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My Manifesto

Take a look at my orginal manifesto that was written when running for Activities Officer. 

Manifesto

My Pledges and Updates

 

Enhancing Student Groups

  • Streamline administrative process for student groups, reducing excessive workload and giving societies more time to focus on running their activities and events.

    • Semester One Updates

      • The new event planner system has been launched which is a 1/3 shorter than last year.

      • The Activities Exec have been tasked with gaining broader feedback around all aspects of event processes.

      • We’ve held a two-day development session mapping out all our process from new events, external speakers and finance to identify key areas of improvement and will begin to put these things into practice.

  • Ensure societies and group memberships remain affordable and accessible for all students, including to international and postgraduate students.

    • Semester One Updates

      • The Societies Area Membership remains at £3 for the fifth year in a row.

      • We have relaxed eligibility requirements around Societies Membership Fund to make funding more accessible for groups.

      • We have removed the cap on the number of societies that can join the SU and have added an additional window for applications for new societies in Semester One.

      • I’m also looking at how we can make this window even more accessible to students for the next round of affiliations in early 2026, hoping for a rolling window of applications.

      • A new Postgraduate Network has been created as an additional space for PG and Mature students to run events and lead projects.

  • Create a transparent and accessible SU with open student forums to improve communication and accountability.

    • Semester One Updates

      • The Activities Exec will be kept informed on my progress as an officer to provide elected representatives outside of SUmmit an opportunity to hold me to account and to share key projects.

      • I’ve also developed the Activities Exec Strategy which has allowed our exec to engage more meaningfully with our Activities offer and also to highlight ways they can hold me accountable.

      • We’ve started to host ‘Ask an Officer’ accountability sessions – including at key student events like Weekend Warm Up so all students can ask us what we’re up to.

      • The Officer Accountability section of SUmmit, made up of students across our SU, is being revamped next semester to ensure that we as officers are questioned on our progress towards key actions and standpoints.

      • I have an open diary and booking system where students can see the daily appointments to book with me for the next month.

  • Work with societies to help them generate passive income through building partnerships and commercial activity.

    • Semester One Updates

      • Increasing awareness of sponsorship channels for student groups and supporting more student groups through this process.

      • Currently looking at updating guidance to student groups and the SU approach to external companies. We’ll be delivering clearer guidance on this and social media policies in the next semester.

  • Increase awareness and funding for non-BUCS opportunities, by working with SU Sport on programmes such as Bath Active, recreational sports and intersociety events.

    • Semester One Updates

      • We’re starting a project with the Sports Exec to a create more collabs with societies. I know that many societies already have great sports programmes, and we will look at increase recreational sport through this.

      • Student groups are able to easily contact the recreational Sports Exec members to see where they may be opportunities or can reach out to clubs directly to see what they are able to offer.

 

Leading on Sustainability

  • Establish a clear SU sustainability action plan with student-led focus groups to drive environmental initiatives. Ensure accountability on these key targets with regular communication to the student body.

    • Semester One Updates

      • The SU has published a public action plan that sets out the key aspects of our organisation we plan to target in the years ahead.

      • The SUstainable SU Student Forum has been set up which will allow students to share feedback and ideas around key targets and run throughout the rest of the academic year.

      • I’m begin the internal work to the Action Plan and policy to run by our Board of Trustees which is to be delivered by June 2026. I’m looking across all areas from our procurement practices to training students and even sports and making elections sustainable!

  • Continue to apply pressure and support on the university to meet core sustainability targets, especially net zero and providing strong climate policy and strategy.

  • Develop a long-term strategy for climate awareness, building on Green Week, which I successfully brought back in 2022. Work with environmental groups to ensure sustainable practices, such as a clearer transport strategy.

    • Semester One Updates

      • I’ve done an extensive project of completely overhauling our sustainability webpages and have worked with departments and the uni’s Sustainable Bath team for signposting information. These new pages will be launch near the start of Semester Two!

      • I’ve been working with the Sustainability Team at the university around key projects we can link up on and strengthen link between their ambassadors and our work.

      • Going forward, we’ll be looking at producing the Sustainable Event Guide for Student Events to help all student leaders engage with sustainability.

  • Bring back the sustainable accreditation programme for student groups and leaders, ensuring environmentally responsible practices within societies and SU events.

    • Semester One Updates

      • Great news – it’s back! The Sustainability Badge (was the Sustainability Award) will be relaunching in Semester Two. This is an extensive programme that allows all student groups to engage and get credit for sustainable actions from across a huge array of potential activities and levels.

      • We’ve also got the sustainability themed award as part of the SU Awards Ceremony in April.

      • In the future, sustainability has been identified as a key competency for the Bath Award. In future years, student leaders will be able to choose sustainability as a goal to work towards and be recognised for their contributions.

Improving Student Opportunities

  • Expand funding and support for student-led initiatives, projects and events, ensuring that students have full access to the scope of resources available to them and look at expanding funding eligibility criteria.

    • Semester One Updates

      • We have relaxed eligibility requirements around Societies Membership Fund to make funding more accessible for groups.

      • I’m working with our Voice and Societies Team on building up stronger Academic Communities which will bring resources and support from various student leaders and to increase engagement at a departmental level and allow all students to shape events/ideas.

      • I’m working with Peer Support to identify key areas that will have the most impact and how we can better support individual students with projects.

      • I’m working on a big project with our Exec and V+F team to propose a change to the funding of V+F groups that will allow much greater access to funds for projects for students.

  • Enhance professional development and transferable skills programmes to help students develop key skills for the future, such as expanding the Bath Insights programme and prioritising career advice for Widening Participation Students.

    • Semester One Updates

      • The Bath Award has been relaunched which allows you to gain formal recognition for the skills and experience you develop through volunteering, leadership and paid work alongside your studies and show these to skills to employers.

      • I’m working with the Skills Centre to look at ways we can develop a global employability skills platform to allow students from all backgrounds to engage with and build up transferable skillsets for the future as part of the Global Employability Group.

 

Supporting Student Wellbeing

Arts Development

  • Develop a transitional plan to secure The Edge as an SU only building, creating even more space for groups and societies.

    • Semester One Updates

      • We’re so pleased to now have ownership of The Edge café, now The Corner, where we can deliver affordable food and drink to students.

      • When The Edge was handed to the SU in 2020/2021, there was not a formal agreement in place. As a result, part of this work will be looking at strengthening what the agreement is to ensure we can take control of all spaces.

      • The university now only uses The Edge Theatre for part of the week to allow shows and events more flexibility in the space but we want to ensure this for the long term.

  • Transform Scala into a vibrant SU city hub right in the heart of Oldfield Park as an additional practice and community space.

    • Semester One Updates

      • Benji and I are looking at how we can increase usage in Scala during the daytime as well as the evening.

      • The Activities Exec have been tasked with gaining more feedback around what equipment/resource students want to see invested in Scala. Particularly, I’m looking at how we can support groups with cooking facilities in the space to increase capacity.

      • There’s also a Top Ten issue on Third Spaces in the City, led by Benji.

  • Build on the bidding process for The Edge spaces, providing more equal opportunities for all societies and student groups.

    • Semester One Updates

      • I’m looking at how we can increase engagement with student groups who aren’t Arts groups in using the space. We want all student groups to know they are able to use our venues to host performances and showcases throughout the year.

      • Semester One had a new application from groups that have not previously engaged with this process and we’re looking forward to the next bidding process.

  • Introduce a showcase in Semester Two for non-performance societies to showcase their work.

    • Semester One Updates

      • I’m working with the Arts Team and the Arts Liaison to launch what a showcase/exhibition for non-performance societies could look like. This will likely spill over into next year in the end for a future Activities Officer to look at.

Strengthening Volunteering

  • Embed volunteering and fundraising opportunities within student events and societies, making it easier for students to engage in charitable initiatives.

    • Semester One Updates

      • I’m working with the Volunteering and Fundraising Team to create a new toolkit that shows groups how they can engage with a wide array of opportunities. The aim to show that many of groups existing activities can already be applied across the local community.

  • Build up a strong volunteer recognition scheme to formally acknowledge and recognise student’s contributions.

    • Semester One Updates

      • The Bath Award has been relaunched which allows you to gain formal recognition for the skills and experience you develop through volunteering, leadership and paid work alongside your studies and show these to skills to employers.

      • I’ve sat on the Reward and Recognition Group of the SU to find new ways to acknowledge our Student Leaders. I’m currently exploring whether a model based of off the Swedish Ovvo (badge system) could be used in our SU.

 Faith and Cultural

  • Launch a renewed cultural festival to celebrate the Bath’s cultural diversity in Semester Two.

    • Semester One Updates

      • I’m in discussions with the Skills Centre around international faith and cultural events that we can run across the year.

      • We’re looking in the Societies Team around re-running a multicultural fair to highlight our incredible Faith and Cultural Community.

      • I sat on the Interview Panel for the new Coordinating Faith Leader so will continue work with the newly appointed candidate on ways we can increase faith celebrations across our community.

  • Create more tailored and specific events for international students during the first semester to help build a sense of belonging.

    • Semester One Updates

      • Our FWEMs have worked hard across the summer to build a designated programme of events that ensure all students have a warm welcome to Bath. There are set events for PG and International Students, as well as increased events down in the city so even for students not living on campus, they immediately feel part of our community.

      • Angus, Sports Officer and I are continuing discussions around what our Activities Officer could look like to students who are also distant learners or on placement so they can still engage with the SU even if they aren’t physically in Bath.

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