Popular Selly Oak Chicken shop to accept Meal Plan, the University Halls food credit scheme, from Term 3.
The popular fast food outlet, Rooster House, will be accepting the University of Birmingham Meal Plan credit as payment from term 3 of this academic year in an attempt to better integrate university first years and those in halls in to the wider Selly Oak community.
The move taken by the University comes following recent initiatives encouraging students to take more of an active role in their locality, including the recent ‘CommUNIty Week’ campaign, co-ordinated by the Guild of Students.
The scheme which operates in some university halls currently gives students £50 of credit to spend in university catering outlets both on the Vale site in ‘The Hub’ and across all University campuses in any of the university own café’s, Brammal Costa or Starbucks in the Muirhead Tower. Currently limited to university owned properties however this expansion marks the first diversification beyond the university gates in what could be the first of many new meal plan outlets in a bid to make the scheme more in line with the student experience. It follows similar moves in recent years by the Guild of Students whose Joe’s plus card offers exclusive discounts and offers at Urban Village bar, Drinks 2 Go, Domino’s Pizza Edgbaston as well as The Duck and Scholar located on the vale and before its closure costume shop Selly Joke.
When asked the general response from students was a positive one staying that they couldn’t wait to trade their drinks in for extra strips strips and not have to worry about having the correct change. One first year student who did not give their name stated, “Now I have a reason to go to Selly Oak! This is a great idea and really feeds in to what students want. That said however universal appraisal has not been quick in coming as though the new idea is growing in popularity this, the largest meal plan shake up to the catering nest egg in the recent times, has led to the University being charged by some, as unnecessarily putting the cat amongst the pigeons.
The jury is therefore very much still out on this scheme and only time will tell as to its success and the impact it will have. Meanwhile the university and the wider community will hope well for a smooth transition to greater campus integration in Selly oak and not relations turning foul as the meal plan crosses the road
