Hollie Jones Vice President Welfare

My Leaving Speech

2009-06-15T23:45:00.003+01:00

It is quite ironic that I have known, almost to the letter, certain lines of my leaving speech since before I even got elected. And instead of delivering the lines and capturing the chamber with my wise words and poignant points, I appear through the medium of video.

6 weeks ago, I was given a once in a life time opportunity to participate in a youth delegation to South Africa and Swaziland, with an incredible charity called ACTSA. So unless something has gone horribly wrong (touchwood) I am living the South African dream as you listen to my speech.

In my 2 years on Guild council I sat and listened to officers give their leaving speeches. And sorry to disappoint, but this speech isn’t going to be controversial, revolutionary or eye opening. To me, my leaving speech is about saying thank you, to a Guild that has given me so much, and to people who have made my year in office so amazing.

When I arrived at University in 2006, I was a completely different person.Exhausted after a relationship, which on reflection was the biggest mistake of my life. I moved into the mighty Elgar Court, hoping for a new beginning only to find that I was living with not one but two mentors, a third year who never came out of her room, and 2 other first years, one of whom already knew other freshers and the other who had already had enough and escaped upstairs to her boyfriends flat: gutted!

But I survived and in the end had a great first few weeks, meeting the most incredible girls in my seminar group who turned out to be my best friends and housemates for the rest of University, and who have never been in this chamber, but instead had to put up with my absence and tiredness due to political nonsense for far too long. Nic, Claire, Helen I actually don’t know what would have happened if I haven’t found you. I also owe thanks to Harriet and Jess, who also ended up being my housemates and both helped me volumes in my election.

I hope you all realise how much I love and appreciate you all, and how sorry I am that I’ve not been around as much as I have wanted to be this year. I really have missed you all. My one and only regret about doing this job is the effect it may have had on my friendships with some of you. I’m sorry.

So I got through my first term, and remember seeing the nomination packs for RA elections, and being way too scared to go through with running. Lucky for me- there were just two positions filled and they were both uncontested, so I hedged my bets and I ran to be Vice President (Services) on the Elgar Court Residence Association during the bye election, in what turned out to be the only contested election on the ballot paper: gutted. But I fought and I won and being an RA really did change my life.

RAs are the most consistent, talented, passionate activists that ever come out of the guild: FACT. One of the things that bugs me most is when even the most informed people write the RAs off. It is about time that everyone realised that RAs show us all up when it comes to knowing their constituents, effective representation and total conviction.

And I could never talk about being an RA without paying tribute to Sally Hinchley, who changed the whole ethos of being an RA, away from individuals who wanted to organise parties, into activists who wanted to fight for a better deal for their students. Sally was such a talented VPHC who inspired me beyond belief, had much more confidence than me than I had in myself and gave me invaluable support throughout my time as an RA and beyond.

It was when I was an RA that I met Gary Hughes. There are some people who are so unfair on him, far too quick to shoot him down, but don’t believe a word of it. All you need to listen is to election candidates and outgoing officers thanking him, year after year after year for his contribution to and unwavering passion for the Guild and everything it stands for. He is definitely not always as subtle as he should be, and sometimes he is just plain stupid but I am confident that he is one of the best presidents we have ever had, and want to thank him publicly for that and so much more.

I think it is fair to say without the influence of Sally and Gary and the gentle push of Naush Khan, I would not be making this speech today.

When I decided to run for election in my second year I was so hurt and disappointed at the reception of a few individuals, who I always believed were friends that would support me.

It is those of us who love the Guild and its democracy so often do so at risk shutting others out. It is difficult for us to realise that years of service on Guild Council, for student groups or as student reps does not always produce the best candidate. It is even more difficult to overcome the perception that certain people have “rights” to certain officer roles, where others do not. As passionate as I’m sure we are, the Guild needs to be more inclusive; we should be welcoming candidates in elections who are “outsiders” with open arms, not slamming the door in their face.

What has passed has passed, and I can only say that I hope that I proved those who doubted me wrong. Alex Zatman, I don’t know if you will remember our conversation in the Gisbert Kapp one day about my then potential candidacy and you told me just to go for it. As simple as your solution may appear now, that support meant so much. Thank you. And Ed Sparkes, I convinced you in the end and your help during my campaign really showed me what a true friend you are. You are going to be an incredible officer next year.

So I won my election and the priviledge of being your Vice President Welfare. To everyone that voted for me, I hope I didn’t let you down and thank you.

My only other bug bear with the Guild and this will be my opportunity to make it known is the sexism that is still rife: in student groups, in elections between officers. When I go off on a feminist rant, as I so often do a lot of people just look at me and laugh. But sexism isn’t funny. It isn’t funny that me Hannah and Jen will get paid 20% less than Sparky, Oggy, Rich or Tom. It’s not funny that it will take us decades longer to pay off our student debt. And it’s not funny that statistically, at least one of us will be sexually assaulted and none of the boys will.

We need to start taking liberation seriously, because it is our duty as a union to ensure that all of our members are treated equally.

Where on the surface everything seems fine it is not. The very fact that we have liberation officers is challenged, when female students are disproportionately affected by higher education funding, when LGBT students are bullied in halls and receive no support, when black students suffer in schools that don’t have anonymous marking and disabled students find it difficult to even access the library the case for liberation officers couldn’t be more clear.
We can and must do better but we never will until we are all behind liberation whole heartedly.

I’ve watched other officers use their leaving speeches to outline their achievements and ring fence their legacy. But it’s not about that to me. We need to stop working in year long cycles and being so territorial about our work. Only when we do this will we really beat those who are trying to stop us.

And I have every faith in Johnny and his understanding of this and he is going to make a wonderful sabb. I am so happy you won your election and even more happy that I’m going to be around to see you in action. You have been a massive support to me this year and I only hope that I can repay the favour if you need me.

Now all that is left are the thank yous that I have missed so far, quite glad I’m not here actually as I imagine you would all be getting annoyed at me for taking so long!

I’ll start by listing some people who I know aren’t going to be in the room but deserve a special mention. Labour students, who have supported me massively this year as well as being very close to my heart, in particular Sarah, Alan, Katie, Wes, Joe, Estelle, Ed and Susan.

Jimmy Mac for helping me out with my speeches, and my campaign team of glory, Sophie, Joe, Jamie, Harriet, Jess, Rumbie and of course Luu Rudd who was an absolute star. There are no words that justify how much I owe you. Love you lots.

Tom Guise, I hope you are in the room being as you are the new King of democracy! Thank you for all of your support and wisdom this year, but no thank you for ruining my David Miliband collage.

And now the non sabbs, who as I have said in Guild Council meetings have the most difficult job in the world. We expect so much from them, forgetting that they are studying hard and in some cases working part time as well and the criticism placed upon them is often unfair. There have been so many achievements this year-

Siobhan: FocSoc up for 4 Guild awards….

Nasher: ensuring satellite sites get commitment from the whole officer team in future years.

Pippa: a commitment to environmentalism from representatives in halls, an e and e forum, SILVER sound impact as well as being committed to ensuring that the whole Guild is run by students, in the interest of students.

Suzy: a well deserved commendation for Holocaust Memorial Day. You haven’t had it easy what with your doom foot, and your tendancy to pass out and make me cry, but that event was such a fitting tribute for those who lost their lives in the Holocaust.

And Emod. Such a talented officer and a fantastic friend. With pride is a protest, you reminded everyone about the roots of pride and you created a national movement. And you have a commitment from the University to investigate the experiences of LGBT students here. Thank you for being such a great friend to me, for making Lucille brush my hair, and always giving me the right advice. You should be proud of what you have achieved and I can’t wait to watch you go on and do great things.

I secretly like to think that being a sabb is like being in the West Wing (I’m Josh Lyman in a big way). Lots of drama, having conversations whilst walking down corridors because there is no time, pressure, pressure, pressure and one tiny mistake has seismic consequences.

I love it though, I really do, and as much as we moan about being tired, frustrated and unsupported I always remind myself what a massive privilege being an officer actually is, and if I could give one bit of advice to next years team it would be never forget that.

I could not have gotten through this year without my fellow sabbs around me and I wouldn’t have wanted to. Regardless of the fights, tears and tantrums we have had at one point or another, I wouldn’t swap a single one of you.

So my last thank yous go to the sabbs.

Sparky, your passion for sport is unwavering, uncompromising and so inspiring. But you have given your all to the Guild as well, getting involved with Wellbeing, elections and the building redevelopment.

Tom: When I first met you I never knew how to take you. We had so many late nights in my back garden drinking beer, yet it took me hiding in the Mason Lounge to find out that you were actually supporting me in my election. I know now that you are really thoughtful and caring, and although I argue with you more than anyone else I think it makes us both stronger. You have been a constant source of entertainment this year, from your crazy dancing, to listening to total eclipse of the heart at full volume on repeat and the famous Marley swagger. You can cheer me up without even trying and that is a great thing to be able to do.

Rich: you are a NIGHTMARE. You are absolutely no nonsense and that is one of the many things I love about you. I am in total awe of your commitment and enthusiasm for student activities. You really have thrown yourself onto the front line for societies and volunteer groups and they are so much better because of all of your hard work. A formidable officer who will go on and do great things (I am hoping the apprentice is on the cards).

Hannah: It has really upset me that Guild Council has pin-pointed and attacked the small errors in your work, often at the expense of celebrating your successes. But your commendations this year have been totally deserved, you should never doubt that and stop doubting yourself. You are amazing.

Jen: it has been a real pleasure to work with you. You really are a great leader. You have challenged me and stopped me in my tracks so many times but you have made me grow and I have been a better officer because of it. You have forced the organisation onto the right path and made it crystal clear what we are here to do and whether they realize it or not, activists will benefit from your legacy for years to come . I know you are going to go on and do great things in the black students movement and I want to wish you the best of luck.

Oggy: I really don’t know where I could even start or finish with you. You have been there on every step of my journey, from working together during RA elections, to our days on the mighty Elgar RA, to exec elections, to sharing an office this year. This whole experience would not have been the same without you by my side. Thank you for always being there, for being so supportive of me and being an amazing friend. You are such a talented officer and so grounded. I couldn’t have been happier when you went through with the hall fees protest and I have so much respect for you for doing it. Well done on a fantastic year, I only hope you are as proud of yourself as I am of you

I want to wish next years officer team the best of luck. I can’t say it enough but never forget what a priviledge being a guild officer is. Have fun and never forget why you ran for election, or the people who elected you. So many people have so much invested in this Guild so look after it.

And Guild Council good luck, whether you are going to be around for a few more years or if you are graduating this summer. The passion of guild councilors and other activists keeps officer teams going through the year. So hold them to account but support them at the same time. It is as much your job to look after the Guild as it is theirs.

Thank you for everything

Annual Leave

2009-06-05T16:11:00.003+01:00

For the next two weeks I am going to be out of the office on annual leave, as I have been given the opportunity to participate in a youth and student delegation to Southern Africa, with an incredible organisation called ACTSA

This means that I won't be in Guild Council to answer any questions: but please put them to me by email and I will get back to you ASAP. I leave on Sunday and if you don't send it before then I will answer it on my return. You can email me at h.jones@guild.bham.ac.uk

I thought you might be interested what I am up to over the 2 weeks so below is a list of some of the activities I will be undertaking.

Meeting Swaziland United Democratic Front
Apartheid Museum
Robben Island
SWAPOL
Round table with southern African youth and student activists
South African Youth Day as a guest of the NYC
Visiting HIV Projects
Coca Cola Community Projects
Round table with the British High Commission and DFID South Africa
Meeting with Climate Change programme DFID SA
Sonke Gender Justice field programme
District Six Museum

European Elections

2009-06-05T16:03:00.002+01:00

If you keep up to date with my blog you will know that I did a lot of work getting students registered to vote. From working with the electoral commission we know that we got just under 1,000 students registered to vote, on top of the students who are already automatically registered in University residences.

The Get the Vote OUT campaign was targeted to halls, where we know that every student is registered to vote.

A leaflet was produced, giving each of the 3 main political parities an opportunity to produce a short statement, outlining thier achievements on and vision for the European parliament.

Each party was then presented a set of questions, which were designed to be the most relevant to students. These were also presented on the leaflet, which went out to every University hall of residence earlier in the week.

GET OUT AND VOTE!

2009-06-04T08:33:00.004+01:00

The rise of racist and fascist parties in Britain should teach us a lesson about voting. These parties opportunise our apathy, relying on low voter turnout for their political advantage. It is important for this reason to make sure every student votes, and that every student vote in an anti racist, anti fascist vote.

Students make up 15% of the electorate. We need to ensure that students aren’t marginalized by mobilizing at the ballot box.

It is only be voting that we can ensure that our voice is heard.

And in 2009/10 the government are going to review their stance on HE funding, potentially lifting the £3000 cap on top up fees to catastrophic levels. If we aren’t voting, we are not a section of the electorate that can influence this debate with weight. We need to demonstrate that students do vote, and we will reactelectorallyto the issues that affect us.

If you do one thing today: go out and vote: and make your vote an anti racist vote.

CULTURE Festival

2009-06-01T09:02:00.004+01:00

I have blogged for the past few months about a Multicultural Week initiative that myself and Rich have been planning. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday THIS WEEK, Culture Festival is coming to the Guild of Students.

Thursday 4th June: 10am-4pm
Mermaid Square

FREE Massages all day

Steel drum performer and other street acts in Mermaid Square all day

Internationalism Fair: Come along and find out how you can volunteer abroad, or simply get ideas and information for travelling the world

1pm: Action for Southern Africa come to discuss the problems facing Southern Africa post apartheid

11am, 3pm: Starbucks Forum: A discussion on ethical trading and environmental practices from Starbucks who will be opening on campus. Starbucks will be around all day to answer your questions, or just drop in for a free coffee!

Mural Painting all day (to be displayed at the end of the week)

Friday 5th June 10am- LATE

10am-4pm: Farmers Market comes to Mermaid Square

3BUGS Fringe Festival live in Mermaid Square

International Film Festival: Guild Council Chambers

World Beer Tasting

Free BBQ from 5pm (first come first served, subject to availability)

Free face painting from 5pm

NIGHTLIVE from 8pm

Saturday 6th June: CARNIVAL Fab and Fresh

Dress up, dress up and come along to Fab.... a new cocktail bar will be up in Mermaid Square, along with free gifts, surprise entertainment and summer fete style Tombola, Custard Pies and Coconut Shy from Carnival RAG

Crime Prevention message from West Midlands Police

2009-05-29T08:58:00.000+01:00

As the end of exam time approaches, you will soon be celebrating the end of another academic year. West Midlands Police are urging you to remain vigilant of your surroundings and your belongings whilst enjoying yourselves in the city centre.

Most people will have their bags, wallets, mobiles and cameras with them whilst enjoying the end of year festivities. It is important to be watchful of them in order to maximise enjoyment of the city’s entertainment venues.

Whilst out, police urge that belongings are NEVER left unattended, as others may take advantage. To minimise the risk of being a potential target the message is simple, don’t leave belongings on show and don’t travel around the city alone.

It is recommended that you stay in groups whilst out in order to keep safe. Don’t leave yourself vulnerable through drink, drugs or isolation. Avoid subways wherever possible and keep to well-lit main roads. Preferably we advise you to make use of taxis to get home and to seriously consider any walking routes that you use.

Always seek help from security staff or police and report any incidents that occur.

Contact the West Midlands Police on 0845 113 5000 and ask for your local police. Alternatively, dial 999 in an emergency and help us to help you.

West Midlands police work hard to keep Birmingham one of the safest cities in the country and by working together we can make sure that it remains so. As part of the valued student community your help is very much appreciated. Only by working together can we make a difference.

For more information visit the Safer Student Website at www.west-midlands.police.uk/saferstudents

Best Mates Play Together Stay Together.

Nightbus

2009-05-26T12:15:00.001+01:00

Everything is slowly coming together at long last.

Last week I met with the Police who are going to part fund the project, in addition to seeking match funding for their contribution from other funds.

Video reports are here to stay!

2009-05-19T14:29:00.001+01:00

Starbucks Forum

2009-05-19T14:13:00.004+01:00

June 4th: Subway: 10am-4pm

As you may or may not be aware, a Starbucks Coffee Company Store will be opening on the podium of the Muirhead Tower.

I understand that some students may be uncomfortable with the presence of Starbucks on campus, and it is for this reason that Starbucks have requested to host a question and answer session for any students who may be concerned with their ethical or environmental policy.

On the 4th of June, Starbucks will be in the Guild all day, along side Culture Festival.

Come along to Subway at 11am and 3pm to watch presentations detailing Starbucks CSR and ethical policies, or pop along at any time during the day to question the representatives.

There will be free coffee and possibly biscuits all day for anybody wishing to come along! Drop me an email at h.jones@guild.bham.ac.uk or leave a comment at the bottom of the page if you have any more questions.

Margot Wallstrom

2009-05-17T18:00:00.000+01:00

This week some Guild Officers went with other students from the University of Birmingham to meet the EU Commissioner, Margot Wallstrom.

Below is some coverage of the event

Travel Home for Student Staff

2009-05-11T14:03:00.004+01:00

After speaking to some student staff, I am currently working on providing transport or subsidies for student staff who work in the Guild late at night. A paper is going to R and HR Committee (that I chair) in June and the new initiative will hopefully be in place from the new academic year!

The Birmingham Pledge

2009-05-08T14:56:00.003+01:00

I am currently working with the regional TUC, local MPs and local employment agencies to develop a pledge. This is an initiative similar to one that has been successful in Northampton.

The pledge gives employers an "accreditation" and so they are identified as a good employer. It also makes them identifiable as a good employer, and enables the Guild to hold them to account.

Local agencies will conform to a 10 point pledge, which covers the following areas: working within law and regulations, prompt pay (including holiday and sick pay), ensuring any deductions are reasonable, fair and subject to audit, promoting trade union membership and a particular clause about treating students fairly.

The project is very much in it's infancy and I am hoping that Johnny will be able to take it forward next year.

So far I have completed the following: authored the 10 point pledge, designed literature, got buy in from student unions across the city and got the regional TUC office on board in addition to local MPs.

To do: take the pledge out to agencies and look to involve even more potential stakeholders in the project and finally take it out to local agencies.

Accomodation Management Group

2009-05-06T22:47:00.002+01:00

In Oggy's absence today I chaired Accomodation Management Group, which is a meeting with representatives from Hospitality and Accomodation Services at the University, Guild staff and officers.

Some interesting things came up which I thought would be worth blogging about...

-> We discussed the refurbishment of Tennis Courts in the summer. Every flat in Centre Court will get new windows. Half of the flats will be fully refurbished (the rents will reflect this- with the half that aren't included will pay less rent)

-> The Community Warden Scheme has been given funding to continue operating

-> HAS have made a deal with Ask 4 and are increasing bandwidth in all University residences

-> A Starbucks branch will be opening in the new Muirhead Tower. The Guild will be hosting a forum with Starbucks, hopefully during Culture Festival

-> It was reported that it will be 5-7 years before the redevelopment of Chamberlain is complete. The first stage is going to be started soon, which involves getting approval for the "vision" from University Council and appointing consultants to take the project forward. The Guild will be involved thoughout the whole process.

A letter I never imagined having to write...

2009-05-06T12:45:00.003+01:00

Being a sabbatical officer is many things... predictable isn't one of them. Myself and Sparky are currently acting on behalf of a mature student at the University of Birmingham, who feels he is being discriminated against by local businesses because of his age.

Below is an extract of the letter that we sent on his behalf...

We are writing on behalf of a student who has expressed concern about the “student discount” that you offer on tickets. The student has written to you, however does not believe that he has received a satisfactory response.

You state that “To qualify for a student concessionary ticket you must be in full time education and aged between 16-21 years old. Valid NUS cards are required at the time of purchase and at the turnstiles on the day of a match.”

Any student in higher or further education, of any age is entitled to purchase an NUS card, which provides them with discounts. However, it would appear that you are actively discriminating against a significant demographic of the student community and indeed, NUS card holders by restricting this discount according to age.

31.3% of students at Birmingham City University, 34% of students at the College of Food, 8.5% of students at the University of Birmingham, 28.5% at Newman and 8.9% of students at Aston University are “mature students”. Individuals are defined as a mature student if they are aged 21 or over at the start of their course. In addition to “mature students” we have a number of students registered who have taken a gap year before coming to University, and therefore turn 21 in their second year of study, in addition to a number of students who are enrolled on four year courses. It is also worth mentioning that just under 15,000 students in the city of Birmingham are in postgraduate study, and would also be over the age of 21. All of these students would miss out on the “student” ticket rate that you offer.

We have been in touch with trading standards regarding this issue, because the discount you are offering is clearly not a “student rate” and we ask that you investigate this matter and act accordingly.

Voter Registration

2009-05-01T14:36:00.001+01:00

Today myself, Hannah, Jen, Emma and Lucy from NUS took on the gradball queue. In just over an hour and a half we got 301 students registered to vote.

The return of the Nightbus....

2009-04-30T14:08:00.005+01:00

The Guild of Students Nightbus service will relaunch on the 8th of June for the last two weeks of term.

The service will run from 12:30am - 3:30am on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, picking up from Oceana, Risa and Gatecrasher every 15 minutes, dropping off to all halls of residence, the Guild, Selly Oak (Tesco, Soak, Hubert Road) and Pershore Road.

Voter Registration

2009-04-28T16:07:00.003+01:00

Over the Easter holidays, I spent time planning the activities to get students registered to vote.

This week has been the start of the final push to get students registered to vote in time for the next set of elections and the whole officer team have been helping me out.

We have set up a unit outside Spar as a voter registration station- this is open and manned 12-2 each day and students have been coming along to sign up to vote!

Gradball queue- The whole sabbatical team are going to be taking on the gradball queue tomorrow, offering incentives to register and hopefully getting as many people to register as possible!

Academics- I have been working with academics from the European Research Institute, and will be doing a voter registration session along side Margot Wallstrom, Vice President of the European Commission at conference they are holding on the 14th of May. If any first time voters are interested in meeting Margot Wallstrom, please get in touch with me at h.jones@guild.bham.ac.uk

Press Releases- Press releases for Redbrick and local papers have been prepared to highlight the work we have been doing to increase voter registration. The electoral commission are also sending us a giant inflatable X to do some photo opportunities with next week.

Selly Oak- All students in University accomodation are automatically registered to vote, so we have been targeting Selly Oak.
I wrote a letter to residents on behalf of the whole officer team with information about registering, including deadlines etc. With these letters will be registration forms and a stamped addressed envelope.

The electoral commission have marked our registration forms especially so that we can measure how effective our efforts have been!

So if you haven't registered to vote already you have until the 19th of May to do so. Visit the about my vote websiter here to fill out a registration form, or come along to the Guild!

Taking on Taxis

2009-04-28T09:36:00.003+01:00

I often hear about students who have been overcharged by taxi drivers, particularly companies who claim to offer student specific fares and then do not deliver.

I have been working with trading standards in Birmingham to try and conquer this problem.

Before my term of office ends, I will create a section of the website for students to report being overcharged, or other problems for us to collate and take forward, working with trading standards to overcome the problems.

I am also working on a simple card that can be filled in and left at reception, for us to use in the same way.

The section of the website and system will hopefully take off properly during Welcome Week next academic year, where full attention can be given to promoting the new reporting scheme!

European Parliament: Capping Mobile Phone Charges

2009-04-24T15:51:00.002+01:00

I have been commuting into work over Easter, and found out the following from The Metro one morning:

People on holiday or travelling in Europe will now be able to send texts home for 9p- enjoying a 60% cut in the cost of texting.

This came after a decision made by MEPs to cap the cost of roaming texts from July.

The rules also hold companies accountable in internet usage about (mandating them to be clearer about the costs) and also hold them responsible for letting customers know once they have spent 50 euros.

Caroline Flint, Europe Minister said "This is a good example of how the EU can bring real benefits to the British people"

Who said Europe was boring!!!

NUS Conference-> A selection of Birmingham speeches

2009-04-19T10:07:00.003+01:00

Some of the speeches made by Birmingham delegates at NUS conference are online (although there is some trouble with Jen's- hopefully that will follow soon). A range of speeches from Blackpool are available here

Worth Voting for an MEP?

2009-04-17T10:13:00.002+01:00

In a recent poll, 30% of Brits said that they definately would not vote in the upcoming European elections. I found this article from the BBC Euro Blog that begins to examine why. Pretty interesting.

Follow us on Twitter

2009-04-08T11:08:00.003+01:00

The Guild of Students now have our very own twitter account.

You can follow us here

Not only can you can keep up to date with the guild, Carnival, BULS, BUCF, the University, NUS, 10 Downing Street, MPs and many more all use twitter.

David Lammy even sent us a message! How very exciting!

NUS Conference-> Part time officer elections

2009-04-06T16:12:00.003+01:00

At conference we also elected 15 non portfolio part time officers. Below are the video clips of the successful candidates.

Congratulations in particular to Ed Marsh, Tobin Webb and Jak Codd

NUS Conference-> Society and Citizenship Zone

2009-04-05T19:02:00.012+01:00

The final zone to be discussed was society and citizenship. Unfortunately, because other zones were extended, there was under an hour to discuss the motions in this zone. They have been referred back to the National Executive Council for discussion. Debate arose in this zone regarding votes at 16.

The full motions doucument can be viewed here. The society and citizenship zones are from page 83-87. In the interest of transparency, here is how I voted on each of the motions (some were Guild mandates and are marked accordingly).

Operation Student Vote-> For (Guild mandate)
Amendments:
Let’s put power into the hands of young people-> For
Beat the BNP-> For
Students Want to go Green-> For

Susan Nash, current member of the block of 12 was successfully elected to be the first Vice President Society and Citizenship

NUS Conference-> Welfare Zone

2009-04-05T19:02:00.011+01:00

The third zone to be discussed was welfare. Unfortunately there was little time to cover the whole zone. Extra time was given to education and strong and active unions, meaning there was little room to extend the debate. All remaining motions have been referred to the National Executive Council to discuss. Debate arose in this zone around the issue of responsible drinking and minimum pricing.

The full motions doucument can be viewed here. The welfare motions are from page 68-82. In the interest of transparency, here is how I voted on each of the motions (some were Guild mandates and are marked accordingly).

Student Employment-> For (Guild mandate) and I delivered the speech for
Amendments:
Students at Work-> For
National Minimum Wage-> For
Students at Work- the Revenge-> For
A Living Wage-> For
Student Housing, it's OUR NeighbOURhood too-> For (Guild mandate)
Amendments:
For goodness sake stop hating students-> For
Student Cooperative Housing-> For
Responsible Drinking is More than a Poster-> For
Amendments:
One tequilla, Two tequilla, Three Tequilla, Floor-> For
Responsible Drinking-> For

Ben Whittaker, from the current block of 12 was elected as Vice President Welfare.

NUS Conference-> Education Zone

2009-04-05T19:01:00.016+01:00

The first zone that we discussed was education. Delegation leaders voted prior to annual conference to determine the order in which zones were discussed.

The zone as a whole, was very consensual, with conference united in it's aim to protect students in the economic recession and enhancing the learning experience. Debate arose around the issue of free education: whether NUS should go back to fighting for free education and grants for all, or continue with Broke and Broken and call for a fairer funding system.

The full motions doucument can be viewed here. The education motions are from page 51-67. In the interest of transparency, here is how I voted on each of the motions (some were Guild mandates and are marked accordingly).

Supporting Students in the Recession-> For (Guild mandate)
Campaign Alliance for Lifelong Learning-> For
ULN Got Your Number-> For
Postgraduate Study-> For
Arts Education Funding and Hidden Course Costs-> For
Stop Ripping off those on ALG and EMA-> For
The Student Experience-> For (Guild mandate)
amendments to this motion:
The Learner Voice: A Valid Voice? -> For
IAG-> For
Enhancing Feedback-> For (Fabian Neuner, President elect and Tom Marley VP Education and Access clearly persuaded me with their oratorical genius!)

Healthcare-> For
Placement Students-> For
Fair Academic Provision for All-> For
Course Reps-> For
E Learning-> For
Degree Classification-> For
Bin the Broke and Broken Funding System-> For (Guild mandate)
amendments to this motion:
For a Free Education-> Against (Guild mandate)
Radical Action-> Against

Aaron Porter, incumbent Vice President Higher Education was successfully re-elected. Below is a clip of his election speech:

NUS Conference-> Strong and Active Unions Zone

2009-04-05T19:01:00.015+01:00

The second zone to be discussed was strong and active Unions. Debate arose in this zone around the issue of supporting or prohibiting iniation ceremonies.

The full motions document can be viewed here. Strong and Active Unions motions are from page 34-50. In the interest of transparency, here is how I voted on each of the motions (some were Guild mandates and are marked accordingly).

Campaigning for Change- Activist Academy-> For
Amendments:
Supporting Student Activism-> Against
Campaigning for Change- the Activist Academy-> For
Greening Students Unions -> For
Amendments:
Greening Students Unions- Ultra Vires-> For
Sustainable Finances-> For
Ethical Investment-> For
The Future is in our Hands? We'll have representation then-> For
Amendments:
Dual membership, HE in FE-> For
NUS Arts Representation and support for small and specialist students’ unions-> For
Student Activites Development-> For (Guild mandate)
Amendments:
Open University Access to NUS HE Unions Sports Clubs and Societies-> For
Student Activities Development Volunteering Opportunities and Student Media-> For
Initiations- to ban or not to ban-> For
Amendments:
Accessible Activities-> For
Safe Space is a Right Not Just a Privilege-> For (Guild mandate)
Amendments:
Equality Impact Assessments-> For (Guild mandate)

Richard Budden, current National Secretary was elected as the first Vice President Union Development

NUS Conference-> Fred Jarvis Holding Trustees Address

2009-04-05T18:56:00.002+01:00

NUS Annual Conference

2009-04-03T15:20:00.008+01:00

This week I attended NUS Annual Conference, as part of the Guild delegation.

The official report of conference can be viewed here

There were four main areas of policy debate, education, strong and active unions, welfare, and society and citizenship.

Wes Streeting, NUS National President opened conference with these remarks.

On the second day of conference, Wes Streeting was re-elected as NUS National President for the year 2009/10. To read more, click here

Each conference is addressed by a speaker offering fraternal greetings. This year, conference was addressed by Matthew Collins. Matthew will be speaking in the Guild during May.

In my next few blogs, I will outline key areas of debate, show who the officer leading that zone will be for the next year and indicate how I voted on the motions.

Taxi Tender

2009-03-26T14:13:00.002Z

Last term I wrote the terms and conditions for the Guild nominated Taxi supplier. We then went through a shortlisting process, and representative from the Nightbus working group joined me in making the final decision.

Castle Cars were chosen as the Guild's preffered taxi supplier.

Any student will now be able to use their student ID card to pay for their journey if they have no money.

The nightbus working group are currently finalising details for a Castle Student Card, which will detail concrete fair prices, details of the pay with ID scheme, how to report incidents etc. So watch this space!

Officer Video Reports

2009-03-25T12:01:00.000Z

Universities UK call for the lifting of the cap on top up fees...

2009-03-17T07:50:00.009Z

I was appaled to tune into the news this morning and witness the news coverage of a UUK report, "Changing Landscapes" which details Vice Chancellor's wishes to lift the cap on top up fees.

A feed from Google news which can be viewed here lists related stories, and I would encourage anyone who reads this to take the time to comment on the stories where possible, to make our opposition to the lifting of the cap known.

The top up fee system is damaging in its current form, and attempts to further lift the cap on fees, without addressing the inequalities perpetuated by the system would be catastrophic. We are calling for a fair funding system, by what you pay is based on HOW MUCH you earn not WHERE you go to University. A market in the fee system would see Universities like ours closing its doors on students from lower income families, and we must contest this at every opportunity.

Tomorrow, the Guild of Students along with other members of NUS will be going to parliament, to lobby our MPs to support our calls for a full review of higher education funding in 2009, as promised, a fairer funding system and support for an Early Day Motion tabled by Paul Farrely MP, which can be viewed here

If you can't make the lobby, write to your MP, ask them to sign the EDM, and give students the debate we deserve!

Some things are impossible to do in 3 minutes- registering to vote isn't one of them!

2009-03-16T12:00:00.006Z

You are going to hear a lot from me in the coming months, about the importance of registering to vote, and the equal importance of exercising your democratic right, in local, national and european elections.

Registering to vote is easy. You can do it online here.

All you need to do is fill out the form, print it off and sign it, then post it.
The Guild will even post it for you if you want, just email me h.jones@guild.bham.ac.uk and I will arrange.

Specific information on students registering to vote is available here.

In 2009/10 the government are set to review the top up fee system. The Guild of Students, in conjuction with the National Union of Students are gearing up to lobby the government for a fairer funding system.
We need to mobilise at the ballot box, demonstrating to policy makers that there will be consequences to lifting the cap on fees.

And that's just one reason! Watch this for more!

Let's Get Tested

2009-03-15T11:24:00.000Z

Check out Let's get Tested, the video competition from the Terrance Higgins Trust here

Video Blogging

2009-03-14T23:45:00.001Z

When I was a young sabb back in August, I wrote a 5 page long wish list for my year in office. I was feeling particularly miserable after me and Rich visited Leeds University Union, which is pretty spectacular. And then out of the window I saw a rainbow... and I got writing (true story, but I am digressing).

On Friday, I got to cross another thing off my list. The sabbs filmed our first ever video blogs.

And Emma O'Dwyer and Suzy Railly had the ingenius idea of using them in Guild Council as well!

These will be used to report to Guild Council, on the Guild Website, and through the Guild You Tube Channel. Hopefully this year we can get the foundations in place to ensure that next years officers can hit the ground running, advertising all these mediums in the run up to and during welcome week.

I am really excited! Will post the link to the videos when it is ready :D

And the winner is........

2009-03-14T21:07:00.001Z

Johnny Davis!

Mermaid Square Hustings: Alex Wright

2009-03-12T07:46:00.001Z

Mermaid Square Hustings: Johnny Davis

2009-03-12T07:45:00.001Z

VOTE!

2009-03-08T17:35:00.002Z

The Guild e voting system means that you can cast your vote from any computer with internet access.

If you would like to vote at a ballot station, a list of locations for the week is available here

Look at the candidates webpages, manifestos, videos and hustings (last one at 1pm, Mermaid Square on Tuesday) and exercise your democratic right.

In wider society, the rise of racist and fascist parties should teach us a lesson: they opportunise our apathy, relying on low voter turnout for their political advantage.
Across the world, men and women have died to ensure that we have a right to vote, and live in a democratic society. Less than 100 years ago, the suffragettes were fighting for the rights of women to vote.
We need to get into a culture of voting, and it is proven that students who vote in Student Union elections are likely to continue voting in later life.

To vote, you need to log onto my.bham, and click on the my place link.

If you need help click here

All the Candidate GTV Clips

2009-03-06T11:34:00.000Z

Can be viewed here

GTV Clips: Alex Wright

2009-03-05T17:23:00.001Z

GTV Clips: Johnny Davis

2009-03-05T17:22:00.000Z

Alex Wright- VP Welfare Candidate

2009-02-27T11:11:00.002Z

Check out Alex's website here
Check out Alex's Facebook group here

"Welfare is all about student rights, your right to be paid a fair wage, to be treated equally to your peers and to study in a safe and secure environment.
I have proven my skill, dedication and passion as both an activist and a volunteer whilst at Uni. I want to create achievable and lasting change for all students. I believe welfare isn’t about patronising or protecting, it’s about empowering. I believe in a welfare campaign where your voice is at the heart of every decision. Your involvement is key to our success.
Be a part of it,
Alex "

Top 3 Manifesto Pledges

1) Student Safety - I want to create a comprehensive plan to make student life safer, including better lighting in high-rish areas, rolling out police drop-ins to halls and the Guils as well as creating a 'Safe-Ride-Home' scheme.

2) Student Workers- I will conduct the Guild's first ever thorough piece of research into student workers within our community, enabling us to not only lobby and support you as a worker, but to name and shame employers who take you for granted.

3) Fair and balanced mitigation- I will work alongside students in creating an alternative, fairer, balanced mitigations process, that fully takes into account your individual needs, ensuring that every one of you receives equal and fair academic support when things go wrong.

"If you were a type of cheese, what cheese would you be any why?"
If I was a cheese I would be a lactose free cheese, so that all students could enjoy me. It's about diversity peeps!

Johnny Davis- VP Welfare Candidate

2009-02-27T10:10:00.008Z

Check out Johnny's website here
Check out Johnny's Faceboook group here

"Welfare is about access, opportunity and defending student rights! A role that not only defines itself through the campaigns it promotes; but through working with groups such as Nightline, Student Advice and Student mentors, promoting and developing the services that help students like the Arc and Jobzone, and by liaising with the VP Education and Access, Student Activities and Development and Housing and Community. Central the role is taking a well rounded approach to welfare, covering all aspects of student life. So please check out my manifesto pledges below or visit my website and protect your welfare with a Johnny!"

Top 3 manifesto pledges:

1) Bring the National Blood Service back to campus- I pledge to have them in the Guild during fresher’s week! Targeting people on mass, doing positive work and setting up regular habits to donate. I will however support groups such as LGBTQ to communicate the unfairness and need to update current policy (policy based on research from 1984!) and endeavor to get other groups in the Guild such as the Anthony Nolan Trust which has fairer policies in the area of donation.

2) Create a Joint Honours Office- If you are a student on a joint honours degree and have issues with mitigations, clashes in timetables, exams and deadlines, or you need to go on work placements then most of you will end up traipsing from one department to the other. I want to make an office that will do this for you, they will liaise with departments, and it will be the one place you need to go to sort out all your problems.

3) More Prayer facilities on campus- It is appalling that the Guild has the only room available for all 28,000 students. I will lobby the university to provide more facilities as soon as possible, and prove that they are committed to supporting the diversity and cultural differences in our student body!

"If you were a type of cheese, what type of cheese would you be and why?"
If I were a cheese I would be Brie - for three reasons –
1) I go with pretty much anything - I don’t care about political affiliation or anything else like that it’s about getting the job done. 2) I can appear hard on the outside whilst being soft on the inside – taking a tough stance to make sure I defend student’s rights whilst being sensitive to more delicate issues. 3) I’m suitable for any occasion - whether it be a meeting with the University or a drink down the pub.

Election Time

2009-02-27T09:46:00.007Z

It's that time of year again, where people come and shout out in your lectures, hand you leaflets outside the library and knock your door in fancy dress... Guild elections!

Information on all candidates will soon be available on the Guild of Students webpage

I will be using my blog to post information about the candidates to suceed me as Vice President Welfare, including clips from hustings and the GTV videos! So if you can't make a husting check it out here!

To begin I asked each of the candidates to send me a short statement, their top 3 manifesto pledges and if they were a type of cheese, what would they be and why (both with very deep responses- concerning!)

To make sure that everything was fair, Sparky helped me decide the order in which I would publish the first blogs! So please find photographed the candidate names, Sparky with the candidate names inside a trophy and finally me picking the name for my first blog to go up.

Enjoy the blogs!

Multicultural Week Update

2009-02-18T16:59:00.003Z

Me and Rich have been hard at work planning Multicultural Week. It is a long process and there is still much to be done.

We have firm plans for the first two days now which is very exciting. As usual if you have any ideas please get in touch.

We already held a forum for interested members of student groups- thanks to everyone that came along- you gave us some great ideas!

Some of the things you can expect to see->

*Debates on europe in line with the get the vote out campaign for the european elections
*International Film Festival
*Farmers market in Mermaid Square
* International Volunteering Fair
*Key note speakers on international topics (we have a number of ideas but what would YOU like to hear?)
*An international Fashion show in a marquee outside Underground
*Muuuusic, lots of Muuuusic
*Workshops in music, dance, language......

That's all I will give away for now.
Get excited!

Volunteer With Student Advice

2009-02-17T14:37:00.000Z

Student Advice are a student led volunteer project that provides trained volunteers for the ARC helpdesk (at the Guild of Students) to advise student clients on any query or problem they may have.
They run an eating disorders listening service (bEAT) and a housing clinic (which checks housing contracts). They also run campaigns on welfare issues that affect students.

Volunteering at the ARC is a great opportunity to enhance your CV, develop your skills through training and on the helpdesk. They also have group socials.

If you're interested in volunteering with us, just drop into the ARC (next to reception and the Jobzone in the Guild) and ask for an application form, or fill in the form online at the Guild website.
(Click Advice and Representation Centre, then Student Advice Recruitment Form) and email it to Student Advice (Student advice at guild.bham.ac.uk)

Look forward to hearing from you!

My Diary This Week...

2009-02-15T19:34:00.002Z

Writing blogs on specific campaigns and events and a half page Guild Council report doesn't really give you an idea of what I get up to on a day to day basis.
I've been looking at the way officers in other unions use their blogs and am going to trial publishing my diary on a weekly basis- highlighting key meetings and activities, or things that may be of interest.

Monday 9th-
->Updated Guild of Students Facebook group (part of our wider communication strategy and something I do every Monday morning)
->Set up stalls for PCT and prepared leaflets and condoms for sexual health week volunteers to distribute throughout the week
-> We had our termly meeting with Emily Cannon- our regional organiser
-> 1 2 1 with Mentor Scheme Co-ordinator, discussed use of the web in the future of the scheme
-> 1 2 1 with CEO followed by GOG in the evening, where we discussed progress on mandates from previous meetings of GC, upcoming motions
-> After GOG stayed later to prepare for an academic hearing on Wednesday

Tuesday 10th-
N.B- Student Loans Consultancy Board and F1 Neighbourhood Meeting (Police) were both scheduled to take place today but were cancelled due to the snow. This freed up time to catch up on emails, which was very much needed!
-> 1 2 1 with Jobzone manager, caught up on progress with on campus agency, including briefing regarding upcoming meeting with University and feedback from student staff working group, and a briefing on the new student staff forum
-> Out on campus talking to students about upcoming officer elections, handing out nomination packs and chocolate!
-> Attended candidates meeting- spoke to a number of prospective candidates about being an officer
-> Started to write agenda, and made arrangements for the second meeting of the Equality and Diversity Committee- 6th March

Wednesday 11th-
-> Represented a student in an academic case
-> Welfare Practitioners Forum at the University
-> 30 minute catch up with WMANUS convenor, updated her on Guild campaigns and arranged free transport to the Parliamentary Lobby on the 18th of March (email Tom Marley for info)
-> Student Development and Support Forum at the University
-> Meeting to discuss Job Evaluation (part of my role as Chair of the Guild HR and Renumeration Committee)
-> Attended Annual Police Dinner for HE reps- was awarded a certificate of thanks =]

Thursday 12th-
-> Attended Student Parents Research Launch, was invaluable in the Student Parents Strategy that I have started work on.
-> Left the Launch briefly to drop in on the Guild Diversity Group (for staff)
-> Sexual Health Week -> Thursday Therapy at Shakleton

Friday 13th-
-> Started to plan a "GOATING" (Go Out and Talk) strategy for the officer group (as part of our wider communication strategy) and prepared questions on the Nightbus for "GOATING" purposes once "GOATING ABOUT VOTING" is over
-> Meeting with IT staff to outline proposals for Mentor Scheme and the website (as discussed in 1 2 1 earlier in the week)
-> Set up for a representative from HGL as a part of Sexual Health Week
-> Met with a rep from Be Sure regarding plans for meeting Chlamydia testing targets for the student population in Birmingham
-> Briefing on Papers and documents for an appeal to Council, for which I am on the panel
-> Multicultural Week meeting with interested students, to moot ideas for the event. Further work on the MCW briefing document which I hope will be completed next week!

Nightbus

2009-02-07T22:39:00.000Z

COMING SOON

=]

Annual Leave

2009-02-04T01:00:00.005Z

I'm using the opportunity of free wifi in Vancouver airport to catch up on my blogs..

I have taken annual leave for the past week and visited my friend on her year abroad in Canada. It was great to take time out of the office and chill out a bit.

I stayed at the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver with my friend. Whilst there, I couldn't resist but check out ams-> the student union (sad act I know).

I thought I'd share some of the stuff I am hoping to bring to the Guild from my visit.

-> Elections... ams were running their annual exec elections while I was there. It was really interesting to watch and it would appear that campaigning is pretty similar either side of the pond. I picked up some new ideas though, and I will be catching up with Hannah about how they promoted the election, in addition for some campaigning techniques for this years campaign training.

-> Vancouver/Whistler are set to host the 2o10 winter olympics... the student union are doing a lot to ensure that students in Vancouver are able to get involved and utilise the opportunity. I will be catching up with Sparky about these initiatives for him to pass on to his successor.

->Women's/Student Safety Schemes... there were a number of safety scheme for students on campus, some specifically for women. I will be doing some research and having some meetings about establishing similar stuff here so more on that later.

Anyway I'm happy to be back- sorry if anyone has tried to be in touch while I've been out.

Money Flushed Away- REDUCE HALL FEES

2009-01-27T13:36:00.004Z

On the 26th of January we saw students taking direct action against the ridiculously high hall fees imposed by the University.

The march took place across campus to deliver a petition signed by over 2000 members of the Guild of Students. I spent a lot of time last week helping with preparations for the campaign.

This included door knocking halls of residence- I visited Elgar Court, Aitken Wing, Tennis Courts and Victoria Halls. I also created the e peition and Facebook event, in addition to making calls to gain media coverage.

I did a bit of banner painting and placard making as well (and spilt purple paint over my new trousers (gutted.)

The march was a big success... it was great to see the number of students prepared to come out and campaign. There were some brilliant chants led by key activists in the campaign and the atmosphere was fantastic. Ed Marsh from NUS came along to the event to show his support and I know was very impressed with the level of enthusiasm displayed.

Well done everyone who got involved!

Local MP supports the campaign here
Coverage from the Birmingham Post here
Coverage from the Birmingham Mail here
Coverage from Kerrang Radio here (go to afternoon/drive with Kate Lawler and listen out for the news bulletins)
NUS Coverage of the event here

On Campus Agency Update

2009-01-27T13:32:00.002Z

Back in November (?) Guild Council I put a motion to support the establishment of a Guild run Job Agency.

We have been working hard to make this a reality and a model has been agreed and will be written into next years budget.

Students will apply to the agency through Jobzone recruitment, and will be trained courtesy of the Guild. A new member of staff in Jobzone will be responsible for finding these students temporary work. All of the employers will have to go through an accreditation process in order to recruit through the agency, will be subject to continuous scrutiny and will be expected to be demonstrably responsive to our feedback.

To begin with, we are going to trial the model with on campus jobs, and as the agency develops there will be scope for external employers too. Hopefully everything will be good to go in September so look out for it next freshers!

Walk in Health Centre - VICTORY

2009-01-21T17:21:00.002Z

Manifesto promise: "to promote the ongoing campaign for a sexual health clinic on campus or in Selly Oak".

I have mentioned a few times both in my blogs and my Guild Council reports my progress with this promise, and how I have been lobbying the PCT to address sexual health provisions for students at the University of Birmingham, either on campus or in Selly Oak.

The PCT have now officially announced the opening of a walk in centre in Selly Oak for June 2009!

This centre will operate 8am-8pm 7 days a week and provide GP and Nurse services, in addition to bookable apppointments for both registered and unregistered patients.
The centre will also offer sexual health services, including emergency contraception, referrals and testing.

NUS Extraordinary Conference Take 2

2009-01-20T22:49:00.002Z

This note isn't the first to go up about EC2... and I'm pretty sure it won't be the last.

Birmingham sent 17 delegates to conference, on a mandate to vote in favour of NUS reform proposals. I'm happy to say that they passed with an overwhelming majority.

More on Worker's Rights...

2009-01-13T19:27:00.001Z

Check out the mentor website here

Merry Christmas

2008-12-09T20:51:00.001Z

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Electing the New RAs

2008-12-06T13:30:00.005Z

This week saw the election of the Residents Associations for 2008/09. For weeks Hannah and Oggy have been working hard to get students in halls to run in the elections and this week came the VOTE.

It was a very exciting and long week for all- I helped out by manning the ballot station in Tennis Courts on Thursday night (the ballot was open from 6pm until 9.30pm and it was freezing cold! =[).

I also spent most of Friday counting ballots- which was exciting- especially because we had to conduct two coin tosses- but also made me slightly "snow blind"

Tonight was the best part of all though- the results! Candidates and guests gathered in the Great Hall to hear the results, and listen to speeches from the outgoing RAs and some of the Guild Officer Group.

I'm really excited to meet all of the new RAs properly next week, on the residential training weekend!
Congratulations to all of you. Being on a resident's association is very rewarding and I wish you every luck in the year ahead.

Thank you also to the outgoing RAs. You have worked very hard, with passion, and made a very real difference to the lives of your students. I don't know what we would have done without you. Can't wait to see you all move on to bigger and better things.

World Aids Day II

2008-12-01T15:23:00.003Z

The Guild activity for World Aids Day went ahead today and was a massive success.

We had loads of interest in the event, from students to the local PCT and even coverage from ITV, which can be viewed here (how very exciting)

Along with Emma O'Dwyer the LGBTQO and some amazing volunteers- Ed, Johnny and Alex mwah- I spent the day giving out condoms (we gave out THOUSANDS), literature on HIV transmission and testing, and red ribbons so students could wear a ribbon in order to mark World Aids Day.

We also ran an impromtu mini bucket shake in honour of Terrance Higgins Trust and managed to raise around £90.

World Aids Day

2008-11-30T10:31:00.005Z

Along with Emma, the LGBTQO I spent a lot of time on Friday preparing for World Aids Day.

This basically meant spending HOURS putting condoms into bags to give out as a part of the sexual health drive we will be conducting on Monday and sorting out all of the advertising materials and literature.

It was no mean feat and I would like to thank Emma for dedicating so much time to this.

Come along on Monday- we will have a stall outside of the Spar where you can get free condoms and information on safe sex.

We will also be giving away red ribbons, so that you can show your support for World Aids Day, and doing a collection for Terrance Higgins Trust.

Sexual Health Provisions in Birmingham- we are finally winning!

2008-11-25T10:22:00.005Z

More progress on the sexual health campaign... hurrah!

It seems that the pressure has finally paid off, and that student demands on sexual health services in the city are finally being listened to!

Birmingham now has strategy on improving sexual health, and today I received a report written by Birmingham Primary Care Trusts (PCT) in conjunction with city council, regarding their five year plan for the city sexual health services. (Oh dear, I can't believe how excited I am getting about this!)

The five year plan is really progressive, and includes

-a range of routine services available locally and then central venues in each PCT area.
-these services must be located in places with good public transport links
-these services will have extended opening hours
(Birmingham has 3 PCT areas, so this would mean that services would be more local and easier access)

-increased levels of services within communities, some examples given include testing and treatment of uncomplicated STIs, contraception and pregnancy testing and advice.

-services available from both personal GPS and GP led health centres

- 48 hour appointment for specialist sexual health centres

- a city wide website and phoneline for public use

To contribute to this strategy click here go to "get involved" and then click "consultations"

Reclaim the Night

2008-11-24T15:45:00.004Z

Saturday 22nd of November was the 5th anniversary of the national Reclaim the Night March.

There are an estimated 47,000 rapes every year, around 40,000 attempted rapes and over 300,000 sexual assaults (BCS). Yet our conviction rate is the lowest it has ever been, one of the lowest in Europe, at only 5.3%.
I went along to march and show my support, as these are issues that I come across in both my role generally, and in casework and ones that I feel particularly passionate about.

"The Reclaim The Night marches started in the UK in the 1970s. Marches took place in Leeds, Manchester, Bristol, London and many other cities. The Reclaim the Night marches became even more significant when, in following years, a man called Peter Sutcliffe began murdering prostitute women in and around Leeds. Feminists in the area were angry that the police response to these murders was slow and that the press barely reported on them. It seemed that it was only when young student women began to fall victim to this serial killer that the police started to take the situation seriously. Their response was to warn all women not to go out at night. This was not a helpful suggestion for any woman, let alone for those women working in prostitution who often had no choice about whether they worked at night or not. Feminists and a variety of women’s and student groups were angered by this response. So they organised a resistance of torch-lit marches and demonstrations — they walked in their hundreds through the city streets at night to highlight that they should be able to walk anywhere and that they should not be blamed or restricted because of male violence.

Over the years the marches evolved to focus on rape and male violence generally, giving women one night when they could feel safe to walk the streets of their own towns and cities.

Today we walk for the same reasons. Because we still have not got these rights; because women are still blamed for rape and male violence. An ICM poll commissioned by Amnesty International in 2005 found that over one third of the British public surveyed believed that women were sometimes wholly or partly to blame if they were raped, for example if they had been drinking, if they flirted or dressed outrageously.

Today we march, as so many women have done before us to say that we are NEVER to blame for rape and male violence. Those men who choose to commit these crimes are to blame. We march today to demand our right to live without the fear or reality of rape and male violence, we demand an end to male violence against women, we take back this night to win the day."

The Wolverhampton Great HE Funding Debate

2008-11-21T19:36:00.003Z

I was invited to the Great HE Funding Debate in Wolverhampton and attended as a panellist.

I spoke on a panel with the a pro VC and the Dean of Students, which was pretty scary. Our topic was "Should Universities be looking for funding from outside the box- i.e business contributions, graduate tax etc" and to summarise I argued this-

-> In the current top up fee system the contribution of the individual is too high. This contribution could outweigh the contribution of the state if the £3000 cap on fees is lifted, and it is a massive financial risk to take with no guarantee of success or graduate premium. Rather than being a sound financial investment, tuiton fees are becoming more like an overpriced lottery ticket.

-> For these reasons a future funding system must ensure two things- that the focus is moved away from the individual student to contribute to their tuition, and that any individual contribution must be relative.

-> The business sector benefits greatly from a profit enhancing graduate workforce, and therefore must take some responsibility in funding higher education.

-> Those who earn more should pay more. The contribution that you make to higher education must be proportional to your benefit. I argued for a fixed rate graduate tax, to be paid off for a period of time following graduation (subject to a minimum salary)

.... to be continued

Supporting a Pharmacy on Campus

2008-11-20T21:25:00.004Z

Applications have beeen made to site a pharmacy on our Edgbaston campus.
The pharmacy would be open 8.30am-6.00pm Monday to Friday and 9am-1pm on a Saturday.

The pharmacy will include services such as screening services, emergency contraception, gluten free food supply and stop smoking services.

The Guild were asked to comment on the proposals, and so I wrote a letter supporting the initiative.
Will keep you posted

Multicultural Week

2008-11-20T09:18:00.004Z

For some time now, myself and Rich Walker Vice President (Student Activities and Development) have been making plans for the Guild's first ever Multicultural Week type event of this kind or on this scale.

MCW will take place in February. There is so much still to organise- including naming the event. Any suggestions are most welcome, and if anyone wants to volunteer even better- the more the merrier. Email h.jones@guild.bham.ac.uk (Subject "Multicultural Week") with ideas or to volunteer.

We are hoping for the event to take place across campus, out at halls of residences and in Selly Oak and some of the events that we hope to include are an international volunteering fair, high profile speakers, art and photography exhibitions, drama, cuisine, sport, music and a fashion show.

Will keep you updated

NUS Extraordinary Conference

2008-11-18T21:38:00.003Z

Wednesday was the NUS extraordinary conference in Wolverhampton Civic Hall. An extraordinary conference is basically an emergency conference which is called in between annual conferences.

The purpose of this conference was to discuss NUS Reform, which I have blogged about on a number of occasions previously.

The Guild passed policy to support the changes that the conference aimed to implement, and I am happy to tell you that the proposals had overwhelming support, and passed with an 82% majority.

There were also many amendments made to the proposals, including a National Ballot, where 5% of NUS membership could request a vote.

Employment Rights

2008-11-11T16:29:00.003Z

Since being elected, I've been working on initiatives to raise awareness of student rights at work, and implementing processes through which we can help students having problems. Here is a quick blog to update you on the work I've been doing in conjunction with the Jobzone.

Established termly drop in sessions from TUC representatives (although we also have the potential for more regular drop ins if a pattern of complaints arises). The first one of these occured last week and was very successful.

I have also begun to look into establishing an agency for jobs on campus, which was passed by the second meeting of Guild Council. This agency reflects the fact that students in temporary/agency employment are at a higher risk than those in permanent work. 4-5% of the jobs in Jobzone are currently sourced from campus any way, but under the current process- students seeking temporary work on campus have to complete the application process each time they go for a new appointment.
An agency would mean that we would have an established, ready trained pool of students eligible for temporary vacancies on campus without having to apply on each occasion.

Future plans for this initiative include a mentor awareness campaign on rights at work, outreach work through Jobzone/TUC roadshows (with focus on satellite sites) and potentially a drive to increase trade union membership across the student body.

The Jobzone will also continue with its employment enhancement intitatives, for example free courses in English for international students and free food hygeine and customer service training.

Keep checking back as I hope to be able to update you more soon

OIA

2008-11-11T15:19:00.004Z

This week I attended a workshop run by the OIA.

"The Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education ("OIA") operates an independent student complaints scheme pursuant to the Higher Education Act 2004." It is a service that is free for students to utilise.

Last academic year, the OIA recieved 1400 enquiries and 730 official complaints, of which 599 were eligible to pursue.

The workshop was very useful, particularly in relation to the direct representation that I carry out on appeal hearings, disciplinary committees, plagarism hearings and fitness to practise panels. I am also confident now, that if a student is unsucessful through the University structures, we can refer them to the OIA to pursue the complaint independently.

We did a lot of work on ensuring that the procedures at our individual institutions were fit for purpose and student friendly, and also picked up advice on successful representation.

Amsterdam Hitch

2008-11-10T18:59:00.002Z

This weekend, myself Rich Walker Vice President (Student Activities and Development) and Ed Sparkes, Vice President (External) of Carnival took part in a charity hitch hike to Amsterdam.

We hitched from the Bristol Road to Hull, then got the ferry to Brugge, then hitched from Brugge to Amsterdam. Our group were the first to arrive in Amsterdam but unfortunately we were robbed of a victory by a group of runaway brides.

Every hitcher raised at least £60 for Carnival. This will be added to the massive pot of funds that Carnival has raised over the year, and allocated to a number of charities at a meeting on the 12th of November.

A brilliant weekend was had by all, and it was great to see the amazing things that our student groups do. For more information about Carnival, check out their website here or join the Carnival is Awesome Facebook group.

YES WE CAN!!!

2008-11-05T05:44:00.005Z

Tonight the Guild of Students hosted a US Election Party in Joes Bar.

Joes was packed out with both Obama and McCain supporters, who hung around until 5.30am to see Barack Obama elected as the next President of the United States of America.

Then came the acceptance speech... which was really inspiring and had the whole of the bar in complete silence.

"It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled – Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America. "

"For that is the true genius of America – that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow."

"This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time – to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth – that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: "

To see Redbrick's coverage of the event, click here
To read BULS coverage of the US elections, click here

Balance Your Books

2008-10-28T21:57:00.004Z

One of my manifesto promises was to make the mentor scheme more dynamic and inspiring, and during my hustings I spoke a lot about making the campaigns that the student mentor scheme runs more relevant and pro active.

The first campaign that I have fed into was launched this week, and can be viewed on the Guild website here.

Balance Your Books is a campaign which addresses the financial difficulties that many students face, and offers easy advice and sources of information. Last year at NUS regional conference, we were presented with a cheque to represent the massive underspend on the part of our University on bursaries. This means that students were entitled to financial help from the University, and for some reason or another, did not recieve it.

This makes it clear that many students are confused by the bursary system, which is riddled with complexity.The campaign aims to heighten the awareness of financial help available to our students, how to apply, and where to find the support to guide you through your application.

The campaign is so relevant in the current economic climate, with the expected increase in food and fuel costs more and more students are going to find themselves in serious financial difficulties.

Check out the website- which has loads of information and a budget planner that you can download

Broke and Broken- NUS Video

2008-10-26T14:52:00.000Z

NUS Broke and Broken Report

Guild TV News

2008-10-25T12:27:00.001+01:00

The latest GTV News Video- for more info on Guild TV, check out their website here

The first Guild Council of the year...

2008-10-24T01:01:00.004+01:00

Last night was the first meeting of Guild Council (and also the first official post GC curry of the year- see photo)

It was a good meeting we had some good debates- and it finished at a reasonable time- an advantage that we are rarely awarded. It was also great to see some new faces in the room.

Guild Council voted on 11 motions all together, but I am most excited about the following...

-> to call NUS Extraordinary conference, and vote in favour of the reform proposals
-> To stock One Water in our bars and to lobby The Spar, and other outlets on campus to stock One Water and One Condoms (woop!)
-> To endorse the NUS 11 Point Manifesto on Sexual Health
-> To look into creating a Guild letting agent
-> And also an enforcement of having an affiliated Taxi company, and relaunching the night bus!

Broke and Broken- Students in the Red

2008-10-22T10:46:00.004+01:00

I wrote blogs over the summer, on why HE is unfair and why we need a fairer funding system. If any of you were at my introductory talks during Welcome Week you would have heard me speak about the 2009 review of the cap on tuition fees and the national campaign for a fairer funding system.

Ben Whittaker, from the NUS National Executive Committee (NEC) was also at our fresher's fairs explaining the national campaign (see picture).

Variable fees represent the biggest threat to students in years- student debt is reaching record levels. The whole system is underpinned by an overly complex bursary and support system, typified by massive inequality.

This is why the National Union of Students (NUS) passed policy at annual conference, to oppose the marketisation of higher education and demand that the national campaign addresses all of the failures in the current system.

Vice President (Education and Access) Tom Marley will be writing a series of blogs to keep you informed on the campaign, but I am going to use this blog to tell you about the upcoming West Midlands Area NUS (WMANUS) action.

WMANUS are holding a regional day of action, which will take place some time in November (date to be confimed). The regional campaign will include action on individual campuses, and then a regional collective rally with speakers. The theme of the day is students in the red, and every MP and Vice Chancellor in the region will recieve a red suprise! Keep reading for updates!

Calling Student Parents

2008-10-19T14:31:00.002+01:00

The National Union of Student's Welfare and Women's campaigns, have combined to conduct research on the experiences of students with children in both further and higher education. The results of this research will be utlisied to shape the NUS campaigns on improving the experience of students with children in the future.

"We know from the research that we have already carried out that learners can face problems to do with student finance and benefits, course organisation and childcare, and that studying with children can sometimes be an isolating and stressful experience. We also know that individuals and their families benefit enormously from parental education and that further and higher education can have a huge impact on child poverty and children's educational attainment."

The survey should take 15-20 minutes to complete, and everyone who completes it will have the chance to be entered into a draw to win one of three £50 High Street Vouchers.
The survey results are completely anonymous and can be completed here

Central Kitchen

2008-10-17T10:13:00.002+01:00

The sabbatical officer group were lucky enough to get an invitation to University Central Kitchen over on The Vale last week. We got a tour of the HUGE kitchen, which produces 37,000 meals per week, for all catering outlets across campus.

We went all around the kitchens, through walk in fridges with very tempting cakes, saw Fresh Thinking- where many student groups and the RAs get food for events and even a fridge just for cheese. WOW WOW WOW.

Some fun facts from the tour....

-> The kitchen use non alcoholic wine in their recipes- to cater for students with specific dietary requirements
-> They get through 39,000 kgs of chips each week
-> And 15 litres of soup per day!
-> AND 140 cucumbers

I will add more facts when the rest of the sabbs remind me what they were!
We are all off to the Hub at Shackleton soon for tea- will let you know how Central Kitchen fair up!

Abortion Rights

2008-10-10T15:45:00.006+01:00

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill was debated in the last session of parliament, before the summer recess. The Bill was established to update the 1990 Act- however amendments to restrict abortion law were tabled during the passage of the bill.

During this time, the Guild of Students passed policy to enforce our pro choice position- opposing amendments to decrease the time limit for women wishing to have an abortion and solidifying our commitment to the belief that it is the right of individual women to decide what happens to their own bodies.

The amendments were an area of contentious and intense debate, but they eventually fell by 233 in favour to 304 votes against. Members of last years sabbatical team- Laura, Naush, Rhea and Lizzy went to parliament to join the Abortion Rights lobby and even got snapped by BBC News.

In addition to my role at the Guild of Students, I also help out with the West Midlands Area NUS Women's Campaign. Along with Sophie Kettell, WMANUS Convenor I attended a public meeting in the Houses of Parliament in October, regarding further amendments tabled regarding abortion law, due to be debated on the 22nd of October. Such amendments included extending abortion law to Northern Ireland, letting women take the abortion pill in the comfort of their own homes and removing the law that requires women to visit two doctors before an abortion is approved.

Other amendments, designed to restrict abortion law were tabled, including enforcing a 'cooling off' period before an abortion is approved and increasing the number of doctors required to approve the procedure. After attending this meeting, I set about the task of writing to every MP in the West Midlands, urging them to vote accordingly on all relevant amendments when the Bill is in its final stages of debate (check out the stack of letters in the first photo!).

With allegations of fillibusters and procedural motions to push specific amendments off the agenda, and thus away from the governmental radar, Abortion Rights organised another lobby outside parliament.

Myself and some of the Women's Network Association went along to show our support the Abortion Rights movement, and our solidarity to the women of Northern Ireland (see second picture).

Wellbeing Fair

2008-09-23T09:09:00.004+01:00

Myself and Sparky planned and organised the Wellbeing Fair, which took place in the Underground on Monday the 22nd of September. It was really busy and I got to meet lots of students- old and new.

We decided to develop the Wellbeing Fair this year, and progressed from the usual focus of sport and exercise, expanding the theme to include mental wellbeing, sexual health, drugs and alcohol and then general niceness.

The fair definately had something for everyone- there were loads of stalls so I am going to list my top 5 features of the fair.

1 -> FREE massages
2-> "Smoke Free" PINK bingo pens
3-> Self Defence Demonstrations (plus LOADS of sign ups to Domeneque's self defence classes)
4-> My wheelie bin full of condoms
5 -> Wii Sports

There were LOADS of stalls, a body pit stop, where students could find ouy how fit they are and a pledge wall, where 100s of students set themselves goals for the year ahead. There were loads of pledges, ranging from "I will go swimming 5 times a week" to "I will quit smoking" to "I will walk to the pizza shop instead of ordering in"- every step counts I guess! Thank you for everybody that came along! Hope you had a good time!

Welcome Week

2008-09-21T21:44:00.007+01:00

As you can all possibly guess, Welcome Week is probably the busiest week of the year at the Guild of Students and my favourite week of the year (other than Christmas Week- I like Christmas).

I just thought I would write a quick blog to fill you what I have been/will be up to this week....

-> I visited students in Mason, Tennis Courts and Elgar Court as they moved in and had their welcome talks
-> I enjoyed a wonderful interpretive dance from Timothy Stillwell, President of Tennis Courts (see picture 1)
-> I represented 2 students in University disciplinary hearings- yes, in Welcome Week!
-> I ran the Wellbeing Fair with Mark Smith, Vice President Sport- to follow in a later blog
-> I went to the Tennis Courts welcome BBQ
-> I collected 100s of questionnaires with Domeneque- Women's Officer on single sex gym sessions and active lifestyle classes- this data will be collated and hopefully used to lobby the Munrow for more female only sessions
-> I went to Gatecrasher as a "POSH VIP"
-> I got over 500 students to sign Oggy's petition stating that halls of residence prices at Birmingham are too high- it was great to see that so many students feel so strongly on this issue- home students to students on campus, first years to post grads everybody had an opinion... it's going to be a biggy!
-> I took LOADS of photos of people with the petition (see picture 2 on the right for a picture of me with it)
-> I got a goody bag full of amazing freebies
-> I gave away 3 wheelie bins full of condoms
-> I had a free massage
-> I made the Guild Officer Group travelling stall for the fairs (it looks AWESOME- see picture 3 below)
-> I started recruiting for the Multicultural Week steering group, with Rich Walker- VPSAD
-> I helped out Hannah at the Change Your World Fair on Tuesday the 23rd of September
-> I joined Birmingham Labour Students
-> I went to the International Student Welcome Ball, and watched cultural performances and a fashion show
-> I disco danced in the silent disco marquee at the Masquerade Ball =]
-> I watched Scott Mills from the balcony in the Deb Hall
-> I talked to students about Broke and Broken, the NUS Higher Education Funding Campaign
-> I joined Carnival
-> I gave presentations on the Guild to new students in Sociology, Accounting, Medicine, Maths and Computer Science

So what have I been up to so far?

2008-09-15T21:35:00.005+01:00

Browsing through my blog roll, I noticed that the majority of my blogs have been on issues that I care about that are related to my job role. So as not to lose focus of the actual action behind these random rants and musing, I decided to write a quick blog before bedtime to list the things I've been up to since the 1st of August.

-> I lobbied the PCT to include sexual health provisions in the services offered by Selly Oak's new GP led health centre
-> I secured some funding from the University towards the Nightbus project
-> I planned the Wellbeing Fair, with VPS Mark Smith
-> I set up the Nightbus task group, which has began the research that I spoke of in my Nightbus blog, in addition to researching sponsorship opportunities
-> I developed the terms of reference and established the Guild's Equality and Diversity Committee

-> I started to write a code of practise for taxi companies who bid for our business to adhere to
-> I attended 3 external training courses- NUS APL and ATA, and Common Purpose Frontrunner
-> I revised our No Platform policy

-> I won an extreme rock paper scissors championship at Frontrunner training (see picture)
-> I commissioned a mentor campaign on bursaries and budgeting
-> I helped to plan the launch of B WISTE- Birmingham Women in Science, Technology and Engineering
-> I began to plan Multicultural Week, with the VPSAD Rich Walker
-> I started to develop the actions for our equality and diversity strategy as a part of our strategic planning