As the NTSU Exec Team elections are nearing, we got in touch with the four candidates running for the VP Community & Welfare role to help you decide who to vote for.
The VP Community & Welfare is the lead contact within the Union for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion work and for any local groups with an interest in NTSU’s work.
They run campaigns and events focused on student safety and health and wellbeing as well as liaising with the Information and Advice Centre.
Here is what this year’s VP Community & Welfare candidates had to say.
Georgia Rawlings – third-year BA Costume Design and Making
Why are you fit for the VP Community & Welfare role?
I am running for VP Community and Welfare to make a difference in students’ lives. I aim to bring a safer environment along with a large focus on well-being for students at university. I’m also aiming to keep our campus clean and sustainable.
What sets you apart from the other candidates?
I have personal experience with housing and financial challenges, which helps me empathise with and understand the struggles. Mental health has a huge impact on lives which is something I am strongly passionate about. I have experienced unsafe environments and turned to NTU for help, something I wish to make easier to access.
Name one change that you would make if elected that would improve the student experience here at NTU.
If I am elected, I would love to make a more accessible mental health scheme. I would run workshops online and in person for students who would like extra support, and a better understanding of themselves or others around them. I would also make all resources more easily accessible on the NTSU website and in person at SU. I would also always be available for chats via email, Instagram, or in person for instant responses.
Libby Furmedge – fourth-year BA Spanish and Mandarin
Why are you fit for the VP Community & Welfare role?
I have had a lot of experience with welfare and support whilst I’ve been at NTU. I believe it is a role which I know a lot about and have a lot to offer in terms of ideas. My student experience with the area means I’m able to touch base with a lot of students and bring some relatability to the role.
What sets you apart from other candidates?
I am on the committee for NTU Cheerleading, so I have lots of leadership experience which I can utilise as VP Community and Welfare. I don’t think I’m punching in the dark, and I have a lot of passion for the role through my own personal experience.
Name one change that you would make if elected that would improve the student experience here at NTU.
I would listen and try to collaborate with students from all societies and sports clubs. I very much want to promote more diversity and inclusivity among students.
Olivia Brooks – third-year BSc Psychology with Criminology
Why are you fit for the VP Community & Welfare role?
I’m running for VP Community and Welfare as I genuinely care about the welfare of all NTU students and the greater society. University can be the most crucial three years (or more) in someone’s life for social development, adoption of skills and education, so creating an environment that enables all students to thrive and reach their potential is integral to me. In my work within my society so far, I have noticed how much of a safe place it can be for our members, so I aim to replicate that safe environment for the whole of NTU.
What sets you apart from other candidates?
What sets me apart is how I’ve been involved with many positive changes around NTU already. I have first-hand knowledge of how to tackle the issue of night safety from my work as Welfare Crew and my role in Women’s Welfare. My society was also involved in Girls’ Night Out too.
I am also an ambassador of Where You At, an app that helps you find your friends in a club; you may have seen me at our launch night at City SU. I won the most downloads that night with 157!
Branching away from nightlife, another thing that sets me apart from candidates is that I was actively involved in Movember, hosting the Movember Quiz at the Loft last year.
I believe I’ve influenced making NTU safer already by creating the safe taxi awareness posts, raising awareness on spiking, and solely co-ordinating self-defence sessions for the Burlesque society, NTU pole, and Women’s Welfare. So, this role will allow me to do this work on a much greater scale.
Name one change that you would make if elected that would improve the student experience here at NTU.
The big change I would make is to tackle the stigma surrounding men’s mental health by implementing More Than Movember – an organisation at NTU that will raise awareness about the issues surrounding men’s mental health. Men commit three in four of the suicides in the UK, and with that, male student suicide rates are statistically higher than females: 5.6 deaths per 100,000 compared to 2.5 deaths per 100,000.
This shows the importance of the issue, and throughout my time at university, I’ve noticed how there are plenty of safe places for women but a lack of such spaces for men. Thus, implementing More Than Movember will improve the student experience tenfold, by raising consistent awareness of the issues that affect men: testicular cancer, the stigma around speaking up about sexual assault, and much more.
I also plan to do termly fundraisers, raising awareness for a separate issue each time. I’m really passionate about the issue, and I believe it should be a priority that NTU focuses on.
Yash Verma is also a candidate for the VP Community & Welfare role and has been contacted.
Platform Magazine did not receive a response from him.
The candidates’ full manifestos can be read here.
For more information about when hustings and voting will take place, click here.