University of Reading: Student union introduces breakfast club

Students in Reading can buy breakfast for £1.50 from the union's "warm welcome"

A student union has introduced a breakfast club to provide extra support as the cost of living rises.

Reading University Students' Union (RUSU) runs a "warm welcome" which offers budget-friendly meals for £1.50 alongside practical support.

One student said it was "priceless" and gives "people's stomachs at least one meal a day".

Sheldon Allen, RUSU president, told the BBC "energy bills are rising and students are not immune from that".

He added that students "need support not just to stay on at university, but for their own wellbeing".

"We have a housing advisor who is dealing with lots of students who are really struggling in accommodation at the moment and rents aren't going down," he told the BBC.

Student Catherine Willmott said there is uncertainty about how much her energy bills will cost her

Catherine Willmott, a third year psychology student at the university said there is uncertainty around the cost of energy bills in her accommodation.

She added: "Every other bill seems to be stable, but energy seems to be the one [bill] that keeps changing every couple of months.

"It's impacting how much I can focus."

'Financial pressure'

The University of Reading said it is working with the union.

"We'd like to be doing more but universities are also under financial pressure themselves," Professor Peter Miskell, the university's pro-vice chancellor said.

"It's probably going to get harder as we go through the winter," he added.

"I don't think we've hit the peak challenge yet for a lot of our students, but a lot of our students are really worried."