As the University slowly prepares for a phased return to campus, it’s important to remember those who never left. Here we document what it was
like for the Community Support Team, Accommodation, Catering and Events (ACE), during the pandemic, and how their jobs have changed over the past 20 months.
In these unprecedented times, essential staff are crucial to ensure the continuation of critical University operations, to attend to the needs of students and other members of the University community and protect the University’s assets. Since lockdown, workers within ACE and Estates have continued to work on campus each day to deliver these critical activities for the function and wellbeing of the students and the University.
In normal circumstances, people expect lights to work, water to run, waste to be managed, food to be provided and sometimes we forget that there's a person behind these activities; and it is these types of workers who are needed on-site week in, week out to ensure the University is running as efficiently as possible.
With circa 4,500 students still living on the University estate, it is essential to continue to care and support those students, who will be relying on the University during this time. While operations were adjusted, certain core services and facilities are still ongoing and can only be carried out on-site. ACE Community Support Team, along with colleagues from lots of different business areas, continue to support students still in our buildings through delivery of meals and regular contact for those in isolation, as well as being the front line in ensuring our buildings, most of which are still occupied, remain safe and operational. They continued to operate 24-hours a day, to carry out ongoing checks to all our buildings, to ensure security and to minimise the number of staff going into them.
The ACE Community Support Team contributed massively to the University's response to the Coronavirus. They went the extra mile, demonstrating their commitment and support, which has been imperative during these uncertain times.