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#1 - Increase the participation in Sport
Disadvantaged students should not be penalised and excluded from sports. Playing sport is expensive. AU membership, team membership and sports equipment. It all adds up for someone trying to join a sports team as a fresher. This is why I aim to change the way that the bursaries at Keele are given out. Currently bursaries arrive in your account at the end of February, which is useless for the majority of students who have had large outgoings in the first semester. If students were able to claim parts of their bursary early to help cover the costs of sporting expenses, I think it would help keep more people who try sports, playing sports. Additionally, casual sport is almost impossible at Keele with the current state of the grass pitches, and so I would like to open up the 3g pitch for people who want to play a sport during the day or take an active break from studying.
#2 - Promote Investment into facilities
Keele University has an abundance of grass pitches. However, they remain unusable for large periods of the year. Massive fixture congestion on the AstroTurf pitches (3g) will always be inevitable with only one pitch available. The construction of an additional 3g pitch would allow for better training times, as well as an additional source of income. The same can be said for the current sand Astro which needs to be replaced, and then can also be used as a source of income. This is something I would push for if elected. Replacing the equipment in the gym and potentially sourcing a less cramped space for a second area on campus are also things that need to be addressed. Access to the Strength and Conditioning room should also be available to all sports. Additionally, the Strength and Conditioning room could potentially have female-only hours for regular gym users.
#3 - Reforming the AU and SU nights out
At Keele, older students all have a story about how the SU used to be packed on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I believe there are many aspects that have led to significant decrease in numbers in the past two years. The music, it has grown stale with repetitive songs, to the point where you can almost predict what song will be on next. Prices. Entry cost is too high on some events, and you can go elsewhere for cheaper. Zero advertising, many new students have failed to realise how popular both Monday and Wednesday nights out were when photography stopped being a priority within the SU. There is a reason that nightclubs have photographers; they usually bring more people in than they cost.
#4 - Coaching Budgets
Coaching is key to success. The teams that have access to coaches perform much better than those that don’t. They also have higher retention levels of freshers throughout the year. This policy is partnered with my desire to get more people involved in sport by allowing them to get high-quality guidance when joining a new sport.
#5 - Inter-Society Tournaments
The engagement between clubs and societies has fallen to new lows, as there is little incentive for societies to arrange events together. I propose a Society and Club Keele League tables, where societies and clubs can compete against each other in various sports. Incentives for competing might include discounted drinks for the night for the victorious teams.
Additionally, sober-social events could be added to this if demand was high enough, such as going paintballing or, as a recent example, the Uttoxeter races.
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