Facilities and Services
GU Facilities and Services
GU Service Point
The GU Service Point is open daily 10:00–13:00h and 14:00–17:00h Monday–Friday, offering a broad range of services including:
- Gown hire service at bargain prices
- Thesis binding – soft and hard binding
- Photocopying and fax facilities
More about the GU Service Point
Café – Cambridge Blue at the Graduate Union
The GU's café, Cambridge Blue at the Graduate Union, serves drinks and food to eat in or to take away from 9am to 6pm every weekday.
Lounge, coffee, wireless internet
During the day the GU premises have a lounge with comfortable sofas, public access computers, café and newspapers. We also have wireless internet access (using the university's Lapwing service). You are welcome to drop in any time 9:30am–7pm Monday–Friday.
When the GU is hosting events in the evenings, we sometimes also operate a bar.
Room Booking
The GU has three rooms which can be booked out for use by students, without charge. One is a meeting room and the other is a larger lounge area. More details about the rooms and how to book.
Social Activities
We run a varied range of social events, from the fairly small to the very large. Information about many of the bigger events is available on our Events Pages, and all events are advertised in the events calendar. We also host departmental and society gatherings, and have an occasional bar, which we can opened (staffed by graduate student volunteers) for some events.
We also have a full range of audio-visual multimedia equipment, and sometimes show films in the GU.
The GU also arranges and hosts other events and services, including lectures, presentations and massage sessions.
Support, Advice and the Welfare Library
The GU offers support and advice on a wide range of issues. See the following information:
The welfare library at the GU lounge includes information on many topics, including: alcohol and drugs; health problems; the University Counselling Service and Disability Resource Centre; pregnancy, contraception and STIs; crime and help lines; accommodation; and safety. It is located in the GU lounge, immediately on your left when entering. Please feel welcome to come in, browse and pick up any relevant information.
There are also free condoms and pregnancy tests, and personal alarms can be bought at the shop for £2.
Prayer and Meditation Room (Weekdays)
We have a room, called the Snug, reserved at the GU every weekday for prayer and meditation. Suitable washing facilities are available. Please bring along any items you may need for worship. Times will vary depending on the calendar year (see times below).
- Prayer Times:
- 13:00 - 14:00
- 15:30 - 16:30 (mid September - mid March)
- 16:30 - 17:30 (mid March - mid September)
All faiths are welcome – please send any suggestions to please send any suggestions to the GU Executive Assistant (enquiries@gradunion.cam.ac.uk). This room may be booked outside these times for prayer or any other purpose as well.
Communications
- A GU Handbook is produced for all graduate and mature students and distributed at the start of each academic year – if you haven't got your copy, drop in and pick one up, or read it online.
- A weekly e-mail bulletin is delivered to all members, with news from the Union and information about forthcoming events. Everyone can submit items to be considered for inclusion (no classified ads, please) directly or via the calendar.
- We have an online events calendar, with information about forthcoming events throughout the university.
- E-mail lists are maintained for MCR officers (presidents, external officers, welfare officers, etc.) and committee representatives.
Future Plans
The GU is always actively developing its service provision – see our "GU Facilities" issues page. The last formal strategy, our concise Service Development Plan, was presented to GU Council in November 2005, and most of it has now been implemented.