University of London Union

{{Short description|Student union of the University of London}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox Students Union |name = University of London Union |image = University of London Union Logo.png |motto = |established = 1921 |abolished = 2014 |institution = University of London |other_sabbs = |location = Malet Street, London, England |members = 120,000+ |affiliated = |colors = |homepage = {{URL|www.studentcentral.london}} }}

The '''University of London Union''' (ULU), known as '''Student Central''' after 2014, was the students' union of the federal University of London.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.studentcentral.london/news/article/studentcentral/Welcome-to-your-new-Student-Central/|title = Welcome to your new Student Central!|date = 3 September 2014|access-date = 2 December 2018|archive-date = 3 December 2018|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181203010918/https://www.studentcentral.london/news/article/studentcentral/Welcome-to-your-new-Student-Central/|url-status = live}}</ref> Since the closure of its student governance, each student is instead primarily affiliated to a students' union of their individual college, as the University of London is a federal structure encompassing many constituent colleges.<ref>[http://www.ulu.co.uk/content/592993/governance/] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130531163314/http://www.ulu.co.uk/content/592993/governance/|date=May 31, 2013}}</ref>

ULU provided a range of services on an intercollegiate basis, including cultural, recreational and sporting activities. Its seven-floor building in Malet Street, Central London, next to Birkbeck, University of London, included bars, restaurants, shops, banks, a swimming pool and a live music venue.<ref>[http://www.qmul.ac.uk/qmliving/su/] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100323073613/http://www.qmul.ac.uk/qmliving/su/|date=March 23, 2010}}</ref>

In 2021 Student Central closed and the university leased the building to Birkbeck College to expand their teaching space.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thetab.com/uk/london/2021/06/04/student-central-is-closing-down-and-removing-its-pool-41091|title=Student Central is closing down and removing its pool|author=Farah Sheikh|website=The Tab|date=4 June 2021|access-date=3 August 2021|archive-date=19 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210719164214/https://thetab.com/uk/london/2021/06/04/student-central-is-closing-down-and-removing-its-pool-41091|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbk.ac.uk/news/campus-expansion-opens-door-to-new-modern-student-hub-at-birkbeck|title=Campus expansion opens door to new, modern student hub at Birkbeck|website=Birkbeck, University of London|date=3 August 2021|access-date=3 August 2021|archive-date=3 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803165836/https://www.bbk.ac.uk/news/campus-expansion-opens-door-to-new-modern-student-hub-at-birkbeck|url-status=live}}</ref>

==History== thumb|right|248px|Logo during Student Central period thumb|right|300px|University of London Union on Malet Street ULU was founded in 1921, originally as the University of London Union Society, and moved into its main building on Malet Street, near Senate House, in 1957.<ref>{{cite book|last=Chancellor|first=Negley Harte; with a foreword by Princess Anne, The|title=The University of London, 1836–1986 : an illustrated history|year=1986|publisher=The Athlone Press|location=London|isbn=0485120526|page=16|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PysucrsTkWAC|access-date=2016-11-07|archive-date=2017-03-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170324043444/https://books.google.com/books?id=PysucrsTkWAC|url-status=live}}</ref> It represented students to the university and beyond, whilst also providing support and resources to the students' unions of individual colleges.

On 3 May 2013, the University of London announced that the union would cease to exist.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ulu.co.uk/news/index.php?page=article&news_id=372003 |access-date=May 3, 2013 |title=ULU Students Union - the Home for ULU University Students |archive-date=May 5, 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130505093931/http://www.ulu.co.uk/news/index.php?page=article&news_id=372003 |url-status=dead }}</ref> This move was condemned by some students and campaign groups, who ran a campaign to keep the building in student hands.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2013/may/02/ulu-faces-london-university-axe|title=London's famous student union faces threat of abolition|date=2 May 2013|author-link=Michael Chessum|last=Chessum|first=Michael|access-date=13 December 2016|archive-date=14 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170214221120/https://www.theguardian.com/education/2013/may/02/ulu-faces-london-university-axe|url-status=live}}</ref> Other students however welcomed the move; this was in part due to fears that the union was undemocratic, as it recorded a very low election turnout of just 2%. This was against the backdrop of higher turnouts at other students' union elections.<ref>{{cite web |author=Victoria Monro |url=http://www.thecommentator.com/article/3451/the_harsh_reality_of_the_university_london_union |title=The harsh reality of the University London Union |publisher=The Commentator |date=2013-05-06 |access-date=2016-01-21 |archive-date=2016-01-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128032652/http://www.thecommentator.com/article/3451/the_harsh_reality_of_the_university_london_union |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.imperialcollegeunion.org/big-elections-2014/national-league-table |title=National League Table |publisher=Imperial College Union |access-date=2016-01-21 |archive-date=2016-01-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160127151049/https://www.imperialcollegeunion.org/big-elections-2014/national-league-table |url-status=live }}</ref>

At the time of its closure it was one of Europe's largest students' unions representing over 120,000 University of London students.

Upon the University of London Union's abolition its former building and its website were rebranded as Student Central, London, and operated by the former staff of ULU employed by the University of London.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.student-central.co.uk/news/article/6013/Welcome-to-your-new-Student-Central/ |title=Welcome to your new Student Central! |website=Student-central.co.uk |access-date=2016-01-21 |archive-date=2014-10-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141009014657/http://www.student-central.co.uk/news/article/6013/Welcome-to-your-new-Student-Central/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It offered full membership to University of London students, and associate membership to other university students and members of other groups.

In March 2017 the promoter and event management company VMS Live agreed a deal with Student Central to bring live music back to the former ULU venue.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.musicweek.com/live/read/london-venues-ulu-and-duck-n-dive-to-reopen-under-vms-live/067325|title=VMS Live To Re-Open Former ULU Venue|access-date=2017-05-05|archive-date=2017-02-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170203105531/http://www.musicweek.com/live/read/london-venues-ulu-and-duck-n-dive-to-reopen-under-vms-live/067325|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Activities== ULU aimed to represent the diverse students and students' unions of the University of London.

The ULU building and venue was widely known as one for gigs that launched major artists such as the Kaiser Chiefs and Goldfrapp. At one point in the early 1990s, future comedy superstar Ricky Gervais managed the venue.

The union funded and published a student newspaper, London Student, although the editorial content was not controlled by the union as a whole but solely by the elected Editor. London Student was relaunched as a co-operative in January 2015.

===Sports=== One of ULU's main activities was the provision of Sport Leagues and Sport Clubs. The leagues originally only included teams within the University of London. Now they include University teams from the London area that are not in UoL. The governance of these is carried out by Sports Officers from the Universities and Colleges Students' Unions that have at least one sports team in the league. The sports leagues are also supported by the Friends of University of London Sport, whose members were former Sports Officers from within the University of London.

The union was home to Central London's largest swimming pool.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://now-here-this.timeout.com/2014/05/17/dip-into-londons-most-interesting-swimming-pools/|title = Dip into London's most interesting swimming pools|date = 17 May 2014|access-date = 19 May 2014|publisher = Time Out London|archive-date = 19 May 2014|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140519032653/http://now-here-this.timeout.com/2014/05/17/dip-into-londons-most-interesting-swimming-pools/|url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.ulu.co.uk/energybase/facilities/pool/|title = Swimming Pool|access-date = 19 May 2014|publisher = University of London Union|archive-date = 19 May 2014|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140519184124/http://www.ulu.co.uk/energybase/facilities/pool/|url-status = live}}</ref>

In 2015, the UL Athletics and XC club established the London Colleges Athletics Series (LCAS) along with King's College London, University College London and Imperial College London. LCAS has since merged with the long-standing London Colleges League to form the London Universities and Colleges Athletics.

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.studentcentral.london Student Central, London (successor body to ULU)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241117203907/https://www.studentcentral.london/ |date=17 November 2024 }}

{{University of London}} {{Authority control}}

Category:Student organizations established in 1921 London Category:Organisations associated with the University of London Category:University sports venues in the United Kingdom Category:University swimming in the United Kingdom