Hey everyone, thank you for reading my UGM report. Since our last UGM I have been focused on creating a couple last events before the end of term for students to get involved in especially our student societies and enterprises. I have also been working to improve our awareness of important holidays and days of remembrance as an organisation. We have also as officers facilitated graduation which was an amazing experience.
Manifesto Updates:
Supporting Societies:
#SocietiesofKeele since its launch has now had 24 for society submissions. We took a break during the Spring vacation period but have now continued sharing out societies and are scheduled to end the campaign beginning of May. Through the many Tom Tries (12) and posts I have been able to understand our societies more and hopefully been able to engage more students without societies. Check out Societies of Keele (keelesu.com) to see all our Societies of Keele and @Tom_KeeleSU on Instagram to see all our Tom tries!
I’ve been working with Arts Keele and the upcoming Art for Peace gallery coming to campus to put on a Refugee Festival within aim to get societies involved in raising money through stalls and events on the 17th of May for Charities that work in the refugee sector. So far, we have 4 groups wanting to take part in the festival through selling goods, activities, and food and are looking into bringing some charities onto campus as well.
With the Activities Department we held the Societies Forum which allowed societies to feedback to us an organisation how we can better support our student groups. These will continue once a semester for societies to feedback. The feedback has been written out and implemented within our structures.
The Societies Executive page has now been updated with a feedback section and meet the Society Executives' section for society committees and members to relay feedback straight to their student representatives who sit on Soc Execs. Check out the page here Societies Executive (keelesu.com)!
In partnership with KUMU and the university I was able to help facilitate a smooth transition from Music societies being in Home Farm to Barnes bar due to the university needing Home Farm for event space. Music Societies are currently being moved to Barnes Bar where they will have a secure space to store their equipment and practice. The University have yet to officially state whether or not Lindsay Studio will ever reopen so for the time being Music Societies have this space to sue which is more suited to their needs then home Farm.
Sustainability:
I’m continuing work with the Students’ Union and University to install a water bottle refill station/water fountain on the ground floor that is more accessible to students and encourage students to use reusable water bottles instead of single use plastics. Our Keele key Fund application for this project was no accepted however we are looking into other ways funding the project for the upcoming year.
The week of the 21st of March myself, the SU, and the University led our yearly Green Festival. The week was full of events on a daily basis. Event myself and the SU facilitated included, a litter/wildlife walk, Great Donate Stalls, Food waste stall, and finally the global climate strike in Newcastle-under-Lyme which gathered many people from the local community in delivering a letter to the local council about more impactful action for the climate and social justice. Green Festival also included the SUs (Students Union) Our World festival which aimed to celebrate cultures from around the world as well as our shared goal to take care of the planet. The event hosted many stalls from local green initiatives to food vendors and society stalls.
On Earth Day this year which was the 22nd of April I ran a series of stories from how to recycle to getting involved in volunteering to engage students with small habit changes to decrease our individual impacts on the planet.
I have been working to expand the Great Donate Program which was accomplished during March with the launch of our new Great Donate Clothes Swap scheme where students can buy clothing for 50p or swap it with their own clothes donations. I have been also working with the university to find a permanent space for the Great Donate so students can make use of the program all year round. More updates to come surrounding this project!
As shown above I’ve been continuing green events since our last UGM from Litter picks to Great Donate stalls that students can get involved in and build their own personal skills and log their volunteering hours with the SU.
I have been working with SU catering to install Meatless Monday deals as well as awareness material for Union Kitchen in the SU. This has work has been done in partnership with our Part time Environment and Sustainability Officer.
Activities:
Many of the activities I’ve run since February are detailed in the above sections.
Communication:
I have been working with our Students Union Marketing team to make sure we are celebrating important days of awareness and traditions/holidays that our students celebrate. Recently this has included Ramdan and Passover but will increase for the next academic year as we will be meeting with marketing to discuss making sure the diversity calendar (Diversity Calendar - Keele University) available to all students and staff is used by marketing in the future.
Student Voice:
A student group came to us to open a donation point for Ukrainian Refugees and from that we received 1000+ donations from students, staff and the local community. We then sorted these with volunteers from the Keele Community and were able to send them off to local charities in town who then organised transport to the Polish/Ukrainian Border. All our donations have been delivered and we thank you for everyone's help with this impactful project. I’m now looking into other ways we can support Ukraine and our students as well as doing more for other crisis around the world that impact our students.
Recently we had as an organisation been focusing on supporting our student enterprises and makers. I’m working with the local council to bring our student makers to the markets on the 7th of May to hopefully be able to bring our student enterprises more support and growth from the local community.
Team Strategic Aims:
Education:
In partnership with Keele UCU we were able to put on Strike Fest during the month of March in support of UCU and to fight against the Marketisation of Higher Education. We provided strikers and students with a tea/coffee/snack table and a banner making session at the Forest of Light and then supported them for their re-enactment to levitate the clock house.
As an officer team we were able to attend the NUS Student Strike in London aimed to fight the marketisation of higher education. We were in attendance with many other Students’ unions and even many of our Part Time Officers.
Student Voice:
I have nothing to report on student voice so far.
Climate Emergency:
Everything in my sustainability manifesto aim report above details what I have done personally about our climate emergency pledge.
Mental Health:
I have nothing to report on our mental health aim so far.
Racial Equality:
As part of the Be Better Do Better and NeverOk Campaign we posted awareness material about Stephen Lawrence Day in remembrance of Stephen as well to promote resources and support for students and how the University and SU are combatting institutionalised racism for equality.
After contacting many Afro/Curly hairstylists who are local to the are about coming to Keel or providing resources for keel Students, we have received no reply and will instead create a resource that promotes these to students.
Our World Festival as part of Green Festival, detailed in the Sustainability Section above also aimed to raise awareness about other cultures from around the world and was a great success in getting many students involved.
Outstanding UGM Motions:
Check out our Policy Document here which includes all our passed UGM policies Policy-Document-February-2022.pdf (keelesu.com)
Policy: Post room
Since the submission of this motion, I have been meeting with the university post room staff and have talked over the potential reopening on Saturdays. However due to analysis detailing less than %1 of students using the post room during Saturdays it became too expensive for the University to run which explains the closure on Saturdays. I have discussed with the post room, and they will be opening for flexible hours if individual student gets in contact with them to discuss when is best for pickup. They will be updating the webpage with suggestions form myself to give students more information about their flexibility. Post and parcels - Keele University
Policy: Climate Justice
In terms of our climate justice motion submitted after an event we facilitated, most of these actions will come next academic year as term time is almost over.