Activities and support over the festive break

Last updated: 29 November 2025

The University will be closed from Friday 19 December at 6pm and will reopen Monday 5 January at 8am. 

Hallam Help Points will be closed from 2pm and the Hallam Help Service will be closed from 4pm on Friday 19 December.

Some other opening times may vary.

Please be assured we still have a range of events, services and support available for all students whether you’re staying in Sheffield or at home during this time.

Urgent help

If you require urgent help there are security staff available 24/7. To contact them please call ext. 2000 on internal phones or 0114 225 2000 if calling from an external line.

For mental health and crisis support

If you need mental health support whilst the University is closed, please go to our Urgent help webpages to see a range of crisis and urgent support services available in Sheffield and across the UK.

Urgent help | Sheffield Hallam University

Supporting your wellbeing

The Wellbeing Service will close at 4pm on Friday 19 December and reopen at 9am on Monday 5 January. You can still stay connected with others through events running across Sheffield available on our wellbeing connect with others webpage. 

You may be on festive break, but this doesn’t mean support isn't there for you. As a student at Hallam, you can access support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year with Togetherall.

The festive period can come with mixed feelings, whether you want to speak to other peers or a trained professional, there will be someone there every minute of every day. You can join a supportive online community where interactions are anonymous, take part in courses and use other wellbeing tools like journaling, goal setting and self-assessments for support.

Sign up is free, register here and join with your academic email address – it takes minutes, and you’ll have immediate access to support.

Our Student Wellbeing Service page provides information, advice and practical support to help you manage your studies and make the most of university life.

Library and Skills Centre 

Our two campus libraries are open 24/7 providing a range of learning spaces, including those for individual and group working. 

The Library Skills Centre will close on Friday 19 December and reopen on Monday 5 January. You can access our full range of online resources, including session recordings and digital tools to support editing and proofreading.

24/7 Library Chat will continue to be available as part of the Library Online, and a full list of our online resources available over the Christmas break is included in our latest blog post.

Careers and employability

Our Careers & Employability Hub will be closed from Thursday 18 December and will reopen Tuesday 6 January. Online support will be available on Friday 19 December, and Monday 5 January. 

During this closure, you can access our Careers and Employability website for digital support with applications and any other careers related queries.

Student-led social activities 

The GoGlobal Team are running a programme of events and activities over the festive break, from local walks  to all-day trips. These are open to all students, so come and join in if you’re in Sheffield over the break. Check out the GoGlobal events page.

The Multifaith Chaplaincy

The Multifaith Chaplaincy centre will close at 4.00pm on Friday 19 December and will reopen on Monday 5 January. Whilst the Multifaith Chaplaincy is closed during this time, there are plenty of things going on in local faith communities. Please take a look at our Faith Directory for more information.

IT support

During the University’s closure period, if you have an urgent query you can still contact our out-of-hours service on 0114 225 3333 all day, every day.

You can also report issues, or submit requests, using our self-service portal which will be dealt with when the University reopens. You can find more information on the IT and Library services tab.

Students' Union

From Monday 8 December, access to the Students' Union HUBS building will be limited. For details, please contact www.hallamstudentsunion.com/contact/   

The Students' Union will close for the festive period on Friday 19 December at 5pm and reopen on Monday 5 January at 8am. For support over the holidays, please refer to their online help and support resources or contact one of their listed external support providers.

Catering

Catering outlet closures during the festive period are as follows:

City Campus

Collegiate Campus

Further information about our services and offers can be found on the Eating on campus webpages.

Sport Hallam

Sport Hallam facility closures during the festive period are as follows:

City Gym will close on Friday 19 December at 9.30 pm and will reopen on Monday 5th January at 7am.
Collegiate Gym will close on Friday 19 December at 10pm and will reopen on Monday 5th January at 7am.
SHUCAS will close on Thursday 18 December at 9pm and will reopen on Monday 5th January at 4.30pm.
The Sports Park will close on Friday 19 December at 9pm and will reopen on Monday 5th January at 8.30am.

Further information about our services and membership packages can be found on the Sport Hallam website.

Student Accommodation 

Our Accommodation Services will close for the festive period Friday 19 December at 5pm and reopen on Monday 5 January at 9am. During this time your halls remain open and operable!

If you’re currently living in student accommodation and heading home for the holidays, there are a few key things to remember to do before you leave: lock all doors/windows, turn off lights & unplug appliances, empty the fridge either disposing or donating perishables, take out any rubbish, report any maintenance issues. Let your landlord know that you plan to be away.

If you’re planning to remain in your student accommodation over the festive break, check out the range of activities either provided within your accommodation or by Sheffield Hallam to stay connected to other Hallam Students.

Whilst our Accommodation team are unavailable during the festive break, our application system remains open to take your applications for the 2026/27 academic year https://www.shu.ac.uk/study-here/accommodation.