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Celebrating One Year of Purple Place

26 Nov 2025

Discover Black Friday offers and see how colleagues are already saving, with more deals on the way

Purple Place

Friday 21 November marked one year since the launch of Purple Place, the University’s central hub for reward, benefits and recognition.  

Since then, colleagues have explored more than 900 discounts, SmartTech, Cycle to Work and EV schemes, eCards and much more. 

A Year in Numbers 

70% of colleagues have activated their accounts, and in the past year we have seen over £100,000 saved through discounts, instant vouchers & cashback offers. 

Not only that... 

  • 7386 messages of recognition have been shared across the university through the use of eCards. 4000 of these were used to celebrate Colleague Recognition Day. Check out our new Seasonal category for changing designs.  
  • 325 of you are enjoying shiny new gadgets from Currys thanks to SmartTech – spread the cost of your purchase over 6-18 months, interest free! 
  • We put the wheels in motion to help 152 of you Cycle to Work – and 38 of you are driving towards a better future thanks to the EV Scheme. Both schemes are salary sacrifice which means you save money on tax and NI. 

Win a £100 Tesco Voucher 

To celebrate our birthday, we’re running a competition where you can win a £100 Tesco voucher. Visit Purple Place and click on the competition tile to be entered.   

Upcoming offers  

Black Friday, 28 November – 1 December 

From Black Friday until Cyber Monday, hundreds of retailers offer their biggest savings of the year. Boost your savings using discounts and cashback on Purple Place to make your savings even bigger!  

Daily Deals Week, 1-7 December 

During this full week of daily deals, a selection of retailers will have new and increased offers. These deals will refresh daily so make sure to check out the top 24-hour offers as well as those that will be live for the entire week. 

Charitable Giving: Wood Street Mission – Christmas Appeal 

We’re proud to be supporting Wood Street Mission’s Christmas Appeal again this year. Donate new toys, gifts or books to help local children from struggling families to enjoy a happy and memorable Christmas. 

Please note the last day to donate on campus is Thursday, 4 December. 

Giving Tuesday, 2 December 

Show your support by signing up to our payroll giving scheme Purple Pennies which takes the pennies at the end of your payslip and shares these between three charities chosen by colleagues. Small change makes a big difference! 

Pocket-Savvy Power Hour 

Catch the second helping of the Pocket-Savvy Power Hour below to gain practical, relatable tips to help you save money over the festive period and all year round. David Eaton and Paul Marks-Jones highlight what's new in terms of discounts and Maizy Jenner touches on the importance of financial wellbeing and the support available to colleagues.