Hi there,

Thank you for your You Make Change submission.

Sorry for the delayed reply, I have been trying to thoroughly explore all options within the University to find a solution this.

From your submission I was unsure if you were an Undergraduate, Postgraduate Taught or Postgraduate Research student, so I've gone away and done a bit of digging for all three options. Firstly, I have spoken with the Doctoral College to see if there is a fund there. Unfortunately, there is not. PGR students should have access to a a RTSG fund, which provides money for training courses and conferences. It is possible that this might be able to cover necessary costs of childcare in relatin to attending a conference or training course, however this would require a conversation with your supervisor and relevant staff.

The University also has a Student Support Fund which supports students who are struggling financially. If you are struggling to cover costs of childcare, or other costs of living, it is worth having a conversation with them to see if there is anything that they can do to help. The full details about this can be found here: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/studentservices/money-matters/student-support-fund/how-to-apply.page To make an appointment, call: +44 (0) 2380 599 599.

Alternatively, in my role as Vice President Student Communities, I oversee Postgraduates and Student Parents. As such, I have a small budget allocated to providing events and support for these groups. Although we usually use this money to fund society activity and direct events, not for people to bid to get, it is worth coming in to chat to us in these situations to see how we could support. If you would like to chat about this further, or set up a meeting, please drop em an email to vpcommunities@susu.org.

I hope this is of some use to you.

All the best,

Emily Harrison

Vice President Student Communities 2018-19