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• VP Welfare and Diversity

VP Welfare & Diversity is probably one of the more varied sabb roles. Along with general sabb responsibilities, I focus quite a few different areas. Welfare covers awareness campaigning on things like healthy living, safe sex or exam stress. Housing is also a big part of welfare that affects all students.

Meanwhile diversity covers more or less what it says, our student diversity, but also the union’s ethical and environmental responsibilities. So I work closely with students on issues related to international students, postgraduates (with VP Education), disabled students, LGBT students, distance learners, mature students, student parents and many more.

There are quite a few things I want to achieve this year, so I’ll mention just a few:

• A Farmers Market on campus, to offer a greater range of food provision, especially for those living here.
• Examine the issues affecting students with placements, including the support we and the University offer for finding shorter-term housing.
• Work with the ISA to better engage with international students and give them a greater voice in our Union and University.
• Support existing student groups with better publicity and support the creation of two new groups: one for Exchange & Erasmus students, and a Gender Equality group.
• More students involved in environmental & ethical issues. This is an area students tell us they care about every year, but at the moment there are very few students actually involved. I’m going to work with existing groups to improve this.

Erm, a bit about me. Well, I graduated last year after four years of maths, so that’s probably about as far as I should go with that. I also hate writing ‘a bit about me’ type sections, but otherwise love writing in general and would love to be an author (if my plans for political domination of the world turn out to be unfeasible).

I’ve been involved in the diversity area of the union for the last few years, particularly the LGBT, which I chaired for a year and then was on its committee last year too. I’ve also been involved in the fencing club since I was a fresher, proof it that literally anyone can be involved no matter how terrible they are!