As you walk around our campus today, our buildings tell a story of how Sussex has evolved over the last 60 years.
Built in the 1960s, our campus was originally designed for a much smaller population. As our student numbers have grown, and as we have introduced new academic programs and research centres, our existing facilities have adapted to accommodate our changing needs. These changes are driven by our commitment to give every student access to the same opportunities when studying at Sussex. We aim to give as many students as possible the experience of living on campus and to create world leading facilities that attract and inspire our students.
Over the past few years, we have been actively listening to the needs of our students and staff and have been working towards improving our campus. Our goal has been to meet the growing demands of our increasing student numbers, enhance campus amenities, and provide a better quality of life for our entire university community, while upholding our guiding values of sustainability and inclusivity.
Our journey towards a better campus has already begun, with the development of our East Slope. Our new Student Centre provides accessible spaces for students to socialise, study, and seek advice and guidance in person. It also hosts local, independent businesses, such as Taj Grocers and Liberty Glasses, and offers bookable indoor spaces for student and staff events, as well as places to eat and study. Additionally, 1400 new study bedrooms were added to the East Slope area, which has now become a vibrant hub of student life, we are transforming our campus with students at the heart of decision making.
With development of our East Slope now complete, we are now developing our West Slope where we will be building 1,900 new residences, along with a new Library Pavilion, a new Health and Wellbeing Centre, a new Supermarket and a new Café. Before the construction of West Slope starts, we have been busy relocating, and upgrading, existing facilities, as well as creating new spaces. These include a brand-new children's playground in Northfield, providing a safe, easily accessible and colourful area for our young residents to play and have fun. Alongside the play area is a brand new basketball court, which was opened by the Women's Basketball team, and provides an accessible sports facility for all students.
As we relocate some of our key services, we have taken the opportunity to improve wherever possible. Our security centre will soon move to Bramber House and will be equipped with state-of-the-art equipment to ensure the safety and security of our campus community. We have also relocated our much-loved student garden, 'Roots', to a new location on the northern end of the campus, which now features wider paths and raised planters. This expanded garden, situated between Northfield and the neighbouring fields, has been embraced by our students, who have already begun sowing and planting as spring arrives.
Our journey towards a better campus continues, so watch this space as we create a vibrant, inclusive, and thriving campus that promotes academic success, personal growth, and a positive experience for everyone.