Loughborough Students' Union

What Loughborough Students' Union does

Loughborough Students' Union (LSU) is a registered charity (charity number 1183625) and company limited by guarantee (company number 12000783) operating as the democratically elected student body for Loughborough University, Loughborough College, and RNIB College. Formed in its current structure in August 1975 through the merger of the Union of Loughborough Colleges and Loughborough University of Technology Students' Union, LSU serves an automatic membership of 18,000+ students and is led by five elected Executive Officers (President, Academic Experience, Equity Diversity & Inclusion, Student Communities, and Sport) alongside a professional staff team headed by CEO Liz Monk. Service delivery spans academic representation and advice, an Athletic Union that has delivered 40+ consecutive BUCS Championship wins, 175+ societies, the Action volunteering programme (3,000+ active volunteers annually), the Rag fundraising operation, and multi-platform LSU Media (Label, LCR Radio, LSUTV, Lens). Operational infrastructure includes purpose-built Union Building venues (JC's sports bar, The Basement, Treehouse, William Morris Dance Studio), the Stash Shop merchandise outlet, on-campus Co-op stores, the Humpit hummus restaurant, and a cloakroom service. Recent initiatives include the Opportunities Fund (up to £200 per applicant), the No Strings Attached period-poverty programme, and dedicated services for the London campus.

Technology is delivered primarily through the SUMS (Students' Union Management Solutions) platform powering lsu.co.uk and the digital estate, complemented by the iOS/Android Students' Union app, the Moodle-based LSU Training Academy, Staff Savvy for HR/payroll, the Recite Me accessibility toolbar (35+ language translation, text-to-speech, visual customisation), and a Loughborough Community Discord server for verified student networking. Internal workflow tools include Wrike for event/marketing service requests, Microsoft 365/Teams, Timetastic for staff scheduling, SharePoint for document management, and ClickUp for facilities maintenance. Revenue is generated from a diversified mix of institutional block-grant funding and student activity fees (subscription/recurring), electronic ticketing tied to Student ID for club nights and events (transaction fees), venue hire and food/retail operations (Co-op, Stash Shop, Humpit, cloakroom), and advertising/sponsorship partnerships with brands such as NOW TV and Red Bull reaching an audience of 28,000 students. Commercial customer concentration sits in episodic media/advertising relationships, while the primary customer base is the institutionally-mandated Loughborough student population.

Name

Loughborough Students' Union

Legal name

Loughborough Students' Union

Website

https://lsu.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Loughborough Students' Union is a registered charity and student-led organisation that provides academic representation, sports, societies, media, retail, venues, and welfare services to 18,000+ students at Loughborough University, Loughborough College, and RNIB College.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Student Union Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

University/College Club Sports Programs (MPAKACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

College/University Athletic Departments & Varsity Programs (MPAKACAB), Alumni Benefits, Membership & Affinity Programs (EDALAOAM)

Keywords

• Student representation services
• Student union operations
• Volunteer fundraising programs
• Student welfare support
• Campus activity services

Headquarters

HQ city

Loughborough

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Student Membership and Affiliation: Every student at Loughborough University, Loughborough College, and RNIB College is automatically part of the Students' Union. Revenue comes from institutional funding and student activity fees.
2. Events and Ticketing: Revenue from club nights (Hey Ewe, FND), events, and season passes. Electronic ticketing system with tickets assigned to Student ID.
3. Retail Operations: Co-op stores, Stash Shop (merchandise), venues, cloakroom services, and food outlets including Humpit hummus restaurant
4. Advertising and Sponsorship: Media partnerships with brands like NOW TV and Red Bull. Reaching 28,000 engaged students for advertising campaigns.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Loughborough Students' Union (LSU) is a student-led, registered charity providing academic representation, sports clubs (Athletic Union), 175+ societies, volunteering (Action), fundraising (Rag), media platforms, confidential advice, and student welfare services for 18,000+ students of Loughborough University, Loughborough College, and RNIB College. It operates physical venues, retail outlets, and a digital platform (website and mobile app) unifying all services.

Product overview

Loughborough Students' Union (LSU) is a student-led organisation providing a comprehensive platform of services for 18,000+ students at Loughborough University. The core offering is the LSU Website & App Platform, which serves as the central hub for all student engagement. This platform integrates multiple sub-products: LSU Training Academy (Moodle-based e-learning), Athletic Union (sports clubs), Action (volunteering), Rag (fundraising), LSU Media (radio, TV, magazine, photography), Societies (175+ interest groups), Welfare & Diversity services, LSU Advice (confidential guidance), Academic Representation, LSU Venues (club nights and event spaces), LSU Stash Shop (merchandise), LSU London campus services, LSUggestions feedback platform, and Freshers events including Hey Ewe and FND. The ecosystem is unified through the main website and mobile app, with internal systems including Staff Savvy for HR and Moodle for training.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LSU Website and Mobile App Platform The primary digital platform for Loughborough Students' Union providing event listings, news, student resources, ticket purchasing, and LSU services. Available via website and mobile app on iOS and Android for all 18,000+ students.
• LSU Training Academy E-learning platform (powered by Moodle) providing training modules, resources, and skills development courses for students, including mandatory safety training for event access.
• Athletic Union Sports clubs and activities programme offering diverse sporting opportunities from recreational to elite level, supporting clubs and facilitating participation in BUCS competitions.
• Action Volunteering Programme Main volunteering section enhancing relationships with the local community through various activities including Kids Camp, special needs school assistance, children's sports events, and environmental conservation. Engages 3,000+ active volunteers annually.
• Rag Fundraising Legendary fundraising section that has raised millions for charity, operating one of the largest student fundraising organisations in Europe with challenges and charitable initiatives.
• LSU Media Multi-platform media programme encompassing Label magazine, LCR Radio, LSUTV, and Lens photography, producing award-winning journalists and broadcasters.
• Societies Student interest groups covering culture, faith, academic subjects, general interest, outdoor/sport, and performance/arts categories, with over 175 recognised societies.
• LSU Advice Service Confidential and non-judgemental advice service helping students with academic issues, appeals, disciplinary matters, complaints, and university procedure navigation.
• LSU Venues and Events Spaces Event venues including The Basement (main club venue), Treehouse (first floor events space), William Morris Dance Studio, JC's sports bar, and room/event space hire.
• LSU Stash Shop Merchandise retail shop selling officially licensed LSU apparel including hoodies, t-shirts, platinum items, and society/club branded merchandise.
• Freshers Events Programme Welcome week activities including Freshers Pass for entry to selected events, LSU Awards season celebrations, Hey Ewe (Wednesday club night) and FND (Friday Night Disco).
• Opportunities Fund Financial support initiative providing up to £200 per applicant for students to cover costs of LSU activities, memberships, equipment, kit/stash, and event entry.
• Cloakroom Services Cloakroom services during events charging £1 per item for coats and bags storage.
• LSU London Campus Services Loughborough University London campus student representation and services via LSU London office on 2nd floor of the Loughborough University London building.

Quantifiable outcome

• NSS score for LSU representation improved from 74.7 to 80.4 (5.7% increase)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Loughborough UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 1975LSU is independent of the university but maintains a close partnership. The university provides certain funding and facilities. LSU has its own land ownership rights dating back to 1915. The university purchased the Union building in 2022 while LSU's spirit of independence continued.
• Loughborough CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 1975Originally part of the merged union structure. Loughborough College students are members of LSU and receive representation services.
• RNIB CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 1975RNIB College students are part of LSU, ensuring inclusive representation across disability education.
• NOW TVminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partnership for advertising to the student community of 28,000 students.
• Red BullminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partnership for advertising to the student community of 28,000 students.
• SUMScoreTechnology or IntegrationSUMS (Students' Union Management Solutions) powers LSU's website, digital infrastructure, and platform technology. Mentioned as the technology provider powering the Union's digital presence.
• Health ShieldminorOthersHealth and wellbeing programme for LSU staff. All salaried staff are Level 1 members with benefits including cashback on healthcare and MyWellness resources.
• HumpitminorOthersHummus restaurant outlet in the Union building. Third location after Leeds Union and Sheffield Town Centre. Offers hummus bowls, pitas, and salad boxes.
• Co-opminorOthersCo-op stores operate within the Union building and nearby at Purple Onion (PO) location near Student Village for student convenience.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• University of Leeds Union: Students' union for the University of Leeds, a major UK research university. Operates an equivalent multi-service model of representation, venues, retail, sports clubs, and media that closely mirrors LSU.
• University of Birmingham Guild of Students: Birmingham's student-led guild: representation, societies, media (Burn FM), venues, and Athletic Union - a structural twin of LSU.
• University of Edinburgh Students' Association: Registered-charity students' association at the University of Edinburgh; operates elected sabbatical officers, societies, sports, media, advice and venues in a comparable service bundle.
• University of Sheffield Students' Union: Sheffield students' union with an Athletic Union, retail, venues, media (Forge Media), and elected officers; directly comparable operating model.
• University of Bristol Students' Union: Bristol SU runs representation, societies, sports, media (Bristol Student Media), and venues on a structurally identical student-led charitable basis to LSU.
• University of Glasgow Students' Representative Council: SRC for the University of Glasgow provides representation, societies, media (GalGael/Galway), and advice; a Scottish sister set-up to LSU's UK model.
• University of Manchester Students' Union: Charitable students' union serving the University of Manchester. Runs a comparable portfolio of elected officers, retail, venues, sports, societies, advice, and volunteering.
• University of Nottingham Students' Union: Charitable students' union at the University of Nottingham with elected officers, Athletic Union, venues, advice service and media operations analogous to LSU.
• Newcastle University Students' Union: NUSU is a charitable students' union at Newcastle with elected officers, Athletic Union, societies, advice, and a venue-led commercial operation broadly matching LSU's scope.

Broad incumbents

• National Union of Students (NUS) UK: UK confederation of students' unions; not a direct operator peer but the umbrella membership body that LSU and its peers belong to, providing procurement, training, and policy advocacy at sector scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LoughboroughSU
• Facebookfacebook.com/loughboroughsu

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Loughborough Students' Union