Cost of Living shop

Did you know we have a Community Fridge, Swap Shop, and Book Swap? Learn more about what they are and how you can access them as a Hallam student.

cost of livingMoneywellbeing

We understand the continued rising cost of living means budgeting and saving money is increasingly difficult for students. To help combat this issue, we've set up a 'Cost of Living shop' to support students who may be struggling to make ends meet.

The shop is located inside the HUBS (6 Paternoster Row, Sheffield, S1 2QQ) and is on the left-hand side as you walk through the ground floor of the building. You can ask one of our helpful staff at the help desk if you're struggling to find it!

We aim to open Monday to Friday 2pm-6pm, but this may vary depending on our volunteers' availability. Updated opening times are posted at the beginning of each week on our Instagram page @hallamsu, so make sure you're following us to stay updated!

What's in the Cost of Living shop?

Community Fridge

Through the Community Fridge, we can offer students free food which can be picked up from the shop. Keep an eye out on our Instagram stories to be notified of the latest food deliveries.

Swap Shop

Trade unwanted items for new ones.

  1. Gather items of clothing you no longer wear (whether it's tops, trousers, jackets, or accessories, but definitely no undies please!), and make sure they're clean and in wearable condition.
  2. Bring your items to the Swap Shop during our opening hours and give them to one of our volunteers. They'll do a quick inspection of your items and you'll then be able to choose a new item to replace each of yours - it's that simple!
  3. If there aren't isn't anything that takes your fancy on the day, we'll give you a Swap Shop card and stamp for each item, which you can come back and exchange for a different item another day - just remember to bring your card with you.

Book Swap

Spruce up your bookshelf by swapping an old book for a new one. Or just pop in and have a read of something from our shelf.

Free sanitary products

There are free menstrual products, condoms, and pregnancy tests available.

Find out about our Period Poverty campaign and free period products subscription.

Get involved

The Cost of Living Shop is ran by students for students. It is staffed by our amazing volunteers, and we couldn't do it without them. If you have a few hours to spare each week and want to get involved, get in touch at campaigns@shu.ac.uk.

Please note that the shop will be closed from 23 August 2024 and will reopen after Welcome on 7 October 2024.


Information on this page out of date or something else wrong? Let us know by emailing campaigns@shu.ac.uk.