"My favourite part of uni is the social life and the opportunities presented to us as students. We have multiple societies and they are always willing to hear new ideas."
— LJMU Student (WhatUni comment)
Pillar one
Belong — finding community
Our ambition is not simply to bring students into the same room, but to create opportunities for meaningful relationships, shared experiences, and lasting connections.
9,250
Freshers Fair attendees
8,641 registrations, 92.5% attendance rate. Thousands got an immediate route into clubs, societies and support.
57
Induction talks
Reaching around 5,000 students across all campuses, helping new starters understand support and opportunities.
2,165
Refreshers attendees
+731 from last year. Campus Days were especially effective, giving students a second entry point after the winter break.
172
Student groups
Including 44 new societies this year — from Care Experienced & Estranged and Nepalese Society to FinTech & Digital Assets, Moore TV and Scuba Diving.
10,650
Group memberships — highest ever
Academic societies alone hold 1,937 memberships, more than doubling since 2021/22.
1,937
Academic society memberships
Connecting students with guest speakers, conferences and peer learning beyond the classroom.
Team LJMU's climb up the BUCS national rankings:
BUCS ranking improvement from post-pandemic low to 46th in 2025/26
Period
Ranking
Post-pandemic
62nd
2022/23
58th
2023/24
52nd
2025/26
46th
10 BUCS teams promoted
Including Women's Futsal reaching the BUCS Conference Cup Final in its first season.
National champions
Men's Gymnastics and Women's Boxing secured national championship success. Pool & Snooker won the Men's Eight Ball Trophy.
991.5 BUCS points
Including 110 points won by individual athletes. Varsity returned in April for the annual Battle of the Blues.
9,231
Volunteering hours
9.4% increase from last year. Fewer but more active volunteers contributed 790 additional hours, showing deeper and more sustained involvement.
776
New volunteers registered
Through 137 partner organisations. The Buddy Scheme received 52 applications, supporting projects including Leave Liverpool Tidy.
National recognition
Moore Student Radio won 8 national awards including 4 Gold Awards — recognition covering collaboration, fundraising, resilience and broadcasting.
Pillar two
Be Heard — shaping change
Being heard means students can speak openly, know their views matter and have the confidence and agency to shape their course, university and Students' Union.
Representation this year
Course representatives632 (up 52 from last year)
Course reps trained61%
School rep positions filled15 out of 15
Officer election turnout18.17% — highest in 4 years
NSS: SU represents academic interests82.6%
Issues students asked us to raise
Timing, feedback turnaround and clearer academic communications — leading to assessment deadlines moving into working hours.
Access to financial support, food and clothing essentials. Miles Craven (JMSU President) helped develop an essentials area on campus with food and clothing support.
Loneliness, belonging and mental health pressures throughout the academic year. Informed the Student Minds Mental Health Charter partnership with LJMU.
Particularly for postgraduate researchers. Also led to increased water fountains across campus.
Specific experiences of commuter, international, mature and postgraduate students — feeding into the Access and Participation Plan.
You said
The My LJMU app needed to be more accessible.Students needed it to be easier to find information and services.
Assessment deadlines could leave students without support.If something went wrong near a deadline, there was nowhere to turn.
Transport to campus is expensive and difficult.Cost-of-living pressures made getting to university harder.
We did
Worked with LJMU to improve the app.Making it easier to access information and services where students study and socialise.
Moved assessment submission deadlines into working hours.So students can access support if they experience an issue.
Progressed a student transport ticket with Metro Mayor partners.Raising practical issues affecting students beyond the campus boundary.
Pillar three
Thrive — support when it matters
Students thrive when they have access to independent advice, opportunities to lead and recognition for the contribution they make.
855
Advice cases supported
With 2,166 contacts with students across academic appeals, complaints, disciplinary matters, fitness to practise and housing.
1,321
Different issues advised on
Confidential, independent support helping students understand their options and navigate complex University processes.
230+
Profile Power Up participants
Connecting students with careers, employability and academic support services — preparing them for life beyond university.
£16,000+
Raised for men's health
Movember campaign videos reached 100,000+ views and sparked conversations between students and the University Executive Leadership Team.
400+
Award nominations
Student Experience Awards ceremony at Liverpool Town Hall brought together 120 members of the university community. Sports Ball at Anfield sold out in 30 minutes.
16,677
Event engagements
Average attendance increased 50% to 141 students per event, as we shifted to fewer, more purposeful events centred on wellbeing and student voice.
"The marks were checked and moderated, and I achieved the 40% needed to continue working towards my full degree. I am so happy. Your support helped when I felt I had no control, and it has inspired an idea for a student wellbeing project during my placement."
— Student supported by the JMSU Advice Service
Behind the statistics
The stories that stay with you
Every statistic in this report represents a real student experience. These reflections were shared as part of the 2026 Student Experience Awards.
Ruby Moran
JMSU School Representative, School of Humanities and Social Sciences
"Sometimes the opportunities that change your life start with one conversation, one application, or simply deciding to show up."
Erin Gerard
Vice President Education 2025/26
"I arrived unsure whether I belonged and considered giving up. My life kicked off from there — I made friends, built communities and found people who showed me new ways of thinking."
Josh Darley
Vice President Activities 2025/26
"Meetings with student groups are a constant highlight. I've learnt so much from students this year and seeing them grow in confidence has been one of the best parts of my role."
Saya Majid
JMSU School Representative (Psychology, 3 years)
"I have loved getting involved in initiatives that have contributed to positive change across the university."
Lewis Hopkins
Academic Inclusivity Representative
"Education can absolutely be for everyone when the right support and an inclusive community are in place."
Dorota Johnson
Campaign Leader and Course Representative
"I became someone who can stand on a stage, feel confident in my abilities and help give others a voice."
What comes next
Moving from counting to understanding
Our next challenge is to understand outcomes more consistently: not only how many students took part, but who they were, what changed for them and how their involvement influenced their wider university experience.
Understand engagement across student demographics and identify participation gaps
Demonstrate how student feedback changes JMSU services and LJMU decisions
Develop clearer outcomes for campaigns, forums and events
Publish more visible and timely "You Said, We Did" updates
Take more activity into academic buildings and high-footfall campus spaces
Measure changes in students' belonging, confidence, connection and agency
"JMSU is an incredibly important part of the LJMU community. By working in partnerships, listening to students and bringing their experiences into the conversations that matter, we can make a real difference to university life. For me, every contact counts — and our partnership with JMSU helps make those contacts count for students."
— Professor Phil Vickerman, LJMU Pro Vice Chancellor, Student Experience
