Hello everyone, and welcome to my first UGM report as your Activities and Community Officer. Since our start in July, we have been busy with training, welcome week, and our events and campaigns which you can read in more detail below.
Manifesto Updates:
Supporting Societies:
So far to help support societies after covid the SU has expanded its training and soon my campaign #SocietiesofKeele will launch which aims to promote societies within the student body to increase membership and engagement with our 140 + societies. The campaign will include promotion of individuals societies as well as society-oriented events.
Recently music societies lost the Lindsay Studio space due to last minute construction, only declared to the societies a week before welcome. Working with the university, the music union, and our music societies we have found temporary space for them to practice and store their equipment until Lindsay Studio reopens. We are still currently transporting all their equipment
Sustainability:
So far, we have been able to install recycling signs in the SU and planned a successful sustainability fair.
We will be reviving the SU Green Team who will be leading on events such as litter picks around our campus and in town.
Throughout welcome with the help of volunteers we were able to run 6 Great Donate stalls, more than we have ever been able to run making more than £500 from donations sales to go into the sustainability micro-grant which students can use.
At the moment I’m also working on my sustainability campaign which will raise awareness about sustainability and will be giving students actions to do such as signing petitions or joining in on protests. The campaign will also involve acting within the students’ union from bringing in sustainable policy, facilitating events around sustainability, and creating resources staff and students can take advantage of.
Team Strategic Aims:
Education:
I have nothing to report as far as the privatization of education goes.
Student Voice:
Student voice wise we have created a survey for students to input their ideas for our antiracism campaign be better do better. You can fill in the survey here https://forms.office.com/r/WTJNMPd9hy. There will be further in person table discussions to hear your voice on our be better do better campaign as well.
We have also held a discussion on spiking with students to learn more what we can do as a students’ union to combat spiking.
Climate Emergency:
Everything in my sustainability manifesto aim report above details what I have done personally about our climate emergency pledge.
However, as a team we have all recently been trained in carbon literacy and been certified which we can use in creating effective campaigns and events.
We have also been working with the students’ union staff on our climate pledges and updating our sustainability tab on the website.
Mental Health:
Nothing to report yet as far as our team strategic aims goes.
Racial Equality:
I, as well as the other sabbatical officers began getting ideas for our Be Better Do Better campaign launching next month. Currently we have created a survey for students to give us their ideas and will be holding table discussions so we can facilitate more student led action in the campaign. Posters with the survey have been put around campus and we have also shared it around social media.
Outstanding UGM Motions:
Policy 19: 03 Extinction Rebellion:
Ever since the passing of this policy we have invited the local XR branch to our sustainability fair to do a stall where many students engaged with the group and were able to learn more about the climate crisis and the current movement in Stoke-on-Trent.
Otherwise nothing else to update on outstanding UGM motions but will have more to work on after this UGM.