Hello everyone! I hope you all had a restful winter break.

I wanted to update you on what I have been up to during my first 6 months as your Sports Officer; I am aware it has been a while since the previous blog update.

Return to Sport:

Returning to in person activity during Semester 1, I'm sure was exciting for all of our sports members. We have had 1,500 people participate in BUCS and 5,500 in some form of sport. A new membership structure was created to allow more flexibility in trying sports, making it more affordable than ever to get involved at Bath. With Bath Active, Social, Recreation, Club and Competitive sport returning, it has been a lot to keep track of and some bumps we've had to iron out, but overall have had a successful first semester. We are hoping that there will be lots of continued participation in Semester 2.

Sulis Club:

The Sulis Club is a facilities project that I have been working on as part of our SU Top Ten. The Top Ten is a list of priority issues which the Officers work towards alongside the Senior Leadership Team in the University. For those of you who haven't been to the facility, it has become very run down and outdated over the years. It has 4 grass pitches and a cricket pitch, which are used for BUCS fixtures and various training. Unfortunately the building cannot facilitate the needs of the students and is in need of repair and refurbishment.

This project has been presented to the University at update meetings, as well as CSSU (Council/Sennate and The SU), which is chaired by the Vice Chancellor and also has the Chief Executive of Sport England in attendance. CSSU was a fantastic experience to show the University what is needed, and showcase the student voice and experiences of those who use it on a regular basis. Now we are waiting on designs and costings so the refurbishment can go ahead for the next academic year.

Boathouse:

The rowers among the student population will be happy to hear that the Boathouse project is closer than it has ever been. There have been meetings between the Rowing Club, SU, Sports Department, Alumni Department and Minerva Bath Rowing Club. There is lots going on behind the scenes and credit has to go to the University Rowing Club for persisting through the last few years to get to this point. We are hopeful that once all logistics are ironed out, the project can get into full swing and students will benefit from a new Boathouse.

Events:

During Freshers Week, clubs held many taster sessions and also participated in Sports Day -  the annual fair where students get to explore all 50 sports clubs which we have to offer. It seemed like a very successful venture for all clubs, with around 4,000 students in attendance and lots of people discovering new sports.

Every year, we host photos at the Univeristy to showcase our sports teams and give people the opportunity to purchase as a memory. We had a large number of students involved this year, and was fantastic to see so many fantastic photos!

Snowball returned for two sell out nights in the SU. Tickets were in very high demand and I hope you enjoyed the experience! Both eveneings were full of winter fun, including a ride on raindeer and ski simulator. With lots of decorations and fun with your team mates, this was the perfect lead into the Christmas and Winter Break period.

Peer Mentoring:

We have re-launched Exercise Peer Mentors this year, and have had students buddied up with other students to improve mood and motivation through sport. With this scheme individals are referred through Student Services and can attend gym classes, club activity or simply just go on a walk with a peer to get active. This initative came from a previous Officer Manifesto and was important to be re-instated post-covid to help combat loneliness and encourage more physical activity in our students. If you would like to learn more about this scheme and/or volunteer as an Exercise Peer Mentor, please get in touch! 

Sustainability:

Sustainability is at the forefront of a lot of people's minds at the moment, and it has been a student issue raised from numerous students in the last few months. The SU and University declared a climate crisis and we are looking at our pracitices and where we can improve. We will be running a sports kit swap shop in Semester 2, the date is to be confirmed, but we will be announcing very soon, with 10% of profits going back to RAG, the remainder of money coming back to the seller. It will be something that I will be looking into more in Semester 2, and if you have any ideas where improvements can be made, I am open to ideas.

Postgraduates:

Postgraduaes are an under-represented group within sport. I am working closely with the Postgraduate Officer with the aim to increase participation in sporting activities. There are a number of sports which have convenient timed sessions for Postgraduates and you can find this out by looking at the club webages and/or contacting the committees.

So... Whats next?

There are a few manifesto points which I am yet to complete, and I am aiming to get these implemented for during semester 2, either for this academic year or for next year. It has been an unuaul year with the return from covid, and some aspects of my manifesto have proven a little more difficult than I anticipated. We have lots of events such as Varsity, Blues awards and Speed Dating for Sport coming up in Semester 2 , so we have lots of oppotunity for students to get involved. If you would like to see SU Sport doing anything that we are not currently, then please get in touch.

We also have elections approaching, starting off with SU Officer Elections. If you would like to learn more about my role or any other Officer role, then I am happy to answer any questions, and you can find out more in the following link: Running for SU Officer (thesubath.com).

I would also like to say how amazing it is to have such a fantastic team of Officers who support each other so much!

Elizabeth

SU Sports Officer

susport@bath.ac.uk