The Bucks Student: Edition 95

It’s time to get democratic.

VOTING OPENS

VOTE ONLINE

VOTING CLOSES

Monday 1 March at 10am

bucksstudentsunion.org/ elections

Friday 5 March at noon

March 2021 - Edition 95

2 The Bucks Student

Welcome In this edition: Sabb update . . . . . . . . . . 3 Marching into March

Editor’s update . . . . . . . 4 Lockdown musings

Bucks wins. . . . . . . . . . . . 5 What have they been up to?

Period poverty . . . . . . . . 6

Page 9 - Zuzanna is back with an exclusive Oceans on Mars interview.

Period times with Amy...

Struggles and challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 How Joanna overcame adversity in her life

Forgotten voices . . . . . . 8 Explore the new project

Oceans on Mars interview. . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Zuzanna shares her interview

Events calendar . . . . . 10

You made it March! And we’re nearly entering a full year of disruption from the pandemic - a sentence I hoped I would never have to say or type. But now with the most recent announcements, the end really does seem in sight and tangible.

But what do you think to the easing of the lockdown? Can you not wait to get back to a nightclub as soon as possible? Or are you happy staying in the fort that you’ve become so accustomed to? It’d be great to hear about what you’re planning for when lockdown ends, so as always you can let us know by dropping an email to editor@thebucksstudent.com.

We’re more than happy to publish any other of your story or thoughts, just let us know if you have any content, articles, images, interviews or achievements you’re proud of, drop an email to editor@thebucksstudent.com to get started.

Nick and pronouns . . 12 For all advertising and media enquiries please contact the Students’ Union Communications and Marketing department.

A word from Nick Braisby

Welfare update. . . . . . 14 Wellbeing week reflections . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Podcasts. . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Prepare your ears, for three new and returning podcasts!

Mental Health Matters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

GO AND VOTE! Monday 1 March at 10am – Friday 5 March at noon bucksstudentsunion.org/ elections

Simon McDowell simon.mcdowell@bucks.ac.uk Oli Gunson oli.gunson@bucks.ac.uk Nellie Hughes nellie.hughes@bucks.ac.uk Articles in this newspaper do not necessarily represent the views of Bucks Students’ Union but are that of the specific author. View this edition online at bucksstudentsunion.org/media/ newspaperarchive. © 2021 Bucks Students’ Union

3

Sabb update

March edition 95

By Tamsin Grainger (she/her), Tash Neal (she/her), Tom Featherstone (he/him)

Well I can safely say this is one of the most exciting updates so far...

Tamsin Grainger - President

Tom Featherstone – VPSI

Tash Neal – VPEW

I am going to start by saying we can proudly announce that I went and pitched the concept of the University adopting the use of pronouns and the motion was approved! This means going forward staff who are comfortable to do so will be putting their pronouns in their email signatures and meeting IDs. To follow this, I am also super proud to announce that Bucks new Uni have agreed to provide free period products in bathrooms on all three campuses. This was a massive effort from all of the Students Union staff, and we feel a great step forward to making Bucks the best environment it can possibly be for students.

From these achievements it has also started further conversations on what we can do to support our students such as… educating the academic staff on how period can effect learning, non-Gender bathrooms, the re-evaluation of Exams over a certain time period and the further educational material on LGBTQ+ rights in the institution.

To follow this we have had some progression with our We Stand

By You campaign. We have so far received a response from Michel Donelan the Minister of State for Universities and Miss N. Stewart, Ministerial and Public Communications Division. We are currently in the process of writing a response to these letters and will then share them out to the wide student audience, so keep your eyes peeled for that.

And lastly, I am so happy to announce that we will be running a podcast calendar which will have lots of new and exciting things to get involved with and listen to. These podcasts will be the “Sabb’s Tea Party” which is a chance to hear all the exciting things we have planned and just in general get to know us better. “More than Meets the Eye” which will be discussing a different Hidden Disability each month and bringing light to the struggles those who suffer with a hidden disability have to go through but also building that community atmosphere at bucks. “That Time of the Month” which is in partner with our Period Poverty campaign, with the aim of creating a safe space for people to ask questions, share their stories and break the stigma of period being a taboo subject. We have so many more in the works but you will have to wait to hear about those!

That’s it from me this month, I hope you are all safe and doing well in these difficult times and remember I am always around if you need to talk to anyone. My email is tamsin. grainger@bucks.ac.uk and by Facebook is @BucksSUPres

4

Editor’s update

The Bucks Student

By Jessy Clark (she/her)

Editor’s update Hi all, Jessy here! (She/Her) I hope the lockdown isn’t treating you all too badly, and you’re keeping yourselves busy with coursework, hobbies, and spending time with the loved ones you may be stuck with!

I’d love to hear what you’ve all been up to the past few months, perhaps we can feature some in one of our upcoming editions!

For this update however, I’d like to talk about how important pacing yourself is for your mental wellbeing.

Studying remotely isn’t anyone’s ideal situation, especially when there are limitations to your course because of it. Your routine isn’t nearly the same now that you aren’t getting ready and going to lectures in person, maybe heading to the library or the gym after, maybe spending time with friends in the afternoon before heading home.

But that doesn’t have to mean that you can’t keep yourself preoccupied and busy between those virtual seminars and tutorials.

Lately I’ve found it so helpful to jot down to-do lists for every day of the week. I’ll write them up the night before or as soon as I get up in the morning.

That way, I can kill two birds with one stone by getting some personal chores out of the way and set my own little routine at the same time.

This, as small as it is, can be so good for your mental health as it enables you to feel accomplished- even the smallest of victories count!

When our lives are restricted to certain measures, there is no shame in focusing on things that in a normal-non-pandemic day you’d see less important.

For instance, I have been taking care of my house plants embarrassingly seriously.

And by that I mean, thermometers, watering set days, drop feeders in every pot, misting and even wiping down those big leaves with a cloth and plant tonic.

Ooh yeah, I’m a mother of thirteen.

Regardless of how you decide to spend your time, remember that everyone is in the same situation and no one can judge your growing obsession over indoor gardening, excessive online purchases, new found love for cartoons and anime, or whatever your pandemic agenda might be!

The most important thing that matters is your health, both emotionally and mentally, and finding ways to keep yourself at ease in these truly strange and scary times.

If you would like to get involved with the Newspaper and writer’s newsgroup, you can always drop an email to us at editor@thebucksstudent.com or j_essyclark@hotmail.com.

5

Bucks Wins

March edition 95

By Tamsin Grainger (she/her), Tash Neal (she/her), Tom Featherstone (he/him)

We’re kicking off March with just one big ol’ win for now.

It’s something we’re incredibly proud of and we hope you will be too!

BUCKS Got approval for free period products across all campuses!

WINS!

6

Period times with Amy

The Bucks Student

By Amy Pile

Period times with Amy...

Amy shares her experience with periods as a Mum Growing up I was always told that our ‘lady time of the month’ was a private issue. I was the youngest of five children and three of my siblings were boys.

I learned about periods at school when I was 10 years old in 1996 and I remember all the boys in the class laughed and said “ewww” as animated pictures were shown, I laughed along with them agreeing it was disgusting. I never shared any official period talk with my friends, as I grew up if we said to each other we had some tummy pains we knew exactly what that meant, it was your own personal secret.

Times began to change as I got older hitting my twenties, girl talk started to include your period and you started to share personal information. We were openly asking each other things like, do you suffer badly with pain, do you bleed a lot, does it make you hungry? The list became endless.

But I remember the big topics that were occasionally discussed, tampons vs pads, and more importantly, cost! Cost was important; I mean who really wants to spend a lot on products every month for something we did not ask for? There are budget option but then again, I did not like the cheaper products as they just did not feel comfortable to me. So where does that leave us?

As time went on, I entered my thirties and there seemed to be more talk about periods from adverts on TV to people happily posting on Facebook that they were grumpy because it’s their “time of the month” and of course there were still people who felt this subject should be kept private on not put on Facebook as who wants to know about that?

When my two eldest daughters started their periods, it was important for me to talk as much as I could about it. Not just when they entered this time of their life but I’ve been talking about it since they were little (I mean children always want to talk to you when you are on the toilet). It is important that they voice how they feel and that they know this is not something they should be embarrassed about or feel ashamed for.

Cost is now bit a factor in my life now as it’s not just me needing period products, but three of us!

It’s expensive and I have had to put other bits of shopping back sometimes so that we have these in the house. I’m so proud of the #BloodyGoodBucks campaign as now I’m a student, it really is vital that not only can we talk about it openly but also for it not to be a financial burden. Period Poverty should not be around today and we should all be able to bleed with dignity.

“Whenever I was in class and there were girls coming to me asking for a tampon, they always used to whisper and hide the tampon in their clothes when going to the bathroom which always made me a bit sad because there is nothing to be ashamed of. They also looked everywhere so that boys won’t see them when handing the tampon.”

– one of many student experiences

Do you want to share your period story with us?

You can submit it anonymously over on our #BloodyGoodBucks website page.

“The first time I started my period, I didn’t realise what it actually was. I remember running down stairs to my mum, thinking that I had to go to hospital. And my mum just stared at me and laughed.”

– another student experience!

7

Not letting struggles define you

March edition 95

By Joanna Rosa Mendes

Struggles and Challenges Life is indeed full of challenges especially as an individual who has faced and is still facing them. Life has a way of bringing me fresh and unpredictable obstacles that block my priorities and push me to make changes. Throughout life, I have faced difficulties, such as being diagnosed with a learning difficulty called dyspraxia and being diagnosed with invasive breast cancer at 25, I look at these challenges as a series of tests. These are not there to deter you from reaching your goals, but to treat these obstacles as a blessing in disguise. In life, challenges are important in life for character building. As these have not stopped me from chasing my goals and ambitions, I wouldn’t call these obstacles. It has taught me patience, confidence and resilience. Dyspraxia is a condition of developmental coordination that is a disorder involving movement and coordination. I struggled in high school as I found it more difficult to make friends and found it hard to remember information and needed a 1:1 mentor in all of my classes. What nobody wants to face is being diagnosed with cancer and going through treatment, but I was treated with chemo, a lumpectomy and radiotherapy and I grieved for the person I was when I lost my hair. I refused, however, to be a woman who allowed cancer to define me. I don’t like anything getting in my way or slowing me down when I set my eyes on a goal, but I know we always come up against obstacles in life. It is during these challenges that I have to learn to conquer them. I thought it helped me to shift my perspective when facing these obstacles, and the encouragement and motivation that I got from family was and still is inspiring. Now, being in university doing my nursing degree and finally going after my objectives has made me realise that dyspraxia and a past diagnosis of breast cancer won’t hold me back from doing what I want to do in life.

8

Forgotten voices

The Bucks Student

By Michelle Charles

‘The Forgotten Voices’ project is a Bucks New University student project which aims to educate and spread awareness by giving voices to those unheard.

We will be hosting a Virtual Event via Zoom and our website on Wednesday 17 March 2021 from 7 until 9pm.

Details can be found at: theforgottenvoicesproject.squarespace.com and you can contact us on theforgottenvoicesproject@gmail.com

Our Vision

Our Aims

Our Team

Our vision is to enlighten and inform about LGBTQ+, climate change and #BeKind in a constructive way. We will do this by informing people beforehand about the issues, by using different organisations close to our themes, as well as our own research to inform people before the event.

We feel this will give people the interest and understanding to fully submerge themselves into the piece. It should make people think about their own experiences on some front in at least one of the issues.

We aim to create a successful online event through audience engagement, showcasing performances, activities, educational lectures, discussions, presentations, and fundraisers. We will do this through a film, which will allow us to explore site-specific choreography to enhance the themes. This will also allow us to achieve strong outreach during the Coronavirus Pandemic by using a virtual platform.

Michelle Charles Co-Project Manager & Health, Safety & COVID-19 Officer

Our Mission Our mission is to educate and raise awareness to important topics such as LGBTQ+, Climate Change and #BeKind. We aim to reach out to anyone who wishes to seek information and understand further about these topics as we believe that issues surrounding LGBTQ+, Climate Change and #BeKind must be heard. We believe our project will start conversation and raise awareness about the issues we face in today’s society.

Our Fundraisers We have held fundraising events throughout the year to raise money for our project and increase the outreach to our target audience.

The donations will go towards our online event and chosen charities.

Our contacts Facebook: The Forgotten Voices Project Instagram: @theforgottenvoicesproject Just Giving: The Forgotten Voices Project

Lianne Sellar Co-Project Manager & Choreographer Abbie Hammant Secretary & Co-Artistic Director Justyna Swiderek Co-Artistic Director & Choreographer Delano Davies Videographer, Choreographer & Social Media Team Lilly-Faye Dunhill Marketing & Social Media Manager Emilie Bloch Treasurer & Fundraiser Claire Fisher Minute Taker & Fundraiser Fay Beesley Stage Manager & Social Media Team

9

Oceans on Mars interview

March edition 95

By Zuzanna Majewska

Oceans on Mars interview Oceans on Mars is an alternative rock band based in Manchester. Today they released their new single “Mirror” which is a perfect way to start 2021. You can hear that they are inspired by 90’s alternative bands, but they managed to find their own dark and unique sound to create something incredible.

Do you have a dream venue where you want to play in the future?

Angus: It would have to be Manchester Arena. I couldn’t imagine having 20,000 people watching us! However Manchester’s O2 Ritz would be close as well. We were supposed to support Jordan Allen last year in April but sadly it got cancelled.

How would you compare your new song “Mirror” to your previous singles?

Can you say something about the atmosphere while recording your new single?

Angus: It is definitely a change of direction from our other singles as we have gradually got more heavy and more experimental with “Mirror”. If you listen to the catalogue of songs before 2019 you will hear the influence of grunge slowly getting added to each song.

Angus: We recorded this track at Whitewood recording studios with our producer Robert Whitley over 4 days. Like most studio sessions it begins with a lot of us being very energetic to get this recorded, especially once hearing the first demo, we felt very differently about this track compared to the others.

However as you can imagine you can burn yourself out too!

Your songs seem to be very personal. What does your writing process look like?

Angus: The writing process has followed with our lead guitarist, Angus, bringing the bulk of the song to the table. Then getting finalised with the lads by changing or adding various sections.

Who is your biggest inspiration?

Angus: I think our biggest inspiration is definitely SoundGarden. The lyricism of Chris Cornell is fantastic and has inspired me to do the same and create that dark, grunge sound in a lot of our songs.

Do you remember that moment when you realised “I want to be a musician; this is what I want to do for a living”?

Angus: I think for me it was when I saw AC/DC live for the first time as a kid, that’s when I knew I wanted to play the guitar. I was also named after Angus Young so I couldn’t not be into rock music!

Make sure to check out their new single “Mirror”.

Photo credits: Photographer: @ kickposters Dan Freebairn Visit TeaIndie.com to find more interviews.

10

Events calendar | 1 March - 14 March

The Bucks Student

We may be in lockdown, but we’re still providing you with all the events to help pass the time!

If you don’t see an event listed below, check online nearer the time; bucksstudentsunion.org/whatson

Monday 1 Online art group

Noon - What’s on page

AJ and the Queen All day - Netflix

Tuesday 2

Wednesday 3

Thursday 4

TED Talks - Sports

Netflix Party: The Blue Planet

Mental Health First Aid

All day - What’s on page

Mental Health in Student Sport

All day - What’s on page

4pm - Netflix

#GetBUCSActive

All day - What’s on page

11am - What’s on page

Green Week Guest Speaker - Dopelle

3pm - What’s on page

Sustainable Beauty Face Mask Session 4pm - What’s on page

Friday 5

Saturday 6

Fairtrade Breakfast

Look out for a big Kahoot Quiz: Celebrities 8pm - Kahoot announcement for Saturdays coming soon!

11am - Zoom

Pads and pamper evening

Sunday 7

6pm - What’s on page

Monday 8 Online art group

Noon - What’s on page

Intl. Women’s Day Panel Event

4pm - What’s on page

AJ and the Queen

Kung Fu President!

All day - Netflix

6pm - What’s on page

Tuesday 9

Wednesday 10

Thursday 11

Friday 12

TED Talks - Sports

Life Drawing

Out and About with Richard in Aylesbury

Play Youth Volunteer

All day - What’s on page

5pm - What’s on page

All day - What’s on page

All day - What’s on page

Saturday 13

Sunday 14

Look out for a big announcement for Saturdays coming soon!

Kahoot Quiz: St. Patrick’s Day 8pm - Kahoot

Have a burning idea for an event, or need to get in touch with our events team? Drop an email to suevents@bucks.ac.uk.

We’re always on the look out for new activities, and are happy to listen to whatever you fancy doing.

Or, maybe you’d like to have a go at hosting a virtual event? We can do that too so let us know!

HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO DO WHEN YOU LEAVE BUCKS? WHY NOT STAY A LITTLE LONGER AND CONTINUE YOUR JOURNEY WITH US?

EXCLUSIVE POSTGRADUATE EVENT JUST FOR BUCKS NEW UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Current PG student Q&A .............................................3pm – 4pm Entrepreneurship talk .....................................................3.30pm – 4.30pm Admissions Q&A ..............................................................5pm – 6pm Fees & finance Q&A ........................................................5pm – 6pm

COURSE TALKS: Arts performance live and digital ................................12pm – 1pm

WEDNESDAY 10 MARCH 3PM - 5PM

ONLINE

International Aviation Regulation & Law ..................4pm – 5pm Aviation Operations & Management Aviation Organisational Resilience International MBA ............................................................4pm – 5pm International MBA top– up PG Cert Business Leadership Organisational Resilience ...............................................4pm – 5pm Risk & Resilience

3D Animation ....................................................................4pm – 5pm Pre – Visualisation

Public Health ......................................................................4pm – 5pm

Artificial Intelligence .........................................................4pm – 5pm

Mental Health & Wellbeing in Education ..................4pm – 5pm

Audio & Music Production ............................................4pm – 5pm

Music Business ...................................................................4pm – 5pm

Aviation Security ..............................................................4pm – 5pm

Psychology ..........................................................................4pm – 5pm Psychology Conversion Applied Forensic Psychology Applied Positive Psychology

Criminology, Communities & Disorder ......................4pm – 5pm Critical Infrastructure Security ....................................4pm – 5pm Cyber Security ..................................................................4pm – 5pm Educational Practice ........................................................4pm – 5pm Practice Education Film Producing ...................................................................4pm – 5pm Production Management Screen Writin Human Resource Management ....................................4pm – 5pm Interior Design For Health & Wellbeing ...................4pm – 5pm

TO BOOK ON: Continue your journey with Bucks Tickets, Wednesday 10 March 2021 at 3pm | Eventbrite FOR MORE INFORMATION: Continue your journey with Buckinghamshire New University

Migration Studies, Policy & Practice ...........................4pm – 5pm

Physiotherapy ....................................................................4pm – 5pm Risk Management .............................................................4pm – 5pm Rural & Environmental Crome & Policing ................4pm – 5pm Science & Engineering Design ......................................4pm – 5pm Engineering Competence Apprenticeship Social Work .......................................................................4pm – 5pm Child Protection & Adult Safeguarding Sports Therapy .................................................................4pm – 5pm Sports Performance

INSPIRED. EMPOWERED. EMPLOYED.

12

Nick and pronouns

The Bucks Student

By Nick Braisby (he/him)

Pronouns and me with Nick Braisby

When I came out in the late 1980s, things were very different for members of sexual minorities.

For a start, people tended to talk about LGB rights, and since then the acronym has rightly expanded, recognising the commonality of experience for all who feel different because of their sexual identity or orientation. Then, the fight for rights seemed more tangible, with the government choosing not to protect minorities but to further restrict their lives.

Much has changed since then – an equalised age of consent, civil partnerships, same-sex marriage, and protection under the law via the 2010 Equality Act. Bucks already does much to promote equality. We pride ourselves on being an inclusive community and have one of the most diverse student bodies in the UK. We celebrate people with different backgrounds and experiences. In February, we flew the rainbow flag at our High Wycombe campus to recognise LGBTQ+ History Month; and my discussions with the SU recently turned to how we can do more to support the LGBTQ+ community.

In spite of the many changes since I came out, LGBTQ+ people still face significant challenges.

• The student mental health charity, Student Minds, suggests young LGBTQ+ people have higher rates of poor mental health, self-harm and suicide than their nonLGBTQ+ counterparts.

• The 2019 Unite Student Insights Report showed the proportion of HE applicants identifying as LGBTQ+ rose from 16% to 18% between 2017 and 2019. Yet, our most recent data suggest less than 6% of students and 5% of staff declare as LGBTQ+.

So I think we still have more work to do to ensure all our students and staff enjoy the same fantastic experience of University life.

I was delighted then when the Students’ Union suggested a campaign on the declaration of pronouns. We use pronouns all the time of course, describing people as ‘he’ or ‘she’, groups of people as ‘they’ or ‘them’, and inanimate things as ‘it’. As some of these pronouns are gendered, we can inadvertently attribute to someone a gender they are not comfortable with, something which can cause a particular difficulty for individuals who identify as non-binary.

So the SU campaign encourages us all to state, in emails, letters, and meetings, for example, the pronouns others should use when referring to us. For me, it would be he/him, and I might introduce myself in a meeting by stating, “Hello, I am Nick, and go by the pronoun ‘he’”.

To support the campaign, the University will be looking at how we can encourage and support those who want to declare their pronoun use, for example, by issuing new email signature templates for staff to use. In keeping with recommendations from Stonewall, we will not be making the use of such templates, or any other declarations of pronoun use, compulsory. But I would encourage you all to engage with the SU campaign as fully as you are able.

It is only by consistently making changes such as these that we truly deliver on our aim to make Bucks a fully inclusive and supportive learning community.

14

Welfare update

The Bucks Student

By Tash Neal (she/her)

Welfare update Hi Everyone, We are finally heading into March; the hours of sunshine are getting longer, and things seem to be looking up. A lot has been going on behind the scenes over the past few weeks and I wanted to give you all of a more in-depth update of what I have been working on to make sure your educational experience as well as the opportunities to support your welfare are the best they can be during these challenging times.

Firstly, I wanted to begin by saying a massive thank you to all of you who got involved with our fundraising efforts for Brew Monday, raising money for the Samaritans. We raised just over £100 which not only supports the Samaritans but also supports our Community Fundraising for Raise and Give (RAG)which is almost at £700 so far this year! It was great to see pictures of some of you sharing a drink with friends as well, its importance to stay in touch during these challenging times and sharing a virtual cup of tea is a great way to do so!

It was wonderful to see some of you getting involved in our very first Wellbeing Week of 2021 where we wanted to provide a range of sessions that would both support your mental health as well as creating some exciting opportunities to learn something new. We had a variety of sessions ranging from Honest Hours with our Executive Officers, Challenging Behaviour Awareness, Mindful self-care as well as dedicating our social media to signposting specific support resources for our Nursing students which you can find more details of here.

I have also been working with the University to see how we can improve the ways that students are being contacted during the pandemic. Off the back of seeing some examples where students were not given the appropriate support signposting when emailed back from University staff, I worked with the University to provide some guidance on signposting in emails to make sure that students are being provided with the most appropriate support whenever they contacted the University. We curated a signposting document within the University which has been shared with all Heads of Schools to make sure that the appropriate support is always being given. If you have received an email recently where you did not feel it gave a very supportive response please do email surepresentation@ bucks.ac.uk and we can investigate this with the University.

I am also pleased to announce that following on from asking some of our Healthcare placement students what they thought would be a meaningful gift as a thank you for their voluntary actions within the pandemic, that we have bought some Watch Fobs and Hand Creams to provide to any Nursing and Allied Health students as well as any Health and Social Care students who would like one. These will be provided on a first come first served basis so please keep an eye on our socials for this being provided very soon if you are from either of these schools. Thank you for all that you are doing to support the NHS and the wider Covid Pandemic efforts.

Furthermore, our SU Staff members who are part of the newly reinstated Equality and Diversity Committee, all recently went on Equality and Diversity training a few weeks ago which gave some really interesting insight on the different ways that we could become more inclusive as a Student’s Union. I learnt a lot from the training and hope that we can really build this into the plans that we make as a committee to make steps to become more inclusive to all of our students from all backgrounds.

Read on to keep up to date with our upcoming plans...

15 March edition 95

MONEY

Welfare update

By Tash Neal (she/her)

Welfare update Over the next few weeks and months, I am working on: • Running a campaign for Eating Disorder Awareness Week in March, recognising how important it is that everyone is aware firstly of the prevalence around Eating Disorders as well as demonstrating the importance of compassion when it comes to Eating Disorders as they are very prevalent, misunderstood and stereotyped conditions.

• A Sexual and Physical Health campaign where we will be focusing on the importance of looking after your health be it from having a Smear test to doing a Chlamydia test. Although there is a lot of stigma and worry around getting tested it is so incredibly important to have these health tests so that you look after your health properly. It really does save lives and we want to explore the importance of getting checked and the different ways you can do so!

• Continuing to work with the University to see how we can support students further who do not have access to the facilities that they need to study in particular during the Pandemic.

If there is anything else you think should be done to support your educational or welfare experience at Bucks, please drop me a message or an email: Facebook: BucksVPEW Twitter: @BucksVPEW Email: natasha.neal@bucks.ac.uk Stay Safe everyone and I hope to see you all soon!

Bucks Students’ Union

Advice Centre Got a problem?

To make an appointment, email suadvice@bucks.ac.uk, appointments can be:

ADVICE CENTRE

By telephone - we will phone you, through Tellorusonline what it is Teams - we will organise this.

MONEY

Telephone and online appointments are preferable during this current situation and will usually available We help you find a solution!

Please call to make an appointment at either campus for a face-to-face, telephone or Skype appointment. within 24 to 48 hours of a request during the normal working week from 10am to 4pm Mon to Thurs and to 3pm on Fri. Appointments outside these times are possible but may take longerUxbridge to arrange.

High Wycombe Campus: Campus:

ADVICE CENTRE If you have problems in any of these areas we can help:

Monday to Thursday 9am-5pm, Friday 9am-4.30pm Monday to Thursday 9am-5pm, Friday 9am-4.30pm Located: Room N0.03, ground floor, North Block Located: Room 1.03, first floor YOUR PERSONAL LIFE Phone: 01494 603 016 Phone: 01494 605 180 Please call to make an appointment at either campus for a face-to-face, telephone or Skype appointment.

Evening appointments are available outside of standard opening hours at High Wycombe Mon-Thurs: 5pm to 7pm. Please contact us to arrange an appointment at a time to suit you.

High Wycombe Campus: Uxbridge Campus: LEGAL ISSUES

YOUR PERSO

INTERNAT STUDENT

16

Wellbeing week reflections

The Bucks Student

By Sarah Jackson (she/her)

Monday 8 – Friday 12 February In collaboration with The Clare Foundation, Bucks Students’ Union were delighted to deliver Wellbeing Week, a follow up event of Wellbeing Month in October 2020.

We hosted at least one session each day that we felt supported positive mental health and wellbeing and gave you the tools and techniques to remain physically and mentally well. These were all sourced from recognised training providers and available for you to book onto free of charge.

Sessions included: • Challenging Behaviour Awareness • Achieve Your Academic Best • Mental Health Awareness • Personal Wellbeing and Resilience • Goal Setting • Mindful Self Care • Managing Difficult Emotions

All sessions available to you through your award winning SU are always free of charge and we hope that the sessions delivered during Wellbeing Week went some way in supporting you during this particular challenging time.

In addition to these sessions there were opportunities for Honest Hours with our Executive Officers for you to talk openly, in a safe space, with other students within your group. Honest Hours are arranged for you to air your views and experiences and are not attended by any staff members – a really good opportunity to discuss issues but not in a formal setting.

We will be running Honest Hours throughout the remainder of the academic year.

During the week, you were able to access free online fitness classes through The Gateway Gym and these remain available to you as a Bucks student and until the gym can reopen. Remaining physically active has a significant impact on your positive mental health and you can book your place through the University website.

On the Bucks Students’ Union website, you can now access a whole host of resources through our dedicated Mental Health Support page – please do take a look so you are fully aware of what’s available to you and you can always contact the Students’ Union Advice Centre by dropping an email to suadvice@bucks.ac.uk.

If you haven’t already completed feedback about any of our sessions you have attended, please do so when you can. Your feedback is so important in helping us to deliver the most suitable and relevant programme we can and if you wanted to suggest a session or activity, you just need to get in touch with sutraining@bucks.ac.uk The SU team continue to provide opportunities for all our members, that’s you, whether on campus or at home, be that skills enhancement, social activities or volunteering as well as much more. Keep an eye on our What’s On page to get involved and follow our social media accounts.

We hope to see you all in person really soon!

17

New Podcasts

March edition 95

By Tamsin Grainger

Tune in to new podcasts!

This Podcast is in partnership with our campaign based around Hidden Disabilities. We want to use this platform each month to raise awareness for lots of Hidden Disabilities such as Dyslexia, ADHD, Crones and many more. We want to create a safe and empowering space for people to speak about their experiences and help to educate the wider student body to long term create a safer and more inclusive environment at Bucks. If you would like to get involved in this by coming on and talking about your hidden disability or have and ideas for us then please feel free to email us at suradio@bucks.ac.uk

Let’s break the Stigma of PERIODS!!! Join us to talk all things Periods, we want to create a space where students and staff can share funny stories about periods, ask questions, educate and overall just have a chilled chat about your time of the month. If you would like to come on the podcast or have any ideas for us please email suradio@bucks.ac.uk

Sabb’s Tea Party is BACK! This is a great opportunity to hear all about what the Sabbatical Officers have planned and get to know them a little bit better just in general. If you have any requests for the Sabb’s on what you would like them to talk about or questions feel free to send them in via email to tamsin.grainger@bucks.ac.uk

18

Mental Health Matters - your stories

The Bucks Student

By Janet

Mental Health Matters - your stories

“In common with most people I am finding Lockdown 3 the most difficult to manage of them all.

During the first one I could get outside and walk across the fields near my house or take a book into the garden to read because the weather was so lovely. During Lockdown 2 I was thankfully back at work, so that filled my days and I was able to walk into the Students’ Union from home which got me out of the house. Lockdown 3 has happened during the depths of winter and the awful weather combined with working from home means that unfortunately I’m confined to the house for most of the time, which I find very hard.

The thing that has really helped to keep me going, particularly during this last lockdown, has been being creative. I’ve always enjoyed craft and over the years I’ve taught myself many skills including jewellery making and embroidery.

At the start of 2020, before the pandemic was a reality, I thought that I would knit myself a patchwork blanket, so I bought a whole load of pre-loved wool from charity shops and started making simple squares. The process of choosing the wool and knitting each one was really therapeutic, and it was easy to pick up and do a few minutes whenever I had the time. I finished the first blanket in May 2020 and gave it to my daughter, who’s a

frontline worker in the NHS. Then I started on a second one for me, and I finally finished it yesterday, 8 months later. The repetitive action of knitting really helps me when I’m feeling stressed and anxious, and the whole action of creating something tangible gives me a real sense of achievement which is a rare thing during lockdown.

Craft doesn’t have to take loads of expensive equipment – knitting needles, wool and scissors are all that you need and at the end you’ll have something beautiful to keep or to give to someone else, and it will have helped your wellbeing along the way.”

- Janet

19

Mental Health Matters - your stories

March edition 95

By Tom

Mental Health Matters - your stories “The news the government gave on the 4th January 2021, confirming that we were heading back into a state of lockdown for a 3rd time.

This news hit home and affected all of us. This news particularly hit home to me, compared to the first and second lockdowns for a countless reason. This Christmas I was unable to travel home. This year for the first time for 21 years I spent the holiday time away from the ones I love, but I know I am not the only one.

Another way that I have been able to try and turn over a new leaf in the new year is by getting outside a lot more. In a time where so much of what we can/want to do is restricted, getting out for a run or walk is a great way to clear my mind. Putting some headphones in and taking a wonder around Hughenden park has been both useful and valuable. Obviously, this is done whilst respecting the lockdown and social distancing measures.

During this time, the change in the year is always seen as a great way to start a fresh and set some New Year’s resolutions. Like a lot of people, I’m sure, I am awful at trying to keep these, but they are a great way of setting yourself some realistic and achievable goals.

These will give you something to strive for and create a purpose for each day and a reason to get up. These resolutions don’t have to just be for the new year. As the announcement came out about the lockdown, I took the opportunity to set myself some goals that I am going to work on to achieve. I have found this to be incredibly helpful on improving my mind set.

The final way that I have found helpful throughout some stressful and unprecedented times has been through staying in contact with family and friends. That might seem simple and easy, but I can’t stress enough how useful this has been for me. Whether it has been jumping on Warzone with some mates from home or having a quick phone call with my Gran or Mum, it helps take your mind away from any struggles that day has brought.

Obviously, these are just three ways that I have found myself getting through the tough times over the Christmas time and that has helped me. Everyone has different ways that help them so these might not work for you.

Remember you are not alone through these times. It’s ok not to be ok.”

- Tom

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