This is your fourth year sponsoring Varsity. What makes you keep coming back?
“It’s an important event in the student calendar. To be able to contribute to keep Varsity going, being the headline sponsor is a privilege. It’s quite special to see all the young people do what they’re passionate about.”
What are you most looking forward to about Varsity?
“Our whole team comes down to the stadium for the finale, and it’s great to experience that buzzy atmosphere. We want to watch a good game!”
What is your favourite thing about living in Leeds?
“It’s diverse. There’s so much culture here at Leeds. There’s three universities, and what comes with that is innovation from the students. Leeds has a great music scene, great food, great everything! The city centre looks fantastic, with a mix of old and new. And from a housing perspective, the University buildings are beautiful too.”
We’ll be seeing members of your team at our Varsity events across the week. If students want to come and chat with you about properties, or maybe pick up a few goodies, where can they find you?
“Our office is always open in Headingley. During Varsity, we’ll be at the Becketts Park Sports Centre, and at the Netball opening night, so you can come talk to us then!”
Pickard has been around for over half a century, and you’ve been a part of the Leeds student community, supporting students to find the right homes. How do you ensure students have a great housing experience whilst at Leeds?
“It all centres around delivering excellent service. We are unique by being a landlord with a shopfront in Headingley, so students can always get in touch with us. We aim to respond to issues quickly and efficiently. No student wants to deal with a leaky tap which only adds to their stress, and issues like that take their time away from their course. They just want a good house to live in, so we concentrate on that.”
We know that you have a number of graduates from both universities in your team - is there some rivalry between them when Varsity comes around?
“Yes, there is some friendly rivalry. But, at the end of the day, we just want to see a good game!”
This article has been edited for clarity before being published.
