February Highlights: The Best of Refreshers 2026

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With Refreshers and a number of other events happening across February, the Sabbs have been operating in full swing throughout this month. Here are some of the exciting things they have been up to: 

Namira's Highlights:

Namira had a particularly busy February! Here are some of the activities she got up to: 

Rework and Recycle event: Namira loved making snuffle dog toys and learning how to make a scrunchie. The fabrics that were used for this event were from the fashion school which were no longer needed.

Welcome talk: Once again, Namira enjoyed welcoming over 1700+ new students. It was such a great experience to see all the lovely new faces and giving them a speech about the SU and her journey.

Challenges faced by international students: Namira was invited to speak about international students challenges and presented them a short talk, which they came up with few solutions for.

Freddie’s Big Family Fortunes Quiz: Based on the Family Fortunes TV show, teams went head to head at Freddie’s to compete for prizes. This was a fun, interactive evening full of teamwork!

Galentines with Sabbs: Namira and Sanaa hosted a wholesome and fun creative session ahead of Valentine’s day, consisting of crafting, chilling and chatting. Painting and creating flowers was the perfect way to both unwind and connect.

Chinese & Lunar New Year event: Namira hosted a Chinese & Lunar New Year event in the gallery, which involved a New Year Snack Bar, fortune cookie giveaways, and a clementine gifting station. There was a mixture of arts and crafts, including drawing animal years, making new year greeting cards and writing good luck wishes. 

This event was the perfect opportunity for students to learn more about the New Year traditions and also to test their chopstick abilities through the chopstick challenge!

Matcha giveaway:  Namira and Sanaa hosted a matcha giveaway - refreshing iced matchas were served, while students took a moment of mindfulness and wrote down something they are grateful for.

Sanaa's Highlights:

Student Group Support: At the refreshers fair, Sanaa continued check-ins with Student Groups to support their planning and development. She provided guidance on event timelines, clarified expectations around running their groups, and offered ongoing advice to help ensure smooth and successful delivery of activities this semester.

Stamp Card Making – Paragon Campus: Sanaa supported the Stamp Card Making event at Paragon Campus, which saw one of the highest turnouts at the site so far. The event created a welcoming and creative space for students to connect. Sanaa engaged with attendees, building new connections and gathering feedback about their student experience.

SMR Sports Fair: Sanaa assisted in delivering the SMR Sports Fair, giving students the opportunity to speak directly with sports clubs and explore ways to get involved. Interactive games such as axe throwing, Connect 4, Strike a Light, and cornhole added to the energy of the event and were greatly enjoyed by students.

Adarsh's Highlights

International Student Responsibility Talks: Adarsh hosted multiple sessions for international students, on important topics such as rights, consent and responsibilities. The events had a high turnout, lots of positive engagement and great feedback. 

English Social Café: Adarsh also supported a social learning event, to promote non-native English speakers step outside of their comfort zone and practise their English skills with one another. Students were really excited by this opportunity and the event was very successful. 

Film Soc X Baking Soc Presents: Eat the Movie (Shrek): Adarsh attended this sold out event at Freddie's, where alongside a screening of Shrek, students were able to enjoy a creative, Shrek-inspired menu.