UQ Union

In July 2013, Universities Australia released the results of their longitudinal study on student finances -- a survey of over 11,700 students across a range of demographics. Here's a quick look at what they found:

Two thirds of university students in Australia are living below the poverty line
Two-thirds of undergraduates earn less than $20,000 a year (with roughly 21per cent earning less than $10,000)
1/4 of undergraduates have a loan of some kind, as do 1/3 of post-graduate students
Financial stress is even greater for students from low socio-economic backgrounds and Indigenous students
Almost one in five report that they regularly cannot afford food or other essential items

Ensuring tertiary study remains affordable and accessible for students has been one of the chief concerns facing student unions across Australia's major universities. Student welfare departments at the University of Technology in Sydney and the University of Melbourne have sought to alleviate the financial burden of study with one key initiative...

The Free Breakfast!


The Bluebird Brekkie Bar organised by the Student Association of the University of Technology, Sydney -- a weekly pop up café serving FREE food to students before class; winner of the Australasian Green Gown Award and the International Green Gown Award recognising the best of the best in sustainable student initiatives. (Photo courtesy of the UTS Student Association and theloop.com)




The Weekly Welfare Breakfast organised by the University of Melbourne Student Union, serving free food to students from 9am every Wednesday during semester. (Photo courtesy of the UMSU)


As it stands, we here at the University of Queensland Student Union are one of the largest student organisations operating on any Australian campus. We are the peak representative body for the 45,000 students studying across UQ's major campuses. As executive members, it is our job to advocate for the welfare of undergraduate and postgraduate students of diverse backgrounds and socio-economic means.

Following the huge success of welfare breakfasts in Sydney and Melbourne, in 2014 the UQU will be rolling out a free weekly breakfast on our main St Lucia campus - providing students with simple nourishing food before 8am and 10am lectures, fostering a sense of community and charity amongst our dedicated student and staff body.


The UQ Union "Morning Marmalade" Free Breakfast Bar, an exciting new chapter of student welfare at the University of Queensland.


As you might expect, providing free food for students doesn't come cheap! In keeping with models of sustainability we are sourcing food donations from local Brisbane establishments, however there are ongoing expenses involved in the upkeep of Morning Marmalade: supplementing the breakfast each week with staples, as well as purchasing biodegradable crockery and fuel for the UQU food collection team. Fundraising at a grassroots level through Pozible is one of the ways we hope to build community support for the project, and raise awareness of crowdfunding for individuals and groups in the community looking to launch not-for-profit enterprises.



The Grassy Knoll at St Lucia, pictured here hosting an event for Bluestockings Week (recognising the achievements of women in academia) organised by the on-campus women's collective. As one of the most popular and high traffic areas on campus, it is the perfect spot for our pop up breakfast bar each Tuesday morning - 7:30 to 9:30am.


Every dollar we raise through Pozible will go directly towards building Morning Marmalade up into a free, sustainable and wholly student run cafe - the first of its kind at the University of Queensland. This will in turn support the significant proportion of students on our campus who are sacrificing basic necessities to afford their degree; carers, those from rural/regional areas, low SES students, international students and those struggling with physical and mental illness. It is the firm belief of the UQU, in line with student unions across Australia, that poor nutrition and skipping meals should not be a normal part of university - because affordable & accessible education is a right, not a privilege.

Morning Marmalade will be designed to cater for between 100-400 students each Tuesday morning. Lurking amidst the cobwebs of our union storage cupboards is the basic structure of our pop up breakfast: tables, marquis, chairs and hot water urns. Your donation will subsequently be split across two key areas:

Morning Marmalade Start Up Costs --

Picnic Blankets (for students to sit on, encouraging a communal eating space)
Decorations (bunting, posters, table cloths, flowers, e.t.c.)
T Shirts
Posters

Morning Marmalade Weekly Expenses --

Bread to supplement food donations (we have a number of local bakeries on board to donate leftover bread and pastries but these amounts will vary from week to week)
Spreads
Cereal
Milk (soy and dairy)
Fruit (apples and bananas)
Tea
Coffee
Biodegradable Cutlery (plates and cups enough for approx. 400 students)
Volunteer wages (our executive will run the majority of the free breakfasts but as the profile of Morning Marmalade builds, and during peak times of semester, we may need to hire additional staff from the student body)

Our first proposal for the Morning Marmalade raised a number of pertinent questions that we have addressed, as the UQU free breakfast develops from an idea into a concrete initiative. Some of the challenges identified so far include -

Where will the food come from?

Fortunately we have had great success contacting local bakeries to utilise what food they have leftover at the end of the business day. We will also supplement these donations with basic cereals, spreads and fresh produce to ensure Morning Marmalade offers a wholesome menu that caters for a variety of dietary restrictions, including: vegetarians, vegans and those with lactose intolerance.

How will donations be collected and stored?

The UQU is fortunate enough to have access to a van for just such occasions! Each Monday afternoon we will head on off around Brisbane to collect the offerings for the next day; our offices at the UQ union complex have an adequate amount of storage space (refrigerated and otherwise) to store the food once acquired.

How many students will Morning Marmalade cater for?

Traffic will vary from week to week. We will gain a better estimate of the food required each week once the Morning Marmalade is established, but we expect numbers between 100-400. The majority will "eat and run," so to speak, but there will be space for students to linger should they wish for a more leisurely bite to eat!

Do we have a wet weather contingency plan?

Yes. There are plenty of marqees available for use in rainy weather.

Where will funding come from?

The UQU is lucky to have access to some revenue from the businesses we operate on campus, and from the SSAF (Student Services and Amenities Fee) paid by students each semester to the University of Queensland - a portion of which is generally dedicated to the student union to fund interest clubs, colleges and events.

Following in the footsteps of UMSU and UTS we will run "Morning Marmalade" in conjunction with support from local businesses and revenue raising pathways like Pozible, keeping UQU funding aside as essential support for UQ's 190 clubs and societies, 10 residential colleges and various satellite campuses.

By supporting Morning Marmalade, you will not only help combat the rising issue of student poverty, but also assist the broader work of UQU so that our clubs, events and colleges can continue to make the UQ student experience one of the best and most inclusive in the country.