Term 1 Round-Up
As Term 1 comes to an end (it has gone very quickly for us!), we can reflect on all of the exciting and important events, campaigns, and work we’ve been up to. Before we start looking ahead to Term 2, here’s a quick rundown of some of the significant moments and impact we’ve had over the past few weeks:
Sustainability: Making Collective Impact🌿
November was dedicated to Sustainability Month, a time for us to focus on how we can learn and work to tackle climate change from all angles. Through open and educational conversations and volunteering opportunities, we came together to make a collective impact and champion sustainability.
The launch of our brand-new Swap Shop and Book Swap initiatives in the Senate House Living Rooms was a step forward for us to promote reusability and mindful consumption, whilst combatting waste and the cost of living. If you haven’t already, make sure to donate any clothes, food, or books you may no longer need – so that someone else can call them their own.
Democracy: Your Voice Matters📢
We held our first Student Council of the year on 14 December! Any students in elected roles came along to discuss and vote on motions that will lead to various outcomes for everyone! Whether it’s improving the music practice rooms, updating SU bylaws, making changes to graduate-entry courses, or more. If you missed it in person, you can see which motions passed or failed right here.
Alongside this, we’ve been running our Representation Review so that we can assess our democratic structures as an SU. We’re legally obliged to undertake this review every 4-5 years, and we know there’s a lot that has changed since our last major review took place. This process aims to make sure our structures are inclusive and working for everyone – and by running it now we’ll have time to make changes for next academic year.
If you missed out on democracy in Term 1, we’ve got plenty more important events coming up in the new year – so you can still have your voice heard. Make sure to look out for AMM and our TB2 Elections.
Community: Events and Campaigns 🎉
We’ve had some amazing events being run this term, from our Give it a Go series to our special events. Our ‘what’s on’ calendar has been filled with a variety of different opportunities right the way through the term, and we hope that you’ve been able to enjoy them. If not, there’s plenty more to look forward to in Term 2.
Our special events started this term with Dola Re Garba, in collaboration with our Hindu Society, which sold over 400 tickets! People came together from across Bristol and the South West for delicious food, dancing, and live music. Then, 300 of you bought tickets to our Diwali special event in collaboration with Global Lounge, Indian Society, and Hindu Society. We had some amazing student performances, food, mehndi stalls, activities, and lots of dancing. It even picked up coverage from Indian National News, which you can see here.
Included in our events programme were those featured in our important November campaigns, including Islamophobia Awareness Month – which had an event series to provide open conversations and opportunities for all students to learn more about the experiences of Muslim students in the UK. Your Union Affairs Officer, Adam Michael, spoke more about the importance of the campaign and what events took place here.
International Students' Week was also a highlight, celebrating the value and impact that international students have in our community. And, it was a success, every single one of our ticketed events sold out! If you missed it, why not check out our International Students Exhibition to find out who some of your student leaders are?
Opportunities: Student Groups and Activities🤹♂️
Almost 29,000 student group memberships have been purchased by you all since September, showing just how important student groups are! If you haven't already, make sure to see if any student groups take your fancy, it's never too late to join one.
We’ve also held the first two rounds of our Activity Hardship Fund in Term 1, which is a grant created to support students who wouldn't otherwise be able to participate in their chosen activity due to the cost. A total of 198 students have been supported through Round 1 and Round 2 of the Activity Hardship Fund with a total of £17,534 being granted.
Wellbeing: Prioritising Health and Welfare 🧠
As well as opportunities and events, this has been a term of promoting wellbeing and taking care of ourselves!
Your Student Living Officer – Izzy Russell – has been working alongside ‘The Drop’, a service run by The Bristol Drugs Project which focuses on club and festival Harm Reduction. Their combined work saw 500 Harm Reduction bags distributed to first-year accommodation in time for Halloween. These bags included important information and advice that can reduce potential harm.
Also in line with our Harm Reduction approach, is our collaboration with Terrence Higgins Trust and Unity to offer a free STI testing event in the Bristol SU Loft at Senate House. This is happening tomorrow and is designed to raise awareness, promote sexual health, and facilitate access to essential healthcare services. Make sure to come along if you're free!
For the first time, we've been offering Officer Drop-In Sessions so that you have a space to chat with your Full Time Officer Team and voice any concerns you may be having. If you happened to miss these this term but would like to come along, keep an eye out for future sessions in Term 2.
