With on-campus events postponed or cancelled this term due to the pandemic and ‘student travel window’, these virtual events are a way for students to get into the festive spirit from the comfort of their accommodation or home.

The first event – a free to enter Big Festive Quiz with £150 worth of vouchers up for grabs – takes place on Tuesday 1^st December at 8pm. There will also be some bonus prizes on offer which will be disclosed throughout the duration of the quiz.

The Festive Ball, taking place virtually on Wednesday 2^nd December will offer students a chance to dance the night away to festive jams, throwback hits and chart-topping tunes. A professional DJ will be spinning the decks live from from 8–11pm. Friends and family can join in for free via a shareable link and attendees will be able to make song requests through the live chat function on the night.

⛄️The Festive Ball 🎄Wednesday at 8 pm ❄️ Since you can't come to the ball we are bringing the ball to you 😄 Come, dance and sing to our festive songs 🎉 To find out more just go to https://t.co/rNj9z2dVFV pic.twitter.com/tCqPqVgbOs

— Beds SU (@BedsSU) November 30, 2020

Finally, Festive Film Club will air on Thursday 3^rd December at 8pm. The chosen film – a festive flick featured on Netflix – can be voted for by students over at the Beds SU Facebook page and will be available to view via Zoom or Netflix Party. Options include The Grinch, Christmas with the Kranks and Nativity.

While it has been a difficult year for many, Michael Alawaye, President of Beds SU, hopes the events will provide students with a route to high festive spirits ahead of the holidays. He said:

The winter events this December are to get everybody in the Christmas spirit.

Although we have a pandemic on our hands, the SU is still here for its students, providing as many activities and as much support as possible.

Students at the University of Bedfordshire will soon be travelling home for the winter holidays and we want to send them off in the highest spirits possible. This week’s events will hopefully make students feel like they belong to the University community wherever they are.

I would encourage as many students as possible to take part and enjoy our fun festivities.

With 2020’s graduation ceremonies, Beds Talks and more having been converted into virtual events, these festive activities are the latest example of how the University has continued to engage, inform and celebrate students despite the coronavirus restrictions.

Lisa Roerig, Head of Marketing, Communications and Business Development at Beds SU, said:

Each year, Beds SU likes to bring a bit of festive cheer to the winter months. With this year being a little different, we really wanted to ensure that students still had some sort of access to the social side of university life, as well as giving them opportunities to connect with the rest of our student community.

We hope our week of Winter Festivities will offer some light relief to our students, with a chance to socialise and simply have a bit of fun. More importantly, we hope to bring a sense of positivity to those that might be finding the current circumstances challenging, as well as make them aware of further support if it's needed.

Beds SU is always looking for more ideas for events and activities to keep us all entertained during these strangest of times. The best ideas come from our students, so we are keen to hear from them on the activities they want to see or even help us to host. Simply get in touch by emailing beds.su@beds.ac.uk.

The University’s Sports department is also offering students free access to virtual Get Active classes throughout the winter break. Further information about available classes can be found online and via Twitter.

For more information on taking part and what else is happening at Beds SU, visit: www.bedssu.co.uk/events