrad who wishes to remain anonymous said

“Whilst providing additional help for struggling students is necessary and an important initiative, it is surprising and saddening that the University is asking staff and students to donate to support this effort. Using some of the University’s own large resources to fund donations and reducing costs of food on campus would be a much better way to ensure students have access to what they need. I know many colleagues will indeed donate, as I’m sure many students will too, but our community should not be reliant on charity from within when the University has so much money and is making huge profits from its students. Asking staff and students for donations in this light does not portray the positive image of community support I expect was intended.”

In regards to their community pantry and the email sent to staff, a spokesperson for the University of Birmingham told The Tab:

“Both the University of Birmingham and the University of Birmingham’s Guild of Students recognise the increased financial challenges students are facing this year and we are working together to offer additional support. The University’s Wellbeing Teams are available to offer advice, support and information to any student who is struggling, in parallel with the Guild Advice team which includes a dedicated money adviser.

Students in need of additional financial assistance can apply for the University’s Student Support Fund, and the Guild’s Hardship Fund. We continue to provide financial support awards to students from low-income backgrounds and those with particular support needs – and we have allocated more than £10 million to support students in the current academic year, which includes the Chamberlain Award which is paid to more than 4,800 students. The University increased rental levels this year, in its own accommodation, below the rate of inflation and offers a range of accommodation at different price points – all of which are fully inclusive of utility costs, increases to which are not being passed along to students in year.

In addition to the Community Pantry coordinated by The Guild of Students – the University is providing additional micro-awards in the form of supermarket vouchers for students with immediate support needs as well as participating in the ‘Too Good to Go’ initiative which makes discounted food from our campus outlets available towards the end of each day. We have introduced a range of affordable meal deal options for students and staff in campus outlets, and we have made additional microwaves available for everyone, who would be welcome to bring their own food from home to eat in any of our social and retail spaces.”

Related stories recommended by this writer

•Liz Truss visits Selly Oak amid cost-of-living crisis

•Here are all the events happening at Birmingham for Black History Month

•All the famous people you had no idea went to university in Birmingham