Hi everyone. Following our fourth Union Council of the year on 16th January, here’s a summary for those who missed it. We had the usual Elected Officer updates a Trustee update and spoke about Strive and Elections, including a discussion a small quiz about the Elected Officer positions led by Lucy Ryan from the Representation team.
Elected Officer Updates
Our Elected Officers have been busy with events and campaigns.
-
Harry Tomlinson (SU Vice President Education and Welfare (HW)), shared how his Christmas holiday was, how the Uxbridge inductions went, the support and activities provided over the Christmas break and provided an update on the Laptop Lockers. Firstly, Harry enjoyed his Christmas break, especially getting involved in the activities the Students Union provided over the break which supported the Care Leaver Students Harry is focused in helping in his Care Leaver Campaign. Harry is hoping to plan events for the Easter and Summer break for students sticking around. Secondly, there has been promotional materials made for his campaign, ‘Harold’s Hydration’ which focuses on considering what you are putting into your body and drinking enough water. There have been posters and leaflets put up around campuses and there is more promotional materials on social media as well. All of the posters and leaflets have QR codes which explains his campaign and why it is important to think about what goes into your body and how much water you drink. Harry was present at the Refreshers fair serving water to all our new students. Harry hopes to expand the campaign during Varsity. Lastly, there were new Laptop Lockers installed in the Library to help reduce digital poverty. To access these, speak to the Library staff. These lockers should be active as of 13/01/25. (Harry.Tomlinson@bnu.ac.uk)
- Amy Pile (SU President), updated us on her ‘Safety Net’ campaign, University Council Day Away and the Big Sleep Out. The Campaign ‘Umbrella of Safety’ has recently changed its name to ‘Safety Net’. The aim of this campaign is to ensure that students feel safe and supported at University by having all the resources in one place. Amy is currently putting together a spreadsheet with all the current resources and support available. The Student Hub and Dean of Students have been involved also. The University Day Away is fast approaching! It is a council which students have the opportunity to speak about their experiences with the Council Board members. There are currently 5 students taking part. The Big Sleep Out is a volunteer experience for Wycombe Homeless Connection. Amy will be doing this at Adam’s Park, alongside Harry. Find out more about this on the What’s On page. Amy.Pile@bnu.ac.uk)
- Bethany Jackson (SU Vice President Education and Welfare (Uxb/Ayls)), updated us on her campaign ‘Kitting Out Wellbeing’, Welcome Week in Uxbridge and Aylesbury, Boycott Your Bed and all things happening in Uxbridge and Aylesbury. The ‘Kitting Out Wellbeing’ kits launched on December 18th and students can collect these from the SU offices of any campus. The boxes contain resources for self-help strategies and techniques for wellbeing, as well as leaflets to signpost you to support services. The boxes are plain to encourage you to decorate it and make it your own. It is also bigger to allow you to add to the items already included such as a stress ball, a hand cream and more! During Welcome Week, Bethany welcomed January 2025 cohort students and told them all about the Students’ Union (and the Big Deal!) and also welcomed back returning students after their Christmas Break. There were a range of activities across Uxbridge and Aylesbury campuses for all students to take part in. Bethany also attended Refreshers events in High Wycombe. The park room chairs are now being actioned; after speaking to many stakeholders within the university, an order has been placed for more chairs and they are waiting for a delivery date. Once Bethany has received a delivery date, she will pass this information onto students. Bethany lobbied for an additional trip between High Wycombe and Uxbridge on the Campus Link bus and she was happy to update us and say there is a new service running during the day! This has been in service since January 13th. Lastly, Boycott Your Bed! Boycott your bed is happening on February 1st and it is 12 hours of swapping your bed for the events hall floor. This is to raise money for Wycombe Homelessness connection, which is a charity in Wycombe who support individuals with homelessness. The event starts at 7pm on the Saturday and will finish at 7am on the Sunday. There will be activities happening throughout the evening. You must be signed up via the What’s On page, where you can also find the fundraising article. Please share and sign up. (Bethany.Jackson@bnu.ac.uk)
- Wren Sell (SU Vice President Achievement and Belonging), updated us on Varsity and Dance Competitions. The dates for Varsity are 9th and 12th March 2025. Tickets are on sale now for £15. The first point to play for is at the Reading Dance Competition on February 22nd. However, Bucks Dance Competition is first on February 15th and this requires a separate ticket! Your varsity ticket includes a t-shirt, programme, lunch, wristband (essentially your ticket, so a must have!) and travel if needed. The deadline is the 2nd of March and if you do not have a ticket by then, you are unfortunately unable to go. The 2025 Varsity Captains were announced, so a massive congratulations to Will and Daisy! Wren is also looking for videographers for Varsity. If you are interested, email Wren expressing your interest and sharing some of your work. If you are selected, you will have to buy your spectator ticket but this will be refunded and you will also be rewarded £50 after the two days of Varsity. (Wren.Sell@bnu.ac.uk)
Student Trustee Update
After a Trustee Board meeting on Tuesday 14th January, we were updated on what’s been going on.
Thank you Dee for this update on the behalf of all the Student Trustees.
STRIVE
Next, we discussed STRIVE with Jessica Hughes. This year, the employability festival will be held 24th to 28th February. There is plenty of workshops, guest speakers and skill sessions to boost your employability. There will be a networking event to kick the festival off. This event will have multiple employers attending from various professions. The sessions will be held throughout the week on topics such as public speaking, time management, use of social media and leading a team. These sessions will be beneficial to anyone thinking of running for an Elected Officer role. They are aiming to record the sessions, so they are available after for those who are unable to attend. To find out more, head over to the What’s On page.
Elections
Another congratulations to our winners of Varsity Captains for this year. The Elected Officer and Student Trustee roles are currently open for nominations. Nominations close 14th February and voting opens on 3rd March. For the January cohort, the nominations for Student Rep closes January 24th and the voting opens on 27th of January and for the September 2025/26 cohort, nominations close 14th February and voting opens 3rd March.
Could You Be a Leader?
Discussion lead by Lucy Ryan from the Representation Team.
The question is, why do we talk about leadership roles so much? The answer is because being in one of these roles as a student can help during and after your studies. You can gain skills that are transferrable to your chosen profession and that you might not have gained otherwise. These skills include communication, problem solving, team work, negotiation and so many more. These skills give you an advantage in the employment market. Lucy created a small, Buzzfeed inspired quiz to see which leadership role you are most compatible to. This quiz was shared with those who attended in person and online. We are also shown examples of previous students who were in leadership roles, and where they are now.
If you are interested in a Leadership Role, speak with the Representation Team either in person or via email. (surepresentation@bucks.ac.uk)
Elected Officer Hot Seat
Every Council, students can quiz our Elected Officers and hold them accountable to ensure they still represent you and act in your best interests.
A summary of the questions and answers from this Union Council can be found here.
Prize Draw and any other business
Each month, a lucky student wins a £20 supermarket voucher for attending Union Council. The winner of the prize draw this month is… Madhav Jayalal!
Our next Union Council meeting will be Hustings for Elected Officer roles.
Want to join Next Time?
Our next Union Council Meeting is Thursday 27th February 2025 and 5.00pm, both in HW Room S3.02 and online.