About me
Hi, I’m Saranya, your Equality, Liberation and Access Officer!
I’ve just finished my second year as a Politics and Sociology student, I’ve been campaigning on student issues and causes since coming to Bristol and can’t wait to continue this in my role!
As ELA Officer I work to ensure that Bristol is an inclusive, safe and accessible university for all students.
I will champion the voices of students from marginalised backgrounds and identities, and work with your networks and societies to centre student experiences in the SU and the university.
My Priorities
An Anti-Racist University
- Support anti-racist initiatives within the university & encourage student engagement
- Create & enhance connections between students and minority communities in Bristol
- Ensure anti-racism is a priority for the University & held as a core value in decision making
Accessible Healthcare for All
- Trans Healthcare
- Continue campaigning for gender affirming healthcare at SHS
- Secure a hardship / transition fund for trans students
- Work with the uni & external organisations to support trans students who are struggling to access healthcare, and promote harm reduction measures for students who are DIYing
- Specialised Support - Continue working to improve the provision & accessibility of specialised support for complex mental health and wellbeing issues. Ensure that support accounts for an indivdual's challenges, background & identity and is accessible to all students.
Cost of Living & Rising Inequality
- Addressing how the CoL crisis is exacerbating existing inequalities & taking a proactive approach in mitigating the effect on Widening Participation
- Housing Inequalities – Campaigning to address with urgency how the housing crisis is impacting students, and the consequences of more students having to live further out of Bristol
What I've Been Working On
Working with trans students, the student health service and the student inclusion team to create an action plan for trans inclusion & healthcare campaigning. Ensuring the work is embedded in University structures. As well as supporting and promoting trans community work/events; for example, Trans Day of Remembrance on 20 November and Trans Pride South West Community day on 25 November where we are having a student bloc lead by the trans network for the march (please promote wherever possible!).
Continuing to work on mental health & wellbeing services and provision in the University. I've been contributing to the planning and development of some new services/ initiatives including joining a student feedback group for the Student Liaison Service.
Proposed & passed motion at Student Council on Trans Rights & Gender Justice!
What have I done so far?
September 2022
- I continued working on mapping out my priorities and campaigns for this year
- I've been in touch and met with student groups that I plan to work with
- I attended a Save the Children campaign day about getting Arms off Campus
- I attended a residential with the other officers and new student leaders across the university to work on our plans for change-making together
- Attended various SU & University meetings!
- I spoke to lots of students & student groups during Welcome Week about campaigns & plans for the year!
- I attended a University residential with the other officers to work with Uni management on our priorities
- I attended a University Alumni event with other officers to represent the current Bristol student experience
- I’ve been working on the Reclaim the Night Campaign for November
- I’ve had meetings with University staff on future campaigns relating to my manifesto!
October 2022
- I prepared for launching the Reclaim the Night Campaign
- I contributed to a Parliamentary Initiative on Antisemitism
- I’ve been meeting with university stakeholders on issues of mental health, consent work and cost of living to work towards manifesto aims
- I’ve been meeting with Network chairs to work on our shared campaign goals
- I participated in the first student forum with other officers!
November 2022
- I organised and led the Reclaim the Night March!
- I worked with the University on launching the Legacies of Slavery consultation and doing media around this
- I supported the UCU & Unison strikes by organising solidarity action and speaking at teach-outs
- I had meetings with university staff on rent setting in halls and lobbying for lower student rent in these spaces
- Along with the rest of the officer team, I met with the Vice Chancellor to discuss key student experience issues
December 2022
- I represented students on a panel for one of the events connected to the University's Renaming Buildings consultation
- I met with the VC to discuss anti-racism at the University and the University's Renaming Buildings consultation
- I'm planning for campaigns taking place next year, including an LGBTQ+ club night
January 2023
- I'm pulling together plans for the Wellbeing Week we are planning to run as an officer team
- I am speaking to the Women's Network about their plans for International Women's Day
- I am working on plans for this term in connection to Trans Healthcare
- I'm working on plans for LGBTQ+ History Month
February 2023
- I campaigned on trans rights issues during LGBTQ+ History Month
- I ran a panel on trans healthcare with academics & activists
- I Helped to host a forum for the trans network
- Have met with uni stakeholders on the issue of trans healthcare
- I put out a statement on the issue to reinforce the SU’s allyship
- I took three motions to AMM on the topics of gender justice, arms off campus and rent strikes - the rent strike motion passed unanimously
- I have been working on support for students with eating disorders and presented on the issue to the University Mental Health and Wellbeing Steering Group
- I have been planning wellbeing week with the rest of the officer team and arranging events for this
March 2023
- I was re-elected to serve a second term as ELA officer!
- I have been working with university stakeholders on the Legacies of Slavery consultation project and ensuring that the process is inclusive and representative
- I presented a paper at University Executive Board with Izzy on the issue of rent setting in halls
- Represented Bristol students as lead delegate at NUS national conference
- I’ve supported student action in support of the strikes, attended rallies and have discussed the issue with staff and students
- I have worked on our response to an APPG consultation on student cost of living with the other officers
- I participated with the other officers in the CFO recruitment process for the university
April 2023
- Continuing to work on the legacies of slavery & renaming project by having regular meetings with project leads to feed into the process
- Planning an event with the black students network as part of the Renaming consultation to engage a wider range of the student body
- Sat on a decolonisation panel as part of the student research festival
- Presented on eating disorders and body image to stakeholders within Sports Exercise and Health
- Co-wrote a response to the Ofs’s consultation on sexual violence and consent provisions
- Continuing work and research into trans healthcare, having regular meetings with senior stakeholders and seeking input from trans students
- Feeding into the university’s planning of Pride Month
- Presented student issues and priorities to the university board of trustees
- Have started looking towards next year with what priorities I’ll be taking forward !
September 2023
- I’ve been working on the Mental Health & Wellbeing priority by developing our aims and next steps and I presented this to the University’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Steering Group.
- I’ve continued to contribute to the Renaming Building’s project by providing student perspectives to inform discussions and decision making. I’ve also met with network chairs and committee members of societies that represent marginalised students to understand how to best support them and celebrate their communities.
- I attended University Executive Board with the rest of the officer team and I lead the discussion on Mental Health & Wellbeing. We agreed on three commitments in this area with university senior management.
October 2023
- I've been working on trans healthcare and gender justice campaigning. I have met with trans student representatives and university stakeholders on the issue, including the Student Health Service. I've secured actions and next steps for this year.
- I’ve continued to contribute to the Renaming Building’s project by providing student perspectives to inform discussions and decision making. I’ve also met with network chairs and committee members of societies that represent marginalised students to understand how to best support them and celebrate their communities.
- I attended University Executive Board with the rest of the officer team and I lead the discussion on Mental Health & Wellbeing. We agreed on three commitments in this area with university senior management.
