The Communities Common Room is the newest in a long list of common room spaces available to students on the Colchester campus.

This room has been created to support students and communities in having a comfortable place where they can connect with others.

Located off square 4, The Communities common room can be accessed by any student or student group or community with a protected characteristic.

LGBQ+ Officer, Riley Iles, says “the Communities Common Room is a beautiful space designed by and fought for primarily by last year's Trans Officer, Harry Morgan, and a lot of the other Student Community Officers from last academic year. There are soundproof pods, sofas, lots of bean bags; there's even a kitchen! It's a great place for communities to mix, to relax, to study, or even just hang out! One big community mixing pot where the only goal is to chill!”

Trans Officer, Sam Temple, adds “the Communities Common Room is an incredible space. I am so glad that people are able to access it, as I know how hard it was fought for by so many people over the past two academic years. It is so important to acknowledge the struggles that people from marginalised groups face, and I hope that people can use this room as a space when they need it. Now more than ever we need a sense of community, and I’m hoping this is a good place to start.”

Women’s Officer, San Bains, says “sometimes safety is taking not just physical space, but mental too.”

With comfy seating, a kitchen and two privacy glass pods, the room has been designed to be cosy, comfortable, and private!

 

To get access to the Communities Common Room sign up to a Communities Mailing List via the Communities Hub.

If you do not identify with any of the respective communities, who have mailing lists, please email suengagement@essex.ac.uk to organise access to be added to your student card. 

Once you are on an SU Communities Mailing List then you will automatically be given access. You just need to update your student card to get access, which is super easy;

1.      Pop by one of the campus update points located at the EMS Helpdesk or in Square 3 outside the Security Office

2.      Hold your card next to the update point for 15 seconds

3.      Your card will flash blue a number of times and then green

4.      Access can take up to 24 hours to be added

You can turn up and use this room at any time however sometimes it may be booked out for a community event. If it is, there will be signs on the door informing you a few days before the event and during the event. If you would like to book the room out for a community event please email suengagement@essex.ac.uk.

A NEW ADDITION TO COMMON ROOMS AT ESSEX

The University provides a number of Common Rooms that are departmental. These are cosy spaces open to anyone in the department to study, relax or meet others. These rooms are usually open 8am-8pm.

• Sociology and PPS | 5a.325
• Economics | 5B.307
• History | 5NW.7.1
• LiFTS | 5NW.6.1
• Art History, Philosophy and Interdisciplinary Studies | 6.143
• Essex Pathways | 4.116A
• Life Sciences | 4.11
• Languages and Linguistics | 4.30a
• Computer Science and Electronic Engineering | 1NW.5.1