Northampton Students Union
“Can a small UK students' union stabilise its finances post-Covid by diversifying commercial revenue while maintaining its charitable mission to represent and support students?”
The University of Northampton Students' Union is a registered charity (1144827) and, since May 2024, also a private limited company by guarantee, operating as the representative and social body for students at the University of Northampton. Following post-Covid financial and organisational challenges, the Union engaged external consultants (Axentia Group) to diversify revenue streams through its commercial arm including a nightclub, shops, and café. The Union's total income for FY2025 was approximately £907k, with the majority from charitable activities. Embedded finance infrastructure is limited to expense/spend management tooling (Soldo) identified as a confirmed vendor.