WEB_Edition 123_TBS

Varsity 2025 Champions

May 2025 - Edition 123

Events Calendar

Societies and Sport

Advice Centre

THANK YOU FOR A FABULOUS YEAR! As our time as your elected officer team begins to wind down, we want to take a moment to say a heartfelt thank you to every student who has made this year so memorable. It’s been a year full of passion, progress, and pride, from achieving free parking at the High Wycombe Campus, to finally getting chairs in the park Room at Uxbridge, and heating controls being installed at Aylesbury, to joining the national fight for renters’ rights through NUS, helping to deliver real wins for students beyond BNU. There have been so many highlights, winning Varsity, supporting Wycombe Mind through RAG and student-led fundraising for various other charities, and watching the BNU community show up time and again with heart and purpose. The work you’ve done for charity this year has been nothing short of incredible.

You’ve also raised your voices through Student Voice, stood up for each other, and made sure that change at BNU is shaped by the people it matters to most: you.

While we’re preparing to hand over to your brilliant newly elected officer team for 2025-26 (who we know are going to do an amazing job), we’re not gone just yet! With two months still to go, there’s still a lot more to come, so keep your eyes on the What’s On page and our socials.

Thank you for trusting us to represent you, it’s been an honour.

Take Care Amy, Wren, Harry, and Beth Your 2024-25 Officer Team

Contributors Amy Pile • Wren Sell • Harry Tomlinson • Bethany Jackson • Aidan Kelly Michael Simpson • Alex Mills • Kelly Wiles • Imogen Sanders • Ben Gibbons Tricia Glassborow • Tash Neal • Lauren Milne • Tara-Lee Hollander Want to see your name in the list above? Want to have your writing or artwork on show to thousands of people? Get involved!

Email lorenzo.dizenobbia@bnu.ac.uk For all advertising and media enquiries please contact the Students’ Union Communications and Marketing department.

Simon McDowell | Head of Communications and Marketing simon.mcdowell@bnu.ac.uk Lorenzo Pio Di Zenobbia | Graphic Designer lorenzo.dizenobbia@bnu.ac.uk Ajay Sunder | Marketing Coordinator ajay.sunder@bnu.ac.uk Ian Tuazon | Digital Marketing Coordinator ian.tuazon@bnu.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

20 22 24 26 27 28 42 30 34 44

Events Calendar

1

Free Food

Volunteering Roundup

BUCKS AWARD

© 2025 Bucks Students’ Union If required, this document can be made available in different formats. Please contact Bucks Students' Union for more information.

ADVICE CENTRE

• Money • Your personal life • Legal issues • Accommodation • Course issues • International student issues Our professional, confidential, and independent advice service provides information, advice, and guidance and is available to all students at BNU. From course-related issues and money worries to personal problems and general welfare concerns, our experienced advisors are set-up to provide you with confidential advice and guidance when you need it the most.

We have the time to listen, advise and support students, providing a service which is accessible and welcoming. We use our experience and knowledge on student issues to make life better for students at Bucks.

High Wycombe Campus: Room N0.04, ground floor, North Wing 01494 603 016 Uxbridge Campus: Room 1.03, first floor 01494 605 180 We offer in-person appointments at High Wycombe or Uxbridge, or if you are off-site, telephone or online appointments, whichever suits you best. If you have an enquiry or want to make an appointment just drop-in, phone or email us. bucksstudentsunion.org/advice suadvice@bnu.ac.uk

Opening hours: High Wycombe: Monday to Thursday 9am–5pm, Friday 9am - 4.30pm Uxbridge: Monday to Thursday 9am–5pm, Friday 9am - 4.30pm

Amy Pile President

A Journey I’ll Never Forget I can’t believe this will be my last article for the Students’ Union Newspaper. It feels like only yesterday I was writing my very first piece during the lockdown, a time that now feels like a lifetime ago.

Although I still have a few months left in the role, I wanted to take a moment to reflect and say what a privilege it has been to represent you across the different roles I have been lucky enough to hold. These last five years at BNU and being a part of the Students’ Union have been filled with incredible memories, challenges, growth, and more than anything, a deep sense of pride. Even through the tough times, I wouldn’t change a thing.

I want to say a heartfelt thank you to every single person who has supported, challenged, and believed in change, whether you’ve shared your views in surveys, meetings, campaigns, or just in conversation. You are the reason change happens. Your voice has power, and it genuinely continues to shape BNU for the better.

This year has flown by. It’s such a short window to achieve everything you set out to do, but when I look back at my manifesto, I feel proud. There have The Bucks Student

amy.pile@bnu.ac.uk

@buckssupres

Bucks SU Pres

BucksSUPres

been real actions taken and important conversations started, particularly around bigger issues that take time to change.

Being a Trustee: As your president, I chair and act as a trustee on the Students’ Union Trustee Board. I have been fortunate to be a Trustee for 3 years. Being a Trustee has been such an important part of my role as President. It’s about more than just attending meetings; it’s about making sure the Union is running properly, that we’re making the right decisions financially, and that everything we do is in line with our values and our mission to support students. I’m not alone in that role, I’ve had the privilege of sitting on a board alongside an incredible group of individuals who give up their time, insight, and expertise to help steer the Union in the right direction. Together, we’ve worked to ensure the Union operates legally, ethically, and always with students’ best interests at heart It’s been a big responsibility, but one that’s deepened my understanding of how we keep the Union strong, sustainable, and student-focused. The whole team has created a fun-packed year where we have seen growth in students being involved in President update - Amy Pile

Students’ Union activities, from online workshops to events.

I also want to take a moment to give a special thank you to Tristan, our CEO. His deep care for students, his wealth of knowledge, and his unwavering commitment to ensuring the Union is the best it can be is truly inspiring. He leads with integrity and purpose, and it’s clear how much he genuinely wants the best for every single member of our community, and he can be quite funny!

6

Student Voice: Parking has been a huge topic and has been for quite some time, even before I became a student, while it’s not something I can take sole credit for, it was an incredible collective win. I know the Students’ Union and University are committed to continuing this work to better support commuting students, and I hope more progress will follow in the coming year.

Genuine progress is being made in terms of equipment, resources, and the overall quality of education, and that’s been achieved through honest, meaningful conversations across a range of meetings and committees. But it’s not where it should be or could be.

I’ve seen firsthand how the new leadership at BNU, especially under Vice-Chancellor Damien Page, is making student voices a real priority. His openness to listening, whether through drop-ins at The Lounge or platforms like the Student Forum: Future Thinking, has been a refreshing and welcome change.

It shows a real move toward student-led decision-making, which must remain at the core of how things move forward.

sharing raw and powerful personal stories, highlighting challenges they faced before any support was in place. This led to a collaborative workshop, where students and Council members worked together to design tailored support packages based on these experiences.

This hands-on approach ensured student voices shaped real, practical solutions.

Hearing firsthand from students helped the Council see where the university is succeeding and where improvements are still needed. The session ended with an informal coffee and chat, providing space for open conversation and deeper connections.

The feedback from both students and Council members was overwhelmingly positive. Students spoke about feeling genuinely listened to, valued, and hopeful for real change moving forward.

It was a powerful reminder that when students are given a platform, real collaboration and action are possible.

Due to this session, I believe that some of the changes that are going to be made over the next 3- 6 months come from the feedback that students provided and the students who attended to share their stories. Thank you to you all!

I sincerely hope this momentum continues. Students should not just be consulted, but actively included in shaping their own university experience.

Nationally, higher education faces tough challenges, and while BNU is in a relatively strong position right now, that shouldn’t lead to complacency. With big changes ahead, I hope the institution remains bold in its vision and becomes a place that even more people are proud to call their university.

Personal Tutoring is a theme that we see within the student voice feedback, whilst some have had excellent experiences, others have not been so fortunate, which is why for quite some time we have been taking this aspect of feedback to various committee’s and in May will be taking this again to Student Experience Committee, we know that some actions.

We will continue to push for consistency for all students.

University Council: This year, we held a special session with the University Council, a crucial group that oversees key decisions impacting student life. We had the opportunity to spend two hours sharing honest, lived student experiences directly with Council members, ensuring the realities of campus life were truly heard. The session opened with five students bravely 7

ensuring earlier realise of timetables and condensed timetables including adhering to the following: •Timetables will be constructed to avoid large gaps (4 hours or more) between sessions.

•An isolated one-hour class in a day should be avoided.

•Blocks of consecutive classes exceeding 4 hours to be avoided.

•Normally no more than an 8-hour span of teaching in one day.

•Normally no more than 6 hours of scheduled classes within one day •All staff and students will get a 1-hour lunch break between 11am and 2pm.

•Reasonable adjustments will be accommodated for disabled staff and students.

•Minimise teaching after 12 noon on Wednesday afternoons.

This aligns with the revised timetable that we were able to contribute to before it was released please scan the QR code below here:

And a lot more which will be shared over time, so keep an eye on the website as I will share more information in June before I hand over the role.

The Brunel Shed: A word that is forever on my mind….

Timetabling….

Timetabling has been a frequent issue raised by students, whether it’s last-minute cancellations, delays in publishing timetables, or lectures not running as planned. I know the timetabling team works hard to meet deadlines, but students must remain the top priority. Recently, the Student Experience Forum discussed feedback such as:

When the Brunel Shed was first purchased, there were concerns from students about costs. While initial transparency was limited, it’s now clear the University aims to use this space to benefit students, providing a flexible venue for societies, events, and activities.

It may not be a permanent student hub, but it offers valuable opportunities to expand student life on campus.

“Timetabling needs to come out earlier and be more suited to students over staff.”

The Timetabling team is aiming to ensure consistent and reliable timetables, President update - Amy Pile

May 2025 Edition 123

Building a Digital Campus: Students have been clear about wanting better tech access, from easier payment options to integrating services like student IDs. One of the concerns was not receiving receipts and whilst we haven’t been able to implement a digital method yet, pushing this with support from Margaret Rioga (Director of Student Success), we have been able to introduce receipt books for fee payments, this ensures that every student can now have clear, tangible evidence of their transactions, fostering transparency and trust with your educational community.

The MyBNU app is being explored, and this feedback is shaping the University’s digital strategy going forward. Change won’t happen overnight, but steady steps are being taken to build a more accessible digital campus. When it comes to new projects or ongoing issues that are now having some action, the university must continue to communicate this with you all.

The BNU forum: Future thinking was very interesting, and even though I have been a part of past discussions, it was great to hear the views from some of the students who did attend. We highlighted library resources and having greater access to articles, which is a concern now for students, and I think that whilst it’s important to have these conversations and think of the future, the university must concentrate on the basics.

Students have queried about Smart Beacons that have been installed across the campus. There is around 550.

These beacons only transmit location signals and do not collect personal data, and with these sensors comes a great opportunity to collect data about the room environment, support the wayfinding functionality that will be downloadable on smartphones, and implement plans going forward.

The first phase of the project will implement Wayfinding functionality at the High Wycombe campus. This will help students, staff, and visitors easily navigate the campus through a mobile app, providing the quickest route to classrooms, offices, or meeting spaces.

It will also modernise campus signage with a digital approach, improving the experience for newcomers. The app will be live shortly, and they will be announcing it soon to all students. It will be available for download via MyBNU or QR codes on campus.

The Bucks Student

Future updates may include Wayfinding kiosks, automated access for visitors and contractors, and integration with public transport for easier navigation.

Blackboard has also been involved in many conversations. I know that actions are being given to specific individuals and those in their department who have the expertise. This has been something they have been working on for quite some time and with all the information they are gathering, the university will be updating all students on this in due time, which I hope will be an exciting announcement.

Campaigns and Advocacy: Throughout my time, campaigning has been one of the most rewarding aspects of the role. The “Safety Net” campaign, mental health initiatives, and supporting student-led projects have been a real highlight. A highlight from this campaign was the Sexual Health Education Week, especially the fair where we were joined by some amazing supportive organisations. Many students attended and engaged. It’s about breaking the stigma surrounding sexual health, it should be enjoyable, but most importantly, safe!

Creating an Inclusive Campus: The sunflower murals at Aylesbury Campus have been a beautiful symbol of our ongoing commitment to inclusivity.

They show that BNU is a place where all students, including those with disabilities, feel supported and valued.

Following the success at Aylesbury, I’m thrilled to share that we will be bringing a new sunflower mural to the High Wycombe Campus too. This project will be open to all Art students, offering a chance to be involved in creating a piece of work that celebrates our diverse and welcoming community. Please keep an eye out for more details coming soon.

We would love as many students as possible to be part of this.

Supporting students to lead their ideas and seeing them thrive has been a joy, particularly seeing how Buckin’ Buzzin’ was hugely beneficial, and supporting the Student Voice Officers.

This year, I was proud to represent students at Westminster, meeting with MP Emma Reynolds to talk about the student housing crisis. Alongside NUS, we pushed for vital reforms such as no-guarantor policies, critical steps to make renting fairer and more accessible.

I believe in supporting national campaigns, collective voices has the potential to drive change that supports many individuals, especially when we think of the cost of living, I do believe that the Union and University work tirelessly to support those in financial crisis but as with everything, I still think there is room for improvement.

The Big Sleep Out, which supports Wycombe Homeless Connection, is important to me, so to attend with some students, represent the Union and University, and raise quite a bit was incredible. It’s a charity I shall continue to support, so who knows, I may see some of you next year if you take part.

President update - Amy Pile

8

Championing Student Priorities at Every Level: From speaking at the Festival of Higher Education to writing council papers and attending high-level committees, every opportunity this year has been about putting students first. Whether it’s been Senate, University Council, Finance & Staffing, Strategy & Planning, or the Student Experience Committee, we’ve continued pushing for progress on key issues that matter to you.

Here are some of the areas we’ve been working hard on: • Housing and Accommodation Reforms After students raised concerns, WiFi hotspots were introduced in key areas. I’ve also been working on a project with Javier (Accommodation Manager) to create welcome packs for students in university accommodation, providing necessities like toilet paper, toothbrushes, and toothpaste. I’ll share a full update on this before I leave in June.

• Teaching Room Resource Improvements Ensuring consistency and access to wellequipped teaching spaces has remained a priority in conversations across academic committees.

• Campus Safety Upgrades

Working Towards Long-Term Change: Although we continue to raise and advocate for student concerns, I’ve learned that change doesn’t always happen quickly, and sometimes, despite our best efforts, we don’t achieve the outcome we hoped for during our time in office.

One of the issues that consistently came up throughout my term was childcare.

I heard so much powerful feedback from students about the challenges it brings, which is why it was a key part of my manifesto. In response, a Childcare Provision paper was produced to kick-start vital conversations across the university.

However, as important as this work is, childcare support isn’t an easy or quick fix. If a solution is introduced in the future, it could take quite some time to fully develop. That said, I’m incredibly proud to have been part of the discussions. I’m hopeful that future groups will be able to build on this foundation, whether that’s exploring an on-campus provision, a shared partnership, additional voucher support, or even innovative ideas like employing registered childminders. There’s much more research needed to create sustainable, meaningful support.

• Disability Inclusion: University Advisory Board

Another project I’m proud to have been involved in is the Practice in Learning paper, developed in 2023. This focused on securing better financial support for students undertaking placements, particularly to help with the cost of travel. Whilst this hasn’t been actioned, it has moved forward in some way, and the paper will be utilised as supporting evidence alongside all the work that is currently being done. I know that Bethany and the Uxbridge Team continue to advocate on these students’ behalf, and I hope there will be a win in time.

A new advisory board focused on disability support is currently being established. I’ve been part of its early development and look forward to seeing this group build momentum and influence meaningful change.

I’m not afraid to be honest: I’m sorry that, within my time, these vital improvements haven’t been fully realised. But I’m grateful that the conversation started and, in some cases, continues to.

• Access and Participation Plan (APP)

Looking Ahead:

We’ve contributed to the ongoing review and development of BNU’s Access and Participation Plan, helping to ensure more inclusive and supportive educational pathways for all.

As my time as your President comes to an end, I’ve started the process of handing over to your incoming President, Jean Marc. I know he’s incredibly excited to step into the role, and I’m confident he’s going to do an amazing job leading the Students’ Union into its next chapter.

From better lighting to safer pathways, we’ve pushed for campus-wide improvements that help students feel secure, both on and off-site.

• Parking and Commuter Support Free parking at the High Wycombe campus stands out as one of our biggest wins this year, a huge help for commuting students. Which we hope will branch out to the other campuses.

Most importantly in all we do sharing our commitment to the Mental Health Framework which can be found here.

9

the last few committees, meetings, and boards alongside Jean Marc, offering any support and advice I can as he transitions into the role.

Even though this is my final article, the work doesn’t stop here The Interprofessional Learning: Connecting Health and Social Care event on Wednesday 21 May. For all students on Health and Social Work professional pre-registration programmes, if you haven’t got your ticket yet, make sure you do, spaces are limited, and it promises to be a fantastic event- check out the what’s on page.

Union awards are on Thursday, 8 May, and I look forward to celebrating all the achievements students and staff have made throughout the year.

Please do continue to check out the what’s on page, lots of opportunities to get involved in workshops, events, and something just for fun!

A Final Message Everything I’ve spoken about in this article, all the wins, however small they may seem, the campaigns, the changes, none of it happened because of one person. Change happens through teamwork.

We are so lucky at BNU to have a Union made up of passionate individuals, from our amazing student staff to our fulltime officers, to the Union’s management team. Every single person is an asset.

My final words to you are simple: Keep using your voice.

Keep believing in change.

And keep making BNU the incredible community that it is.

Thank you for everything.

Amy Bucks Students’ Union President 2024-25

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be attending President update - Amy Pile

May 2025 Edition 123

Wren Sell Vice President Achievement and Belonging

My final article as VPAB – Update and Goodbye This past year has flown by!

So much has happened and I can’t believe it’s coming to an end so soon.

As this is my last newspaper piece, I wanted to take a look back and briefly recap the year before looking forward to my last two months.

At the beginning of the year, in my manifesto I had a short list of things I wanted to cover in my time as VPAB, and although I didn’t get through all of them, I did manage to at least make a start on most.

wren.sell@bnu.ac.uk @buckssuvpab 1.“Strive to make clubs and societies more accessible for students at Uxbridge and Aylesbury campuses.” – Continuing from last year, the Activities Team has had several takeovers at Uxbridge with table tennis, doll making, a Nintendo Wii and more! Beth has also been doing a lot of work to get recreational activities set up regularly for those at Uxbridge and Aylesbury which will hopefully be implemented soon. Aside from this, we’ve been talking with societies about running a session on another campus occasionally so it is my hope that this will become a regular thing next year.

2.“Continue Brandon’s work to raise awareness of men’s mental health and promote related support.” – In November I ran the Movember campaign to raise awareness and money for men’s mental health and testicular and prostate cancer.

We had a stall in the SU foyer were Rugby sat with information leaflets, me, Harry and some students completed a 12km mental health walk and we also raised £668.18! The resources and information

The Bucks Student

VPAB update - Wren Sell

Bucks VPAB

are all still available on our social media so please use them if you or someone you know needs help.

3.“Campaign for a quiet space on campus accessible to anyone, anytime.” – We’re still discussing this with the university and ideas are floating around so I hope a more concrete update will be possible soon, even if it doesn’t come from me!

Across the year, we also celebrated a lot of events in our EDI calendar including, but not limited to Black History Month, Diwali, Christmas, Ramadan, Eid, and Easter! We also held multiple mixers for our different student groups to meet each other and build new connections. Coming up we’ll also be celebrating Pride Month in June so keep an eye out for some fun activities and events!

10

What else have I been up to this year?

University and Union Committees and Councils: Over the course of this year, I and the other officers have been involved in different committees and councils across the University and Union.

Specific to the VPAB role, I’ve sat on the university Sustainability Committee and the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee. For the EDI committee I’ve written a paper for each meeting describing everything the Union has done and is doing for students and staff that falls into the EDI sector. I then have chaired the union Environmental and Sustainability Committee and the Student Activities Committee. I’ve also been involved in agenda setting for the Society and AU Councils.

South-East Volleyball Tournaments: Over the summer at the BUCS Conference, I was elected as the BUCS South-East Student Chair for this year. I also happened to have been picked as the Volleyball England, South-East, Senior Higher Education Volleyball Officer for this year too which led me to become the lead organiser for the first mixed volleyball tournaments in the newly established South-East Championships. Including our university, a total of 6 institutions attended and over 130 players competed across the two tournaments in November and March, and it looks hopeful that it might happen again next year!

Varsity 2025: As I’m sure you’ve already heard, we won Varsity again! After a lot of prep work, I’m so glad the days went well!

It was incredibly tense not knowing who was going to pull ahead, but in the end we did it and I couldn’t be prouder of everyone. Before we started organising, I was told it’d be a lot, but I couldn’t imagine how much planning actually goes into such an event, and we weren’t even hosting! I learned a lot over the months leading up to Varsity and I can’t wait to come back and watch when we host next year.

Congratulations again to everyone who competed, spectated, and volunteered!

11

AU Dinner 2025: After Varsity, my next task was to compile all the footage the videographers captured and create the Varsity Highlights video and the AU Dinner Film for the Athletic Union Awards Dinner. I also had a speech to write! The night of AU Dinner went really well and I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did, congrats again to all of the award winners and thank you for coming!

Alcohol Awareness: At the beginning of April we launched the Alcohol Awareness campaign, but I won’t say too much about it here, if you want to find out more there’s an article in this newspaper all about it so please read that!

Some other short mentions I’ve done this year include Boycott Your Bed with Beth and the Varsity Hype video!

Now what?

In these final two months, I will be sorting out everything for my handover to Joe who comes in as VPAB in July. I’ll be rounding up things I have running and making sure Joe has everything he needs to take up the role, doing introductions with him and the committees he’ll be on. We’re also currently planning the first committee training for the 2025-26 society and club committee members which will take place next month and beginning prep for the next academic year!

Of course, I’m not done yet. Union Awards is happening, and I’ve still got some plans in progress so keep an eye out!

Lastly, I just want to say thank you for this year and I can’t wait to see what Joe has planned for the next, I’m sure he’ll do a great job as your VPAB! Thank you again, Wren Sell Vice President Achievement and Belonging 2024-25

VPAB update - Wren Sell

May 2025 Edition 123

Alcohol Awareness Choose drinks with lower alcohol % Set a booze budget £ Do other things with your friends; cinema, coffee, bowling and gym - drinking isn’t the only option Don’t feel pressured to have more, if someone offers a drink you can say no.

Call 0300 772 9672 for advice in High Wycombe and Aylesbury (One Recovery Bucks) NHS Drink Less

Alcohol Support Bucks

How is your relationship with alcohol?

Do you drink? How much? How often?

Why? Do you know what to do if you or someone you know has been spiked?

At the beginning of April I launched the Alcohol Awareness campaign to answer these questions and spread more information around drinking responsibly and safely.

Did you know that drinking less alcohol or even cutting it out completely can boost your energy, help you lose weight and save you money? There are many easy ways to cut down such as doing other things with your friends that don’t involve alcohol, but if you are going to drink then consider choosing drinks with a lower alcohol percentage or setting a budget when you go out. You don’t have to be drunk to have fun if you’re with the right people!

How about spiking? The Venue and Lounge are proud to say we’ve never had a report of spiking, but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen anywhere else!

Spiking isn’t just drugging someone; it can also be giving them alcohol without their knowledge – an example can be

The Bucks Student

Spiking is giving someone alcohol or drugs without them knowing or agreeing.

Types: Drink - adding drugs or alcohol to someone’s drink Needles - injecting drugs into someone’s body Vape / Cigarette - giving someone drugs they aren’t expecting Food - adding drugs to someone’s food

Giving someone more alcohol or drugs than they were expecting and consented to is also spiking

SPIKING

Easy ways to cut down:

SPIKING

RESPONSIBLE DRINKING

Stopping or drinking less alcohol can boost your energy, help you lose weight, and save you money.

What can spiking feel or look like?

Confusion and Disorientation Nausea and Vomiting Hallucinations and Paranoia Poor co-ordination and Vision Memory Loss and Blackouts An inability to communicate clearly

If you or someone you know has been spiked, find Security or a member of staff in The Venue

If you or someone you know has been spiked, find Security or a member of staff in The Venue

Somewhere else? Call 999

Somewhere else? Call 999

something seemingly as innocent as buying a friend a double when they asked for a single without telling them. This is spiking and is just as serious. If you or someone else might have been spiked, call 999. In The Venue or Lounge, find Security or a member of staff and if you still have the drink, bring it with you! We have spiking test kits behind the bar, all you need to do is ask!

On the Wednesday 9 April, if you were passing through the SU foyer you might have seen our stall. There were information posters, a poll (with participation prizes!) and a fun challenge for you to try.

The challenge was simple: wearing goggles to simulate being drunk, walk along a line on the floor then stack and unstack a set of 10 cups as fast as possible. You think it’s easy? Tell that to those that tried!

event later signed a consent form whilesober and were filmed completing both tasks with no goggles or alcohol.

Then that evening, after having drunk alcohol, they came back to redo the tasks so we could compare the difference alcohol made on their inhibitors and coordination. The result, while hilarious, was exactly as expected – the alcohol just made things harder! So even if you think you’re fine while drinking, just remember that alcohol will lower your coordination and inhibitions.

Please watch out for your friends and stay safe when getting home – take the SHHH bus or walk in a group and preferably don’t get into a taxi alone!

Check out the reel on our Instagram to see your VPEW HW, Harry, attempt it, it’s harder than you think. There was another option for this challenge though. Some students who were planning to attend the OMB

VPAB update - Wren Sell

12

The Poll

0% Taster Night’

As I mentioned, we also had a poll on the Wednesday which we invited everyone to participate in. The question we asked was “What makes you drink?” with 94 votes total cast against the following possible answers: I don’t know my limit: 31 votes

NHS Drink Less

Club/Society Committee pressure: 25 votes For the numbing feeling: 6 votes I don’t drink: 14 votes Other reason: 18 anonymous comments including; “I sometimes drink because everyone else around me does and it makes me feel less of an adult when I don’t.”

“To be in a good mood, celebrate something achieved, special occasion.”

“My friends’ mood.”

“Only drink on special occasions. Don’t need to drink to have a good time.”

“Having fun.”

The ‘Fish’ Social On the same night as the OMB, before arriving to the event, Netball, Rugby, and Men’s FC took part in the campaign by holding ‘Watch Out for the Fish in Your Drink’ themed socials. The idea was a game inspired by the Swedish Fish TikTok trend in which designated “spikers” were given the task of secretly dropping sweets into the drinks of others on the social to simulate spiking. Everyone was encouraged to report anything suspicious like seeing someone dropping a sweet into a drink or finding a sweet in their own drink. The clubs then reported back to us with the following total results from all three: - 31 students were “spiked” with a sweet - Only 1 was aware of being spiked - 24 were unaware of the spiking

Alcohol Support Bucks

Our last event for the campaign was a ‘0% Taster Night’ held in The Lounge on the Thursday 22 April.

We invited everyone to join in a mocktail masterclass and taste test all the 0% alcohol options on offer in a chill, relaxing environment. The evening was a lot of fun with everyone having the option to make three different nonalcoholic mocktails and then taste them for free!

Students who drink reported no difference in taste between the alcoholic vs the non-alcoholic versions so the next time you’re out, why not ask for a Corona Zero Sunrise or a Chai Tai instead of a Mai Tai! Overall, with such a wide range of activities and information gathering, the campaign was a success and I hope those who took part found it interesting and fun! The information is all still available on our Instagram and the QR codes below will take you to some useful websites. Please stay safe and continue to have fun!

Wren Sell

Met Police – Spiking

Drugs and their effects

How’s your relationship with alcohol?

Take the quiz to find out!

Vice President Achievement and Belonging

- And 6 students questioned or reported the behaviour Quite a scary ratio of those aware vs unaware, please be careful when you’re out! Keep an eye on yours and your friends’ drinks!

13

VPAB update - Wren Sell

May 2025 Edition 123

Harry Tomlinson Vice President President Education and Welfare (High Wycombe)

Hello everyone!

I hope you’re all keeping well and are keeping in good spirits. A lot has been going on since the last time I updated you all. For those of you that have submitted your dissertations, very well done to you!

If you’re still working on it, keep on going, your efforts won’t go unnoticed!

We have been carrying on with our efforts to make life better for students at bucks, which is conveyed through a range of initiatives, such as Harolds Hydration, our care leaver support campaign and Buckin’ Buzzin’.

The Bucks Student

harry.tomlinson@bnu.ac.uk @buckssuvep_hw

Bucks WPEW

BucksSUVPEW

Harolds Hydration: Harolds Hydration has been making bigger moves as of late, with the implementation of the initiative in this year’s Varsity! For this, we provide 4-5 5 litre bottles across the whole day on Wednesday, as well as 2-3 of the same bottles used on the Sunday Fixtures.

This was very well received by students both from Bucks and Roehampton and provided much needed hydration to all the players to perform at their maximum efficiency.

Buckin’ Buzzin’:

I’ve also had the pleasure to help with one of our recent student lead campaigns, named “Buckin Buzzin”. This is an initiative set up by Ben Gibbons, one of our student As well as this we have also partnered with the student hub to further promote voice officers, in which he draws focus to one’s own self confidence through the this initiative, in which they gave out offering of free haircuts. The methodology free bottled water to help students behind this is that these haircuts will instil stay hydrated on campus. This was also incorporated into their spin the wheel a sense of comfortability within them and allows them to feel more at ease with We have also managed to get an additional water machine installed at the themselves. This also helps with our goals to help fight the cost-of-living crisis by Uxbridge campus on the first floor, due providing it for free. This initiative has to popular demand. proven to be a big success, with more than As always, we are continuing to push the 70 of our members signing up for it! with message through posters leaflets and general chit chat, ad believe the future is this, a second wave of free haircuts set to bright for this initiative. Watch this space launch again on Wednesday 7 May, just in for any further updates! time for Union Awards!

VPEW update - Harry Tomlinson

14

Care Leaver:

Essay Mills:

We have continued to push our care leaver campaign with additional events taking place over the spring. Like the events we held over the winter break, these events ensure that students staying in Wycombe over the holidays are provided with various activities to foster a sense of belonging.

Something that has become more prevalent that I’ve noticed is the use of essay mills amongst the student body. There have been many cases of this coming up when I’ve been sitting on Academic integrity panels, but a more worrying matter was raised to me from the advice centre, in which I was informed students have been blackmailed by these services to give them more money, otherwise they would inform the institution about their wrongdoings. This is particularly worrying as some of these websites have been demanding up to £800 from students. This issue has been raised with the University, and the Students Union are looking into creating more of an awareness for this issue. If you or anyone you know has been affected by this, please don’t be afraid to get in touch, we will support you every step of the way!

We hosted small events such as a spring walk, easter card making, egg decorating and chocolate nest making. This has garnered some great reception from our students and has even surpassed the levels of engagement of our winter themed activities. Overall, this saw more engagement across the board compared to the winter activities we previously held.

This is an immensely positive outcome for us as this aligns significantly with the union’s values of inclusivity. With this, we also hope to create events for students during the summer holiday. As always, we are always taking onboard any feedback when it comes to our already standing offerings, including hearing about your accommodation experience. Feel free to contact me via email or Instagram to convey your experiences.

Disability Awareness: As a union we have also been on a mission to raise a wider awareness of different disabilities, both hidden and visible. We have enlisted the help of one of our student voice officers to ensure that there is proper representation across the institution. We have already spread the word on our socials about various disability awareness days and weeks, such as tinnitus and Epilepsy. We have also held a couple of mixers specifically for Disabled students, both hidden and visible.

15

As this will be my last Newspaper entry, I just wanted to extend my thanks and gratitude to those of you who are reading, and a massive thank you for believing in me in this position. It’s been a wonderful experience and I’ve connected with some of the best people I could imagine. Not only have I learnt so much about this institution, but also myself and my limits, passions, and strengths. It’s been an honour serving as your VPEW, and you all have my heart.

Wishing all the best for the upcoming officers!

Lots of Love Harry

Miscellaneous: On top of all of this, I have integrating myself with some of the Students Union Activities, such as co hosting our Gaming tournaments for Mario Kart and Super Smash bros respectively. This has received a lot of attention from everyone and people have garnered great interest, and are looking to to continue hosting events such as these. As well as this I also took part in our recent ‘Hot Ones’ inspired challenge (which was very painful) and I also volunteered to be a ring girl for ‘Fight Night’, hosted by the boxing society, which turned out to be a spectacular night!

Getting involved in these events has been very invigorating for me, and each one that I attend I’m reminded of what makes this place so special. It’s a testament to the big deal, and really does show the wide variety of entertainment we offer daily!

VPEW update - Harry Tomlinson

May 2025 Edition 123

Bethany Jackson Vice President President Education and Welfare (Uxbridge and Aylesbury) bethany.jackson@bnu.ac.uk

Updates, Successes, What a year!

@buckssuvpew_au It has been an incredible year of speaking to students, and making sure their voices are heard. From running campaigns and supporting students’ campaigns. We can’t forget the bracelet making, cheese and fruit sessions and the table tennis. Most importantly it’s been about being there for the students in all the ways we can.

Over the academic year I have collaborated on a variety of projects.

Some with university departments, like the student hub for ‘Time to Talk Day’, and ‘Money and Mind Week’. Also collaborating with the counselling and mental health team to bring forward the ‘Being Me Project, Safe Spaces’. We have all worked together to make sure that mental health and wellbeing is seen as a priority. With successful campaigns around wellbeing, mental health and making sure students know where they can find support and putting themselves first.

The Bucks Student

We have been able to celebrate the wins of a water fountain on the first floor at Uxbridge (thank you Harry and Harold’s Hydration). There has never been a water fountain on the first floor of the Uxbridge campus, and after much discussion with Harry, who then went onto have discussions with various stakeholders we have acquired a fountain on the first floor which dispenses hot and cold water.

Bucks VPEW UxAyls

decided which chairs would be ordered.

The chairs chosen had a large foldable wooden desk, which the arms could be swapped depending on handiness. This option was voted for by you across these days and were delivered in April. Thank you to all the students who shared their views, opinions, and experiences in addressing this situation.

Carrying on with student wins, I engaged in discussions with the university’s estates to obtain heating controls that are controlled from the campus for Aylesbury. From receiving student feedback in October, to engaging in discission with much discussion and deliberation, Aylesbury acquired controls in February. This has supported the environment when students are on campus and is a small step to improving the student experience at Aylesbury.

The Park Room lecture theatre at the Uxbridge Campus obtained new chairs!

With feedback being raised at multiple levels, across numerous cohorts, across numerous years, the students have brand new chairs in the main lecture theatre.

Students were invited to test a selection of chairs in October. This selection process VPEW update - Bethany Jackson

16

We have also launched the placement survey. This ID is a survey that students can fill out as many times as they like. This survey provides a space for students to share their placements experiences. With permission, we can share these experiences with the Placement team to address. Please contact surepresentation@bnu.ac.uk for more information about this.

I wanted to take the opportunity to reflect on some of the work I’ve done this year. The year began by donning the orange and helping freshers and returners move into hall. What a brilliant opportunity to speak to so many students finding out what you were looking forward to and answering any questions, telling you how to be a student leader, what society or club to join or simply how to work the oven.

This is a truly unique experience and opportunity which has helped develop and generate campaigns, projects, and events across the year and beyond.

October/November was a very busy time, which saw 3 awareness and fundraising events take place. In Uxbridge and Aylesbury, we had a board and space which displayed individuals from a variety of industries, predominately allied healthcare, films, books, and those who you are proud of to celebrate Black History Month.

These displays were relocated to remain on display all year round, which you can continue to add to through out the year.

The engagement and involvement we had during this period was inspiring, hearing about the individuals who you admire, and who’s stories have influenced you was a truly wonderful experience and I hope to see that board continue to expand.

This month also saw the Breast Cancer Awareness event and activities. We encouraged all who could to wear pink.

We had activities running across the month, where a range of prizes were up for grabs. From activities of guessing how many watermelons were in a picture to a sweepstake.

World Mental Health Day also took place in October, were we encouraged all who could to wear green or yellow to take part.

We also ran stalls of activities from bracelet making, to having someone to chat to and crafts. We came together to show students and each other that mental health is important and that we are there to support you in all the ways we can.

Across stalls and online, information about breast cancer was made available.

This shared information about what it is, what to look for, the importance of checking your breasts, and process involved. During this month we also collaborated with ‘Drag Cabaret’ with their ‘Pink Party Event’. Everything was pink themed and raffle offering some great prizes.

WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY

Throughout this whole month of fundraising activities and events, we raised £252.81. An incredible effort from everyone who got involved. Thank you.

As the year progressed, I supported a student campaign relating to breast cancer awareness. This student had worked with a group of peers to signpost to information about breast cancer awareness, creating artwork for stickers.

These stickers will be stuck on all toilet cubicle doors to raise awareness for the importance of checking your breasts and about the condition.

Thursday 10 October 2024 Wear either Green or Yellow to show support for Mental Health

17

VPEW update - Bethany Jackson

May 2025 Edition 123

I launched Kitting Out Wellbeing in December. Which is a wellbeing campaign where kits can be collected, which provided an array of items and resources to get you thinking about your wellbeing in all aspects and encouraging you to check in on yourself.

This has been a great success with a range of students getting involved. There are a few boxes remaining if you are yet to collect one.

Email: bethany.jackson@bnu.ac.uk, for more information. These kits have started conversations and have brought forward spaces to chat and be with others.

Off the back of this, we joined the national movement ‘Time to Talk’, where you could sit and chat, grab a free refreshment and take part in some activities. Alongside this we create and continue to offer spaces for students to be in other people’s company, sometimes it’s cramming for an exam around a table, sharing a box of chocolates or just sitting.

Another wellbeing campaign we launched was ‘Break the Stigma’.

This campaign is joining the pledge and showing that we do not stand for the stigmas of mental health.

Resulting with a physical board in Uxbridge, the board displays the broken stigmas of students who have joined the pledge of standing to break the stigmas. You can join the pledge anytime or get involved across the campuses in May (12th – 16th) keep an eye on socials for the locations.

January saw the ‘Rusty Tattoo’ come to life.

As part of the Movemeber Campaign led

by Wren, the Elected Officers (and others) were assigned some challenges/forfeits for each fundraising milestone. Students needed to raise £500 for the tattoo, which they smashed through. Check out my Instagram (@buckssuvpew_au) to see the process and see Rusty coming to life.

I also created a mental health information leaflet, which shares facts, figures, support and strategies for individuals to use at their own pace. These can be collected from any of the campuses.

February saw another fundraising event of Boycott Your Bed. Bucks SU’s edition of The Big Sleep Out. The students who participated in this event had an evening of games, before heading up to the hall to spend the night away from their beds.

The students raised £478 for ‘Wycombe Homeless Connection’.

KITTING OUT WELLBEING The campaign to support your wellbeing.

Collect your free wellbeing kit from any of the Student Union spaces. These boxes were designed to support wellbeing using a variety of self-help techniques and signposting.

Can you find your big little thing?

It’s okay not be okay all the time, and you can always reach out if you’d like support.

VPEW update - Bethany Jackson

Reflecting on the year and the manifesto I came into the 2024-25 year with. I wanted to address 3 key points. These were wellbeing, training and development, and leadership opportunities.

Addressing the wellbeing aspect, I wanted to revamp wellbeing weeks, raise awareness of the resources we as a Students’ Union offer and also the University and external services. I wanted to encourage students to be aware of themselves and make sure that prioritise themselves. I felt it was too easy to lose oneself in assignments, exams, and library sessions so I wanted students to feel able to take time for themselves.

My work on this aspect covers ‘Kitting Out Wellbeing’, ‘Break the Stigma’, ‘Money and Mind Week’, ‘Being Me Project: Safe Spaces’, and supporting student campaigns and collaborating with union and university departments to promote their services and how this support what they do. These collaborations have included activities like bracelet making, visits from Pets as Therapy dog Betty, and wellbeing fairs. There so much to cover here, check out the previous editions, and socials to see more.

Regarding training and development opportunities, I wanted to expand the exposure of this Student Union department to the students not on the ‘main hustle and bustle’ campus. This department have offered their opportunities before, but I wanted to ensure students knew they could access these. Working with the team we have been able to offer more online opportunities which students can access any time or join remotely. Alongside the information that is advertised on the What’s On page, I have a monthly post on my Instagram (@buckssuvpew_au), where I share all the training and development sessions for that month. This is a collaborative post with the Training and Development team (@bucksstudentdevelopment) who also post all the opportunities (including recreational). Alongside the digital post, I also display these opportunities on the campuses. At the Aylesbury campus this is found on the ground floor, glass wall next to the Basin Café, At the Uxbridge campus this is found on the poster board next to the Students’ Union office or room 1.05.

Students can join any of these sessions and can also suggest a skills session they are interested in. We continue to share the information and encourage involvement to participate in these. I also spent a large part at the beginning of the year speaking about ‘The Leadership Academy’, which is one-to-one coaching program for students to apply for (applications for these are open now). Students from any campus can be apart of this scheme and students have gotten involved with this opportunity and others. As always, we are keen to see what you are interested in, please get in contact if you have any ideas or any suggestions.

Finally looking at Leadership opportunities, this has been a plan in development throughout the year and is still in progress. I have worked on a booklet which covers all the leadership roles in the students’ union. These also identify key skills developed in the roles, and how to apply for them. This has also developed into a collaborative project with some students. Similar to the work I do for the training and development opportunities I continue speaking about and sharing what leadership opportunities students can be involved with, and what they do. Keep your eyes peeled in the coming months for leadership content across several departments.

A big part of what I wanted to do this year was expand the outreach of the Students’ Union across Uxbridge and Aylesbury and whilst we are continuing all the work we do, we continue to add more. With the opportunities from the Training and Development team, from London theatre trips, farm trips and other reactional activities, as well as their continued online courses and in person sessions. We have been running programs of activities in Aylesbury and Uxbridge with the aim to run even more.

I run activities in Aylesbury and Uxbridge weekly, from crafts, cheese and soft drink mixers, games and event (keep an eye on socials and posters around the campus for these), and the activities team hold monthly takeovers (check out their posters).

VPEW update - Bethany Jackson

There is much I could write about in this article, and I haven’t covered everything but please stop me and chat about the projects, campaigns, events, work and activities I have achieved this year, ask me about the ones I’m still working on too! As always remember to follow the social medias to keep up to date, check your emails and always check the What’s On Page.

Thank you all for an incredible year but we’re not finished here. Make sure to stay updated and keep getting involved.

SATURDAY 10 MAY

SUNDAY 11 MAY

BONDY - DJ ONE F - EMILY DAVIDSON - JACKDABEAT - JASON P - NOBLE 6 ADVANCED TICKETS AVAILABLE AT BUCKSWEEKENDER.CO.UK

WEEKEND £25 INDIVIDUAL DAY £15 ALUMNI WEEKEND £15 STUDENT VIP £10

SILENT DISCO, OUTSIDE BARS, FOOD STALLS, COCKTAILS, VIP AREA, PHOTOBOOTH AND MUCH MORE LINE-UP SUBJECT TO CHANGE | OVER 18S ONLY

Get ready for the first-ever Bucks Weekender!

This brand-new two-day festival on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 May is bringing huge acts, incredible music, great food, and an unforgettable atmosphere to The Venue. Expect top-tier production, an outside area, photobooths, cocktail bars, food stalls, and more as we transform the space into the ultimate festival experience!

Expect massive performances, great vibes, and non-stop entertainment all weekend long.

As always, Bucks Students gain FREE ENTRY thanks to The Big Deal. Alumni/Graduates and non-students still have the opportunity to buy a ticket, and these are on sale NOW! Details of when and where students can collect their Bucks Weekender wristbands will be released soon, so keep an eye on our socials!

Follow our Instagram @buckstsudentsunion and @thevenuebucks ALUMNI AND GRADUATE TICKETS:

BUCKS STUDENTS:

NON BUCKS STUDENT TICKETS:

» This year, we would like to welcome back all Bucks Alumni for the special discounted price of £15 (much less than a normal ticket!). This will give you access to both nights of the weekend, and all you need is your old Bucks ID card and a photographic form of ID. Tickets are available now via our Eventbrite page!

» Bucks Students get FREE entry to the whole weekend - Thanks to The Big Deal!

» Non-student tickets can be purchased from bucksweekender.co.uk/

» You will require a wristband for entry – Wristband collection details will be announced on our socials.

» Non-student tickets are limited.

» Alumni can collect wristbands on the door with production of an alumni ticket, valid photo ID and their old student ID. » Tickets will also be available for Alumni on the individual nights at an increased price, on a first come, first served basis.

» UPGRADE to VIP for £10, this gains you access to the VIP area plus much more, check our socials for more information! » The event is open to the public, so students do not need to sign in guests. They will require a valid ticket.

» Tickets are £25 in advance for the entire weekend or £15 in advance for each day. » Non-students can collect wristbands on the door with production of a valid ticket and valid photo ID. » Tickets will also be available for non-students on the individual nights at an increased price, on a first come, first served basis.

» If you cannot find your old Bucks ID, this is not a problem! You can apply for an alumni ticket through bucksstudentsunion.org/ AlumniCard

BUCKS WEEKENDER is an 18+ event. There will be no refunds for incorrectly purchased tickets.

Booking fees cannot be refunded. Line-up is subject to change.

Events Calendar

Mon 5

Mon 5 May – Sun 18 May 2025

Tues 6

Wed 7

Cinco De Mayo - Mon 5 May (7pm - 11pm, The Lounge) Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with great vibes, tasty snacks, and themed drinks!

Expect bold flavours, festive tunes, and a whole lot of fun as we bring a bit of fiesta spirit to the Lounge.

Film Night: Wicked - Tues 6 May (7pm - 11pm, The Lounge) We’re transforming the Lounge into your comfy cinema for a screening of Wicked!

Thur 8

OMB! Silent Disco - Wed 7 May (10pm - 3am, The Venue) Throw on your headphones and choose your own DJ at this week’s Silent Disco edition of OMB! UA Karaoke Afterparty - Thur 8 May (11pm - 2am, The Lounge) It’s Union Awards and we’re inviting all our students and staff to join us for the biggest night at the Venue. Celebrate success in the best way possible.

Fri 9

Drag Cabaret - Fri 9 May (10pm - 3pm, The Venue) Join us for an unforgettable night with the fiercest queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, your dazzling host Luna, and the incredible drag king Chiyo!

Bucks Weekender 2025 (10pm - 3am, The Venue) Get ready for the first-ever Weekender at Bucks! This brand-new two-day festival on 10th and 11th May is bringing huge acts, incredible music, great food, and an unforgettable atmosphere to The Venue. Expect top-tier production, themed areas, photobooths, cocktail bars, food stalls, and more as we transform the space into the ultimate festival experience!

Sat 10

The Bucks Student

Sun 11

Events Calender

22

Mon 5 May – Sun 18 May 2025

Mon 12

Tues 13

Wed 14

Pamper Night - Mon 12 May (7pm - 11pm, The Lounge) Come relax with us for a chilled-out Pamper Night, complete with self-care kits, face masks, chill music, and a chance to catch up with friends after the madness.

Eurovision, 1st Semi Final - Tues 13 May (8pm - 10pm, The Lounge) Come watch it all unfold with us – the outrageous outfits, unexpected bangers, and dramatic voting. Grab your flags, dress up, and get ready to cheer (or laugh) your way through Eurovision 2025!

Thur 15

OMB! Chicken Nuggets - Wed 14 May (10pm - 3am, The Venue) This week at OMB! We’re giving out FREE chicken nuggets and tasty dipping sauces to fuel your dancefloor energy.

Eurovision, 2nd Semi Final - Thur 15 May (8pm - 10pm, The Lounge) Come watch it all unfold with us – the outrageous outfits, unexpected bangers, and dramatic voting.

Fruity Fridays - Fri 16 May (8pm - 1am, The Lounge) Kick off your weekend with delicious cocktails, great music, and an unforgettable atmosphere.

Eurovision, Grand Final - Sat 17 May (8pm - 10pm, The Lounge) Come watch it all unfold with us – the outrageous outfits, unexpected bangers, and dramatic final voting.

The Comeback Quiz - Sun 18 May (6pm - 11pm, The Lounge) They’re back for one night only! Join us for a special edition of The Big Quiz as former hosts Jess, Elliot, and Harry return to the stage alongside our current host John.

Fri 16

Follow us on Instagram - @thevenuebucks

Sat 17

23

Sun 18

Events Calender

May 2025 Edition 123

Roebuck Champions Roehampton - 2013 Roehampton - 2014 Roehampton - 2015 Bucks - 2016 Roehampton - 2017 Roehampton (Draw) - 2018 Bucks - 2019 Bucks (Draw) - 2022 Roehampton - 2023 Bucks - 2024 Bucks - 2025

CHAMPIONS

Men’s Basketball: Aidan Kelly An amazing event this year and is always a staple of the sports calendar. With basketball being the final game of the year, it always feels like there is a bit more pressure, but with how close it was this time around, it made the win that bit sweeter.

Bucks FC: Michael Simpson Varsity 2025 will always be known for spirit, competitiveness, and finally beating Roey in their own backyard.

Mens Volleyball: Alex Mills It’s an insane experience and hearing the crowd cheer for you after a great point is an unmatched feeling.

Scan the QR to read the Varsity 2025 story

AU Dinner Winner What an incredible evening the Athletics Union (AU) dinner turned out to be. Celebrating everyone involved, reflecting on all the 2024-25 season had to bring. Don’t worry cricket we are aware you are still to play, and the year isn’t quite finished yet!

The night was hosted by Wren Sell, who delivered a speech commemorating the highs and lows of the season with notable mentions to a few individuals and clubs who have been exceptional.

With over 290 nominations received, it had been a tough job narrowing these down to a shortlist of 4, for each of the 11 awards. There are over 400 students who take part in the AU, so a massive congratulation to those who were singled out by their peers and/or staff member for their contribution this season.

RAG Contributor of the Year

Committee Member of the Year

Sponsored by: P&W Commercials

Sponsored by: Westies Dry Cleaners

Winner: Bucks Men’s Rugby

Winner: Harriet Kozlowski

Most Improved Player of the Year

Sportswoman of the Year

Winner: Ayaan Aamir

Sponsored by: Matrix

Fresher of the Year

Winner: Daisy Thompson

Sponsored by: BNU Gateway Gym

Sportsman of the Year

Winner: Charlotte Lyons

Sponsored by: Reading Rockets

Team of the Year

Winner: Tristan Redgrove

Sponsored by: The Print Lab

Club of the Year

Winner: Bucks Netball 1’s

Sponsored by: PHVC

Bucks Spirit of Sport Award Winner: Tyler Smith Captain of the Year

Winner: Bucks Men’s Rugby Outstanding Contribution to University Sport Winner: Michael Simpson

Sponsored by: A&A travels

Hall of Fame

Winner: Holly Spittles

Winner: Stephen Smith

A huge congratulations to everyone who was shortlisted and a big well done to all our winners this year. We are so incredibly proud of the hard work and dedication you have shown to Bucks, and your club this year.

The Bucks Student

AU Dinner Winner

26

As another academic year starts to come to an end, we’re undergoing preparations to host our annual Union Awards night. We are very excited to welcome you back for an exciting evening of recognition on Thursday 8 May 2025.

Today we can announce the shortlist for Union Awards and the Excellence in Learning and Teaching (ELT) Awards. We received some wonderful nominations this year, so a huge congratulations to those shortlisted.

Excellence and Innovation in Student Learning Support - sponsored by Buckinghamshire New University

Media Contributor of the Year

Borbala Kenez-Burns

Kristen Clarke

Fiona Clarke

Rosie Lambert

Jessica Wray

Tara-Lee Hollander

Samantha Mitchell

Society Committee Member of the Year - sponsored by 4Front Security

Dan Charlton

Donna-Marie Langston Gary Ogilvie Margaret Ampomah Tejal-Paige Eccleston-Palmer

Demonstrating Excellence in Academic Leadership - sponsored by Buckinghamshire New University

Deborah Koumah (Christian Union)

Amsale Wamburu

Jaydon Wheeler (Comic, Podcast, and Musical Theatre)

Damien Page

Student Rep of the Year - sponsored by Bromarpeak

Society of the Year - sponsored by Gather & Gather Comic Baking

Jess Leach (Bucks Tabletop and Gaming, Baking)

Bucks Tabletop and Gaming (BTAG)

Trinnie Beasley (Midwifery Circle)

Musical Theatre

Academic Staff Partner of the Year - sponsored by Buckinghamshire New University

Membership Services Student Staff Member of the Year

Helena Nash

Caitlin Day

Barbara Kingsley

Paula Han

Chioma Stephen

Keiran Henderson

Megan Robson

Kaitlin Pearce

Kompel Campion

Vytautas Kravcenka

Marilyn Addo

Nicholas Day

Professional Service Employee Partner of the Year - sponsored by Buckinghamshire New University

Joseph Snode Commercial Services Student Staff Member of the Year - sponsored by RockBox

Nicola Mallowan Paul Morgan Excellence and Innovation in Learning and Teaching Practice - sponsored by Buckinghamshire New University

Ambassador of the Year Ellie Lee Monica Mattoo Ritamary Benny

Emily Crawshaw Hannah Roberts Javier Alonso Laso The Estates Team

William Hercus

Ara Olatunji Joy Dellah-Gu Kyle Andrews Theo Richens

RAG Charity Fundraiser of the Year

Campaigner of the Year - sponsored Nexgen Group

Emma Hollingsworth

Ben Gibbons

Jean Marc Amagoua

Caitlin Day

Madhav (M) Jayalal

Con Macadam

Paramedicine Society

Lauren Milne

Student Leadership Award - sponsored by Redline Ashleigh Jones Dee Whyte Joy Dellah-Gu Om Dhadwal

Ruth Gunstone Volunteer of the Year - sponsored by Specsavers Adriana Karaszova Lauren Milne Phillip Newland Shannan Vale

27

We hope you’re as proud as we are of all the hard work you’ve put in over the past year and we can’t wait to celebrate with you on the night.

May 2025 Edition 123

It doesn't get better than...

FREE

FOOD The Big Bucks Meal Deal A project derived from the cost-of-living campaign run

by Bucks Students’ Union to make sure you are fed and well. The campaign aims to tackle food poverty within the student community at BNU by cutting the prices of food in our cafés and The Lounge hosting three free hot meals a week. This is funded and supported by BNU and delivered by Bucks Students’ Union.

Where is it?

The Lounge in Bucks Student’s Union (look for the large elected officer banner and head in that way). You can walk along the road with the speed bumps from the Gateway reception to find the banner.

When is it?

Three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, 5.30pm–7.30pm. You’ll just need to bring your student ID and a good appetite.

This is all free to help with the cost-of-living crisis.

What about Uxbridge and Aylesbury?

Pulse and Basin also partake in The Big Bucks Meal Deal - Pulse giving free Breakfast twice a week and Basin free lunch twice a week. This is provided by Gather & Gather, keep an eye out in these cafes for more information.

If you have any issues regarding the cost-of-living crisis, or food poverty, then please contact Harry Tomlinson and Bethany Jackson or the Advice Centre via email or on social media below.

Advice Centre suadvice@bnu.ac.uk Instagram @buckssulounge Vice President Education and Walfare (High Wycome) Email harry.tomlinson@bnu.ac.uk

The Bucks Student

Vice President Education and Walfare (Uxbridge and Aylesbury) Email bethany.jackson@bnu.ac.uk

28

MONTHLY MONDAY MEALS Cost of ingredients from Aldi: £1.26 (as of May 2025) approx time: 20mins

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS INGREDIENTS Chickpea tin (49p)

Curry powder (8p) Onion (10p) Garlic (10p) Chopped Tomato tin (39p) Rice (10p) Extras you may add: Chicken, Potato, Quorn peices

1. Peel and dice your onion and garlic.

2. Heat a pan on medium with some oil in the pan.

3. Add the garlic and onion to the pan, and stir until sizzling.

4. Add the curry powder to the pan and mix. Then add the chickpeas.

5. Put the rice into an saucepan with equal parts water and add salt to the water. Bring to a boil, and then bring the heat to low with a lid on for 10 minutes.

6. Add the tin of chopped tomatoes to the curry, and mix keeping it on a medium heat.

MONTHLY MONDAY MEALS

CHICKPEA CURRY

7. Once the rice and curry is cooked, serve on a plate.

8. Enjoy your free Monthly Monday Meal, courtesy of the Big Deal.

Scan the QR code to follow along with the recipe on TikTok or visit www.tiktok.com/@bucks_training

Try our Pepperoni Pizza

£5.20!

31

Open 8am – 4pm, Monday – Thursday 8am – 3pm, Friday

BUrGeRS

BREAKFAST Breakfast pastries:

(Served from 8:00am - 11:30am Mon - Fri)

Butter Croissant £0.80 400kcal Ham & Cheese Croissant £1.25 921kcal Chocolate Croissant £1.00 377kcal Vegan Croissant £0.60 395kcal Cinnamon Swirl £0.70 444kcal Toast & Preserves £0.80 1222kcal

Breakfast Baps: (Please ask if you require a gluten free bap) (Served from 8:00am - 11:30am Mon - Fri)

(Served from 11:00am – 4:00pm Mon – Thurs, 11:00am – 3:00pm Fri) All burgers are served with your choice of fries or spicy wedges.

Upgrade to sweet potato fries for only 60p. Gluten free baps are also available.

The Classic £3.50 828kcal, double £4.95 1129kcal Flame grilled beef burger with tomato relish, shredded iceberg lettuce served in a bap.

The Rooster Booster £3.95 912kcal, double £5.50 1122kcal H°

Bacon Bap £1.55 GF 439kcal

A spicy coated chicken breast with mayonnaise, shredded iceberg lettuce served in a bap.

2 rashers of bacon served in a warm bap.

The Mighty Lone Ranger £4.60 1029kcal, double £6.10 1282kcal GF VG

Sausage Bap £1.45 V° GF 520kcal

2 pork sausages or vegetarian sausages served in a warm bap.

A quarter pound of Plant based Burger with a tomato relish crisp lettuce topped with Vegan cheese served in a bap.

Free Range Egg Bap £1.25 V GF 390kcal

The Red Tractor £5.75 1071kcal, double £6.95 1328kcal H° GF

Free range fried, scrambled or poached egg served in a warm bap.

Bacon and Sausage Bap £2.20 700kcal

A 6oz 21 day aged burger with tomato relish, crisp lettuce, sliced gherkin & topped with cheese served in a bap.

1 rasher of bacon & 2 sausages served in a warm bap.

The Halloumi £5.95 883kcal, double £6.95 1199kcal V GF

Breakfast Bap £2.85 831kcal

A halloumi stack with an Asian sweet chilli slaw served in a bap.

1 rasher of bacon, 2 sausages with free range fried scrambled or poached egg served in a warm bap.

The Fish Finger Bap £4.30 851kcal

Vegetarian Breakfast Bap £2.85 V 744kcal 3 vegetarian sausages, 2 hash browns & free range fried, scrambled or poached egg served served in a warm bap.

Quorn Sausage Muffin £2.85 V 672kcal A warm breakfast muffin with 2 Quorn sausage pattie, cheese & a mini omelette.

All-day Breakfast

VGo

3 Cod Fish fingers, with iceberg lettuce, garlic mayonnaise & a tomato & red onion salsa, served with fries.

Add toppings to own your burger!

Three giant onion rings 85p V 241kcal

Bacon 65p V 180kcal

Cheddar cheese 50p V 325kcal

Vegan cheese 50p VG 285kcal

Jalapeño peppers 30p VG 20kcal

£4.25 834kcal

Choose from the following: Bacon, Red Tractor pork sausage, baked beans, hash browns, mushrooms, tomato & free range fried, scrambled or poached egg.

All-day Vegetarian Breakfast £4.25 V 610kcal Choose from the following: Sausages, baked beans, hash browns, mushrooms, tomato and free range fried egg, scrambled or poached egg.

Eggs Benedict £3.85 V 618kcal

Free range fried or poached egg 50p V GF 131kcal

, RUSTY S TOWER CHALLENGE

£13.95 - Three beef burgers, three spicy chicken burgers, stacked with bacon, cheese, beef tomato, fried egg, red onion, Jalapeño peppers & iceberg lettuce separated by our brioche bun floors; served with baked beans, garlic flat bread with cheese, onion rings & either chips or spicy wedges. (contains wheat gluten, milk, mustard & egg) 3549kcal Served from 11am–4pm Mon–Thurs, 11am–3pm Fri Eat all the food on your plate in under 30 minutes to win an exclusive I Rusty t-shirt! This is a one person challenge, are YOU up for it?

SIDE ORDERS (Served from 11:00am – 4:00pm Mon – Thurs, 11:00am – 3:00pm Fri)

Sweet treatS

Chips £1.20 GF VG 139kcal Chips & cheese £1.40 V GF 553kcal Chips & curry sauce £1.35 V 559kcal

(Served from 8:00am – 4:00pm Mon–Thurs, 8:00am – 3:00pm Fri)

Spicy wedges £1.20 VG 135kcal

Warm Pancakes £2.95 VG 622kcal

Spicy wedges & cheese £1.40 V 549kcal

A stack of 5 American pancakes with a forest fruit compote.

Tulip Muffins £1.85 V 1001kcal Triple chocolate, blueberry crumble, victoria sponge, or salted caramel.

Chewy Cookies £1.25 V 491kcal

Sweet potato fries £1.90 GF VG 158kcal Garlic flat bread £1.20 V 287kcal Garlic flat bread with cheese £1.70 V 701kcal

Double chocolate, triple chocolate, or oat raisin & lemon cookies.

6 giant onion rings £1.70 V 241kcal

Wedge of Cake from £2.30 V 325kcal

Breaded garlic mushrooms £1.80 V 162kcal

Please ask what we have for today’s cakes.

Side salad £1.00 GF VG 50kcal

Fresh Fruit Platter Box £2.25 VG 234kcal Fresh watermelon, pineapple, green / black grapes & strawberries.

Follow us on Instagram @buckssulounge

snacks, salads, paninis, jacky p's & toasted sandwiches

THE

(Served from 11:00am – 4:00pm Mon – Thurs, 11:00am – 3:00pm Fri)

Panini or Toasted Sandwich £2.70 V from 385kcal Toasted to order with your choice of fillings. Please see the chalk board for the selection of fillings, treat yourself to a side of chips.

Chilli Nachos £3.75 V GF 1162kcal Tortilla chips loaded with chilli con carne & cheese with a sour cream dip.

The Club Sandwich £4.10 664kcal Classic triple layered toasted sandwich with shredded iceberg lettuce, beef tomato, chicken mayonnaise & grilled bacon.

LOUNGE SPECIALS

Mac ‘n’ Cheese Bites £2.95 V 394kcal Macaroni pasta & a mix of three cheeses in a crispy coating of breadcrumbs served with a tomato relish dip.

Chicken Nuggets £4.80 351kcal Chicken coated in breadcrumbs served with chips or wedges.

Halal & vegan option available.

Monday 14 April – Sunday 18 May 2025

Jacket Potato from £1.80 GF V° VG 390kcal

Jacket potato with a choice of fillings. Please see the chalk boards on the bar.

House Mix ‘n’ Match Salad from £1.70 329kcal Salad leaves and a mix of cucumber tomato sweetcorn & peppers with a choice of toppings: Chicken Strips £1.60 Smoked Salmon £2.95 Smashed Avocado £1.75 Tuna Fish £1.80 Grilled Halloumi £2.50 Caesar Dressing Inc French Dressing Inc Mayonnaise Inc Garlic and Herb Croutons 50p

Vegetable Samosas £1.95 VG 360kcal 2 Vegetable samosas with a Sweet Chilli dip.

Dirty Fries £2.35 894kcal Fries loaded with bacon, peppers, Cajun spice, red onion & melted cheese.

Big Foot Sub £2.80 520kcal A foot-long sub filled with shredded iceberg lettuce, tomato red onion, with chicken strips & Emmental sliced cheese served warm.

Home FavouriteS

Cajun Chicken £3.95 372kcal A Butterflied breast of Chicken dusted in Cajun Spice served with Chips & a Mixed Salad.

(Served from 11:00am – 4:00pm Mon – Thurs, 11:00am – 3:00pm Fri)

Lasagne £5.20 V 138kcal Layers of spinach pasta filled with a rich tomato sauce with British beef, topped with a béchamel sauce & cheese served with side salad.

Fish ‘n’ Chips £3.95 GF 422kcal Jumbo cod fillet in a crispy batter with chips or spicy wedges & your choice of mushy peas, garden peas or baked beans & lemon. Gluten free fish available.

HOME AWAY FROM HOME SPECIAL

Sausage ‘n’ Mash £3.35 V° 1038kcal

Jumbo sausage with mash potato and gravy with garden peas or baked beans.

Gammon Steak £4.65 379kcal

Penne pasta from £2.50 GF VG 603kcal

Grilled Gammon Steak with Fried Egg & Chips

Penne pasta served with a choice of sauces & sliced garlic bread, add cheese for an extra 50p.

or Spicy Wedges.

Stuffed Crust Pizza £5.20 260kcal A choice between a Four Cheese Pizza or a Pepperoni Pizza.

Chicken Katsu Curry £3.10 475kcal Breast of Chicken in a Crisp Panko Crumb cut into strips with plain rice & Katsu Curry Sauce.

All our food is prepared in a kitchen where nuts, cereals containing gluten and other allergens are present, and our menu descriptions do not include all ingredients.

If you have a food allergy or intolerance, please let us know before ordering.

Full allergen information for food is available upon request.

Vegetarian

Vegetarian option

Vegan

Halal

Halal option

Gluten free

Scan the QR code to view our most up-todate menus and special offers.

By Kelly Wiles

Volunteering Roundup It has been a chaotic and fun year with all of you volunteering your time, energy and even money into supporting charities, your community and each other. From throwing pies at each other, buckets of water over staff, looking after the dogs at stokenchurch or being part of a committee, you have got involved with it all.

At the time of printing 750 individual students have volunteered and have logged over 15000 hours and this will continue to climb as we head towards the end of the year.

Students who choose to log their volunteer hours are always recognised for all their efforts.

The 2024-25 Volunteer awards are:

Keleigh Brady

Cian Fitzsimons

Thomas Broadbent

Kristen Clarke

Shannan Vale

Ayaan Aamir

Jake Bainbridge

Fabian Moore

Deborah Koumah

Amy Frankel

Jaydon Wheeler

Gemma Finch

Finn Beaumont

Karlee Slade-Duley

Scout Boulting

William Hercus

Erin Cook

Charlotte Owen

Emily Platt

Daniel Johnson

Weronika Zywica

Nicole Efemini

Hannah Jackson

Helen Wibley

Holly Spittles

Laura Eustration

Lily Wood

Viktoria Wisniewska

Oliver Gee

Johanna Oldach

Daisy Davis

Fran Bridges

Mohamed Abul Kalam

Eve Matthews

Mia Walford

Fleur Voerman

James Goodacre

Phillip Newland

Oliver Dawson

Om Dhadwal

Nicholas Thorley

Lis Kelley

Eduard Smith

Phoebe Anderson

Max Brinsmead

Ibraheem Pir

Aidan Kelly

Fabian Moore

Adriana Karaszova

The Bucks Student

Volunteering Roundup

34

Lucy Holmes

Seyi Solola

Sophie Lloyd-Rossi

Jessica Leach

Keisha Ruff

Gemma Finch

John Heatley

Tricia Glassborow

Izzy Eastham

Johanna Oldach

Phillip Newland

Phillip Newland

Jasmine Young

Cian Fitzsimons

Harriet Kozlowski

Izzy Eastham

Amy Frankel

Mohamed Abul Kalam

Izzy Eastham

Harriet Kozlowski

Nicole Efemini

Michael Simpson

Will Johnson

Lauren Milne

Emily Platt

Jack Donoghue

Abi Hix

Phillip Newland

Shannan Vale

Keisha Ruff

Om Dhadwal

Pip Williams

William Hercus

Dan Charlton

Jake Bainbridge

Emily Platt

Holly Spittles

Mia Walford

Shriya Bhudia

Georgia Haynes

Keleigh Brady

Phoebe Leonardi

Nicole Efemini

Jake Bainbridge

Dan Charlton

Michael Simpson

Viktoria Wisniewska

Viktoria Wisniewska

Daisy Davis

Keleigh Brady

Isham Constance

Kristen Clarke

Mohamed Abul Kalam

Eve Matthews William Hercus Stacey Baxter Sophie Roberts Shannan Vale Isham Constance Daisy Davis Jaydon Wheeler Finn Beaumont William Yates Mia Walford Erin Cook James Upson Ayaan Aamir 35

Volunteering Roundup

May 2025 Edition 123

Join us for

Mental Health Psychoeducational Group Sessions Come along and join the Psychoeducational Group Sessions held by the Mental Health Provision!

We will be covering a range of Mental Health and Wellbeing topics to support you in your student journey here at BNU - plus, there will be candy!

Date

Location

Weekly Theme

10 April 2025

HW-N4.05

Managing Emotions and Self-Care

17 April 2025

HW-N4.05

Procrastination and Work Life Balance

24 April 2025

HW-N4.05

Coping with Stress and Worry

1 May 2025

HW-N4.05

Exploring Homesickness

8 May 2025

HW-N4.05

Coping with Low Mood

15 May 2025

HW-N4.05

Exploring Friendships and Relationships

22 May 2025

HW-N4.05

Talking about Disabilities and Inclusion

29 May 2025

HW-N4.05

Sleep Hygiene

5 June 2025

HW-N4.05

Empathy Building

12 June 2025

HW-N4.05

Looking after your General Mental Well-Being

These sessions will be held on a weekly basis and be based in the High Wycombe Campus in-person on Thursdays from 2:30 pm till 4 pm. Sessions will consist of exploration of the weekly themes, interactive discussions of coping techniques and different wellbeing activities.

Feel free to choose any number of sessions that interest you. We have various groups with unique themes, and you can attend as many or as few as you wish! If you have any enquiries about these Psychoeducational Group Sessions, please email us at

mentalhealthprovision@bnu.ac.uk Sessions provided by Counselling and Mental Health Service

BF2564

SIGN UP HERE To register for these Psychoeducational Group Sessions, please scan this QR code and sign up, as there is a limit of 15 students per session:

By Imogen Sanders

A year in review of Training and Development We have had a great year so far, with lots of Recreational activities and skills sessions taking place. The Leadership Academy has seen the largest intake since it began, with 81 students applying to join.

This year we have been tracking how each student engages with us, hoping that most students will end up gaining a certificate or skill through one of our sessions. So far 386 students have increased their employability by gaining a skill or a certificate. 1,240 students have enjoyed a recreational activity, whether that is a Theatre trip to London, a day out to the Zoo or a Boxing Day roast dinner (All of this was completely free, thanks to The Big Deal!!)

We love providing all these co-curricular activities to our students, and if there is anything that you would like to do/join in with then please contact us by email: surecactivities@bnu.ac.uk or sutraining@bnu.ac.uk We hope to see you at one of our activities/sessions soon, from Sarah, Jess and Imo.

We will be open all summer and providing all recreational activities and skills sessions to students that are still around. There are some more activities booked, such as Comic Con, Thorpe Park, Zoo trip and a Brighton day trip in May; Dear Evan Hansen booked in June.

More activities will be booked through the month and will all be advertised on the What’s On page, so keep an eye out for those tickets.

Jess has been our very own training provider this year, doing many train-the-trainer courses. She can now teach: Emergency First Aid, Sport Specific First Aid, Mental Health in Sport, and Wellbeing Skills for Students Leaders. She also is an Associate Fellow, so has been writing her own training sessions on key transferable skills that help students filter into the working world smoothly. Such as: Managing a Budget, Leading a Team, Building Strong Admin Skills, and Time Management.

Through the Leadership Academy, we have given the opportunity to many students to get extra qualifications, memberships to their respective course societies or equivalent, sent them to conferences, paid for specific courses, and provided them with 1-to-1 mentoring to help them achieve their goals. Applications for the Leadership Academy are now open on our website here:

“They have allowed me to view different paths into the career I am heading for, which I had not seen before, and I am grateful for that opportunity. There are so many skills sessions, that sometimes I don’t know which ones to choose!

When I would like some down time, I get to go on free theatre trips which is brilliant.”

Scan to visit - Leadership Academy The Bucks Student

Dee Whyte – Leadership Academy graduate

Training and Development

38

THE BIG DEAL: INTERNATIONAL EVENTS

SPRING 2025

MAY 07 MAY Buckin’ Buzzin’ - Winter Garden, High Wycombe – Buckin’ Buzzin’ is a student led initiative where we are providing free hair cuts to students. This was first in March where it was designed to support students financially, emotionally and physically. It had a 09:30 launched big impact on students, so we are launching another one! If you are in need of a haircut, visit us on 7 May. Slots are first come first serve but the hairdressers/barbers may accept walk-ins during the day.

08 MAY VE Day - Winter Garden, High Wycombe – On the 7th May a newsflash was broadcast to the public announcing the end of the second world war in and that the next day was declared Victory in Europe (VE) Day. come and join the 80th celebration 11:00 Europe of VE day, where there will be a bake sale, a show and tell stall, performances and some arts and crafts to get involved with.

15 MAY Thorpe Park – Got a need for speed? Think you’re brave? Dare to defy gravity? Come along to Thorpe Park where you can all the thrill of the fastest and highest rollercoasters in the UK. Transport will be provided for this 10:00 experience event, so pack your courage and bring your mates!

16 MAY Musicals by Candlelight - London – Prepare to rediscover your favourite musicals as you escape the hustle and bustle of city-life and nestle in for enchanted evening like no other at Musicals by Candlelight. Dressed in the light of over 1,000 candles our 19:00 andazzling string quartet brings to life the irresistible sounds of hits from Les Misérables, Wicked, Mamma Mia!, West Side Story and more.

20 MAY Tutankhamun Exhibition - London – The Immersive Exhibition has arrived to London! With 8m-high immersive projections, a 360º VR experience, interactive digital “metaverse” room, replicas and artefacts directly from Cairo, and a hologram room 13:00 anshowing the full mummification process of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, this groundbreaking exhibition invites visitors to immerse themselves in an extraordinary journey to the heart of Ancient Egypt.

21 MAY Emergency First Aid – This First Aid course provides essential knowledge and hands-on skills needed to respond effectively in

emergency situations. It is designed for individuals with little or no prior medical training who want to learn how to assist in a medical emergency until professional help arrives. This will be hands on and you will need to be able to perform CPR on a mannequin.

23 MAY Comic Con London - London – Comic Con is a vibrant pop culture convention that celebrates the worlds of comics, movies, TV shows, anime, games, cosplay, and fandom of all kinds. It brings together fans, creators, artists, and celebrities for a 11:00 video dynamic and inclusive experience filled with panels, signings, exhibits, contests, and more. Fan of pop culture entertainment? Sign up for a ticket to Comic Con in London

28 MAY Brighton Day trip – Join us for a relaxing and fun-filled day trip to Brighton, one of the UK’s most iconic seaside cities, known for atmosphere, historic attractions, and pebbled beaches. Enjoy the Pier, the Royal Pavilion, The Lanes 09:30 itsandvibrant the Beachfront. Return Travel by coach.

ONGOING - Free Food Breakfast - Uxbridge on Tuesday and Thursday.

Lunch - Aylesbury on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Dinner - High Wycombe on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.

- Sport for fun every week - Singing Lessons, Psychoeducational Group Sessions, Talking Therapies and Cinema Tickets The Big Deal: International programme is only one part of a wide range of activity, support, entertainment and development available to students once they enrol with BNU and become a member of Bucks Students’ Union – for the full list of opportunities visit bucksstudentsunion.org

By Ben Gibbons

Buckin’ Buzzin’ At Bucks Students’ Union, we love supporting student-led initiatives that have a real impact on the student community. One of the latest successes was Buckin’ Buzzin’, a campaign launched

by Student Voice Officer, Ben Gibbons.

The initiative, which provided free haircuts during Mental Health Week, was designed to support students financially, emotionally, and physically.

As a Students’ Union, we are always excited to see students take the lead on projects that benefit their peers. Ben’s campaign is a great example of how a simple idea can turn into something that makes a real difference. We’re pleased to have supported Buckin’ Buzzin’ and are proud of the success it achieved.

Ben’s inspiration for the campaign “Hi, my name is Ben Gibbons, and I am a Student Voice Officer at Bucks Students’ Union. As part of my role as Student Voice Officer, I’m excited to have created and launched the Buckin’ Buzzin’ initiative within the university, a new campaign designed to physically, emotionally, and financially support students. This event was an opportunity for myself and my good friend Oliver (a barber located in Marlow) to provide students with free haircuts during Mental Health Week, a gesture aimed at promoting self-care and boosting confidence, two main aspects that can significantly impact and promote mental well-being.

The idea for Buckin’ Buzzin’ came from a conversation Oliver and I had while he was cutting my hair on a random afternoon.

He stated he had always been interested in potentially setting up a little van/pop-up shop near universities, offering students

The Bucks Student

cheap/discounted haircuts to help them with the financial struggles they may be facing.

All of a sudden, I then had a ‘lightbulb’ moment. In my head, the idea came, and I thought, “This was something I could run as a campaign”. I asked Oliver if he was interested; I could potentially take the idea to the university and see about actually doing something similar, but instead of it being a ‘pop-up’ shop or out on the street, why not in the university itself, for FREE, and the rest is history.

As a student, I understand how challenging it can be to balance a tight budget while maintaining comfort and self-worth; believe me, I’ve been there. The struggle of being unable to afford simple things like getting a fresh haircut often gets pushed aside due to prioritising other things like food or travel, but the impact of looking good and feeling the same cannot be overstated. For many students and me, the cost of a haircut can be too much and feel like an unnecessary luxury. This event aimed to alleviate that burden, offering a free, professional haircut from barbers I trusted to all Bucks students, regardless of gender, and creating inclusivity.

step in creating a caring, connected student community and making this a fundamental part of the Big Deal.

One final big thank you to Oliver and Mike for doing a fantastic job and everyone who participated, volunteered, and supported this initiative. I genuinely believe we’re making an impact, and I’m excited about the future of Buckin’ Buzzin!”

- Ben Gibbons Student Voice Officer, 2025 If you have any ideas for any future campaigns, please do contact us at SUrepresentation@bnu.ac.uk we would love to hear from you or fill out the form on the What’s On page.

The day was a fantastic success; with Oliver and Mike (hairdressers from 1932 Youngmans Marlow) donating their time and expertise, we saved students a rough estimate of £1,500. The support from the university and the Students’ Union helped to make this initiative a reality. I’m hopeful it will become a recurring event, further strengthening the support we offer students.

This initiative aimed to help students save a little money and remind them of the importance of self-care and self-esteem, and I believe we achieved that. Even a small act, like a haircut, can significantly impact mental health. This event was a positive

Buckin’ Buzzin’

40

By Tricia Glassborow

Our very first recipe book The Baking Society is proud to announce the release of our very first recipe book.

This book is the final milestone in the society’s accreditation process, highlighting the unique skills and original creations of our members. Each recipe was developed during weekly challenges featuring surprise ingredients, pushing our bakers to experiment and grow.

Scan to visit - BNU Baking Society

Among the entries is the Mug Cake from Monthly Monday Meals, the recipe that showed Baking Society’s return after a hiatus.

This book showcases the journey that baking society and its members has taken these last few months.

Scan to visit - Instagram: @bnubakes

There will be some copies available on the help your shelf as well as it being available on our minisite as a pdf.

41

BNU Baking Society

May 2025 Edition 123

By Tash Neal

Come and Represent Something You Are Passionate About......…. And get the real living wage pay to do so Student Voice Officers (previously known as Executive Officers) play a crucial role in representing students from diverse backgrounds and experiences, ensuring the Students’ Union is inclusive and community driven.

You will work alongside the other Student Voice Officers, our full-time elected officers, and staff to ensure the Union meets its objectives and continues to operate in the best interests of its members. We are particularly looking for students from all backgrounds including a range of ethnicities, ages, genders, levels and modes of study, and academic schools.

As a Student Voice Officer, you will plan and lead campaigns to enhance the student experience, especially for the groups you represent. You will participate in Union and University committees, communicate with key stakeholders, and scrutinize reports on Union operations. Additionally, you will promote and support Students’ Union events, ensuring a high-quality experience for all members.

This role is paid at an hourly rate of £13.46 (including holiday allowance) and provides valuable career experience and networking opportunities within a vibrant studentled organisation. Additional benefits include support with Leadership Academy applications, considerable opportunities for networking, training, and personal development, and personalised one-to-one support.

Applications are open until the Friday 9 May and you can find out more information here:

Feel free to reach out to the SU Representation team for more information at surepresentation@bnu.ac.uk

The Bucks Student

Student Voice Officers

42

By Lauren Milne

Closeted LGBTQIA+ Student Advice Guide A closeted LGBTQIA+ student advice guide was created over the past year and a half by two students within the community.

This guide was created for those within the community who are closeted and have not come out to anyone about how they identify. This resource was made with the knowledge that it is important for those in the community who have not publicly come out to find a support system and learn of/ know of any and all places where they can gain support as well as know that that there is no pressure and do not come out. It is important that those in the community come out when they are ready and around those, they are comfortable with and feel safe being their true self around and do not feel forced to announce their identity.

This resource shares where those in the community can seek support through the university on campus, but also through services online such as LGBTQIA+ specific hotlines or websites or simply seeking advice and support from people on social media. Sharing those different places where people can seek support and advice was an important part of creating this leaflet. This was because not everyone is comfortable talking to people in person about their sexuality/identity or they don’t know who they can turn to, so it is important to be able to inform them of where they can gain advice.

43

The design of the leaflet means that when someone picks up the resource and isn’t comfortable with people knowing what they are carrying, they are able to fold the leaflet in a way so that the cover page is hidden and all that is visible are the support services within the university. The leaflet also contains an envelope within the first page to help keep the leaflet contents hidden. The leaflet was designed and found with envelopes in this way due to not everyone who are closeted, would want to walk around with the leaflet visible and have everyone they walk past knowing their business.

Students will be able to find these leaflets on all three campuses at the following locations: High Wycombe: SU Reception: Ground Floor North Wing SU Advice Centre: Room N.04 Ground Floor North Wing Uxbridge: SU Office: First Floor Next to the café.

Aylesbury: Ground Floor SU Space opposite the café.

Closeted leaflet

May 2025 Edition 123

The Bucks Award is a record of all of your engagements and achievements with Bucks Students’ Union during your time at BNU, laid out in an appealing certificate to celebrate your co-curricular activities during your time at BNU. by history.

The real benefits of the Bucks Award don’t necessarily lie within the certificate itself, but in the follow-up meeting where you can discuss the professional transferrable skills you will have gained from your engagements with the Students’ Union.

Whether it’s leadership and communication skills from your time as a Club Captain or Society Chair or Case-load management skills from your time as a course rep – The Bucks Award helps to celebrate your engagements and achievements while also highlighting the skills you’ve gained without even realising it! Taking it the step further by being able to confidently talk about those skills in an interview setting is what puts BNU students above the rest!

The Bucks Award is divided into sections with the idea that by the time you leave university you have something in every section – a completely achievable goal due to all the free opportunities you have access to thanks to The Big Deal!

Case studies support the fact that the skills highlighted through the Bucks Award help students save a significant amount of money. Bucks Students’ Union offers a wide range of training and development opportunities free of charge, allowing students to gain valuable qualifications and experience without the financial burden. These case studies demonstrate that by taking advantage of these opportunities, students can develop essential skills at no cost.

BUCKS AWARD

cess

ment & celebrating suc Acknowledging commit

John Smith ndation Year y with Fou

BSc (Hons) Criminolog

Volunteering

282 hours Club or Society Hours: rs Community Hours: 5 hou

Skills

2022/23 Freshers Helper Training 3 2/2 202 ning Trai Committee 2022/23 Sport Specific First Aid Festival Attendee 2023 STRIVE Employability ss 2021/22 rene Awa Mental Health 1/22 RepCon Welcome 202 1/22 Self Care Workshop 202 2021/22 Freshers Helper Training

Employment

2022/23 Head Freshers Helper 1/22 202 er Help Freshers

Memberships

2022/23 Union Council Member 2/23 AU Council Member 202 2022/23 Asian Society Member ber 2022/23 Women’s Rugby Mem 3 ess Participant 2022/2 Sport for Fun Ballet Fitn 3 2022/2 Dance Team Member Member 2022/23 Women’s Hockey Team 1/22 202 Union Council Member 1/22 202 ber Mem ncil Cou AU 2021/22 Hockey Team Member Member 2020/21 Womens Hockey Team

Awards

rd Bronze Volunteering Awa rd Silver Volunteering Awa rd Gold Volunteering Awa 2023 Union Awards Nominee

Leadership roles

tain 2022/23 Women’s Hockey Cap ial Secretary 2022/23 Women’s Hockey Soc Course Rep 2021/22 -Captain 2021/22 Women’s Hockey Vice

Attending a Bucks Award session will assist you in understanding all the skills you have gained from your involvement with activities and how they can be transferred into the workplace so email sutraining@bnu.ac.uk to book your session and receive your Bucks Award.

The Bucks Student

The Bucks Award

44

By Tara-Lee Hollander

Lost & Found: Giving Voice to LGBTQ+ Victorians Through Art A powerful and thought-provoking exhibition was held in March at Buckinghamshire New University, showcasing the collaborative work of Level 4 Fine Art students. Lost & Found is the culmination of months of artistic and archival exploration. It marks a unique partnership between BNU and the Buckinghamshire Archives as part of the ongoing Lost Victorian Voices project.

The exhibition invited viewers into a deeply layered visual response to forgotten stories of LGBTQ+ individuals from Victorianera Buckinghamshire. Through a blend of digital works, speculative storytelling, and contemporary interpretation, students brought to life people whose voices were once muffled by history.

From the Archive to the Art Studio:

This is landscape

At the heart of Lost & Found is the Bucks Archive, where historic documents such as court records, wills, and prison reports offer glimpses into LGBTQ+ lives that were often hidden or erased. The Lost Victorian Voices project, led by Curator Isaac Jordan, aims to reclaim and reframe these narratives through creative means.

This year, BNU’s Fine Art students engaged with these materials as part of their Fine Art Creative Sector: Collaborative Practices module led by Dr Cole Roberston.

Under the guidance of Course Lead Messua Poulin-Wolff, Dr Cole Robertson and Professor Nela Milic and supported by County Archivist Daniel Williams and Senior Archives Officer Rob Faulkner, students worked in collectives, reflecting on themes including Text & Image, Landscape/Space/Place, and Speculative Realities.

Collaboration at the Core: In keeping with the exhibition’s themes, collaboration extended far beyond the student groups. The project was a rich exchange between institutions, disciplines, and generations. From curators and archivists to BNU Photography Technician Nick Wiltshire, who supported the printing and mounting of the work, this project exemplified the kind of cross-disciplinary teamwork that defines today’s creative industries.

On March 6th, the private view of Lost & Found welcomed guests to see the works firsthand. A live “in-conversation” event provided insight into the project, featuring Isaac Jordan, Daniel Williams, Dr Cole Robertson, and students Ember Oak Maggs and Brandi Paine. The conversation sparked meaningful dialogue between the artists and the wider community.

The exhibition also served as a reminder that archives are not static. They are living, evolving spaces that hold memory, identity, and resilience. Through creative projects like Lost Victorian Voices, these hidden histories are given a place to breathe and speak again.

All photo credits go to Jennifer Forward-Hayter.

45

Mapping Buckinghamshire, Kayleigh Baulk, Sophie Cluderay, Gerry Quartey, Inkjet print, 2025.

The images we sourced from the Buckinghamshire Archive include a map of Buckinghamshire as well as textual material— including a partially illegible description of a uniform and a man named James—in addition to architectural drawings, cell floor plans, and designs of prison machinery. Through these images we were able to evoke prison environments and working conditions for prisoners in Buckinghamshire. Our work illuminates this idea from a modern perspective to shed light on the conditions prisoners faced and the environment they found themselves in.

Lost & Found: Giving Voice to LGBTQ+ Victorians Through Art

May 2025 Edition 123

Speculative reality

Archive

Haunting Future, Nick Gunkel, Brandi Paine, Matilda Walker, Inkjet print, 2025

Lygon’s Lavender Field , Ember Maggs, Ethan Musgreaves, Grace Rumsey, Inkjet print, 2025

The theme for our collaborative archive piece was speculative realities. We took inspiration from Victorian posters and created our image to have a horror undertone. The women in handcuffs representing those of the past who were wrongly imprisoned and punished for being LGBTQ+. The text ‘We are watching you’ represented a flip on reality, taking the power back to the people of the LGBTQ+ community of the Victorian era - reversing the power straight people had over gay people.

The idea is that the prisoners of the past are haunting people to turn them gay!

The inspiration for this piece is William Lygon, 7th Earl of Beauchamp. A member of the House of Lords, after being outed as homosexual, Lygon was exiled to Australia. At the time of his exile, King George V said on the matter, ‘I thought men like that shot themselves.’ Also added was an image of a lavender field, two watercolour paintings of lavender done on paper and scanned in, and a photo of the Wycombe town centre from the Victorian era. The background was a collage of different documents from the Buckinghamshire Archives.

The Bucks Student

Lost & Found: Giving Voice to LGBTQ+ Victorians Through Art

46

In this work, High Wycombe represents the Victorian society that outed and exiled Lygon, and the lavender field symbolises his queerness, itself beautiful but shrouded by the shadow of homophobia and oppression. We also composed a background collage of legal documents and diagrams of machinery used in hard labour - a punishment often enforced on queer people at the time. Our main inspiration was not Lygon himself but rather what he represents: a victim of homophobia and discrimination.

This homophobia is something we have come up against, and thus, we wanted to explore its ramifications.

Exhibition and opening day photos:

47

Lost & Found: Giving Voice to LGBTQ+ Victorians Through Art

May 2025 Edition 123