SUBU Impact Report 2024-2025

IMPACT REPORT 2024 - 2025

SUBU IMPACT REPORT

Chief Executive Officer SU President

Introducing our Impact Report

We are delighted to share this year’s Impact Report, highlighting SUBU’s work for students!

SUBU started the year with a change in leadership and a new Strategic Plan to supercharge the student life at Bournemouth University and beyond.

As SUBU’s new President and CEO, we have worked to steer SUBU towards greater innovation and efficiency in line with our strategy, responding to what our student members need and in recognition of the currently challenging higher education climate.

We are proud of our ambitious 2024-25 Strategic Plan, which was developed with elected officers and our staff team,

in consultation with students, and by reflecting on insights around student engagement and expectations. We have built this Impact Report by showing our progress, activities and projects around our four Strategic Goals:

Ending student loneliness

Activating experience for life and work

Attracting talent

Empowering with compassionate support

To really bring SUBU’s work and the experience of our student members to life, this report also spotlights five student stories.

If read cover-to-cover in one sitting, this could be a long read – we aim for our report to be browsed through and returned to, with the beginning and end of each section providing the summary.

The higher education sector is presenting ongoing and serious challenges for students’ unions and institutions alike, and research tells us that students continue to face financial constraints, increased loneliness, mental health challenges, and labour market instability in the age of artificial intelligence. We aim for SUBU’s enriching cultural and social calendar, and our focus on creating a welcoming and supportive environment, to be a key factor in attracting and retaining students in this competitive and uncertain market.

The engagement with our student voice initiatives gives us confidence that our strategic goals reflect what students require from us to best support and enhance their student experience.

The whole SUBU team are committed to providing the best opportunities and services to make a truly great student experience, and we are overjoyed to have won this year’s Best Students’ Union (South West England) in the WhatUni Student Choice Awards for the second year running! The awards are independent and based on student feedback, and demonstrate the impact that SUBU is having on Bournemouth University students during their time here.

We are immensely proud to have presented 15 SUBU Awards to deserving students and student groups at our May ceremony – SUBU received over 200 nominations for the awards, which demonstrates the impact our amazing student members are making within the university community and beyond.

As we reflect on this rewarding year and the progress and impact captured in this report, we look forward to building on our initiatives and continuing our work with many of you in 2025-26 to benefit our students!

We’ve been crowned the Best Students’ Union in the South West two years in a row!

How we fund our impact

SUBU is a registered charity

Our work is funded by a block grant from the University. We also generate income through our commercial venues on campus, including the Union Shop, Dylan’s Kitchen & Bar, Ground Up Café, and our iconic night club in Bournemouth town centre - The Old Fire Station.

Where the money comes from 75% 25%

£1,187,500 University Grant

£386,101 SUBU Commercial Services

Esther Chinenye Isaiah SU President

Ending Student Loneliness

Starting university is a big step for many of our students – it can mean leaving behind the comfort of home, family, and familiar surroundings to begin a new chapter in a completely different environment. Whether a student is just beginning their journey or progressing through their studies, the challenge of building lasting friendships and finding a sense of belonging is a constant one. As an international student from Nigeria, I felt this first-hand. Moving to a new country for the first time as a mature student provided its fair share of culture shock and moments of uncertainty.

I was first involved with SUBU as a Student Rep, and having enjoyed working with my course mates and staff to improve the student experience,

I decided to campaign for the Full-Time Officer (FTO) President role.

Winning the 2024 FTO election, on a campaign which centred on a better and more inclusive student experience, was a pleasant surprise and I have gone ahead to embrace this role with diligence.

Working with my FTO colleagues and SUBU’s staff teams has been a meaningful way to help ensure that every student, no matter their background or story, has the chance to feel seen, supported, and truly part of our university community. Creating various opportunities for students to come together and find their people has been at the heart of everything we do at SUBU.

In October, as part of the Black History Month, I led on our Black Culture Festan event that brought together around 200 students to socially connect in a safe space and learn about black culture.

Many of my projects focused on employability and cost-of-living, and these always included networking aspects. Networking can help combat loneliness and social isolation by fostering a sense of belonging and community, which is essential in today’s fast-paced world where it’s easy to feel disconnected. So, hosting the networking sessions at the end of “Stand-Out Series; Build a Brand, Land a Job” and “Studentprenuer Q&A and Networking Session” was successful in providing opportunities for over 100 students to connect based on their shared interests.

Through our monthly Supper Club initiative offering free hot evening meals, and weekly ‘Tea Thursdays’, we have significantly lowered barriers to participation for students who would like to socialise on campus but may otherwise feel excluded due to financial

constraints. Also, expanding aspects of the Community Kitchen to Lansdowne and supporting the Global Café by holding it in SUBU’s area at Lansdowne campus, means that students who study there have enhanced opportunities to socialise and speak to staff members.

For January 2025’s predominantly International student cohort, we relaunched the International Buddy scheme to support their transition into BU by linking new students with those already familiar with BU and Bournemouth. A total of 97 Buddies and 47 Buddy Leads enrolled, enjoying Buddy activities and socials like pizza night, meet-ups, and trips to Durdle Door, which students found helpful for connecting with others.

Serving as SUBU President has been an exciting, challenging, and transformative journey, providing a unique platform to influence institutional policy by championing the student voice and wellbeing. I am honoured to have worked alongside a dedicated team of FTOs, SUBU staff, academic colleagues, and university

leadership to enhance the student experience and to help combat student loneliness. Whether my efforts have made a difference to one or hundreds of students, knowing that I played a part in helping someone feel seen, supported, and connected makes every moment worthwhile. This experience has enriched my life, I have built friendships, found sisterhood, discovered role models, and grown in different ways.

I look forward to continuing this important work as the re-elected SUBU President in the next academic year.

Our strategic goal:

Ending Student Loneliness

“Every student to have a strong and supportive social network.“

Measures

% of students who have developed good friendships at university.

% of students feel part of a community at university.

% of students who rarely feel lonely at university.

How did we make an impact?

Reimagining the welcome experience

The first few weeks of term can be an exciting and chaotic time for both new and returning students. They have a lot on their plates as they arrive – from getting up to speed with an intense academic curriculum to living independently in a new place, and our research shows that settling in and striking new friendships can be challenging for our students.

Long induction

To give them a helping hand through this transition, our teams worked to reimagine the welcome experience. Rather than focusing on a single Freshers’ week, we developed a vibrant, inclusive and accessible long induction programme starting with a welcome pack sent via post and many studentled events and activities spread across the first six weeks of term on campus. Structured around the themes Home, Grow, Belong, Health, Money, and Mind, the programme was tailored to meet

our students’ evolving needs-from prearrival excitement and reassurance, to settling into university life, and building a sense of purpose and community.

The programme was aligned both with the academic curriculum, and the natural transition phases students are going through as they enter this hugely significant stage of their lives. Connected with a friendly peer delivered Buddy Scheme, the six weeks included street parties, quiz and games nights, nature workshops, give-it-a-go activities, employability pop-up events, cultural celebrations, financial wellbeing activities, and more – all to facilitate students to find all the support and opportunities on offer and enjoy the benefits of engagement, empowering them to thrive in their university journeys.

Personalised experience

This was SUBU’s second year of leading on a physical welcome pack mailout to students including information on what to expect and a Fresher’s wristband, granting them access to the wide range of welcome events and activities. The pack was designed to get them excited and build a sense of belonging, but also helps to relieve the anxiety associated with a time of significant change.

SUBU works carefully on a fun, inclusive Freshers’ events package that is free at the point of access and sent to new students in advance of their arrival.

The mailout focused on how students could feel part of the community and make friends through Clubs and Societies and Liberation Networks, a brief outline of SUBU Advice, and promotion of welcome events on campus and at The Old Fire Station.

We are working to ensure that new students starting at different times of the year have a comparable and personalised welcome experience. This January’s arrivals received a wristband for access to exclusive discounts, and Full-Time Officers’ in-person induction talks that mirrored those delivered in September.

Lansdowne activities

In response to student feedback, this year we also improved our events schedule at Lansdowne, making it SUBU’s busiest ever start to a term on the campus. There were over 30 events during the first six weeks including scavenger hunts, popup shops, speed friending evenings and board games socials. Our weekly yoga has also been growing in popularity.

SUBU’s community room has become a welcome hub for students to unwind and connect over lunch. The room has seen a revamp with Nerve Radio playing, new wall art and accessories, a new ‘Help Yourself’ shelf and cereal dispensers, making it a lively and engaging student space.

Student spaces

Throughout the year many students enjoy a break from their academic work in our spaces on Talbot and Lansdowne campuses. Whilst campus footfall remains a challenge, particularly over the spring term, our spaces provide a welcoming environment for students to relax, maintain social connections and even carry on working in a more informal setting amongst their friends. The great value food and drink offerings and the student atmosphere and surroundings provide a ‘home away from home’.

We continue to evolve and grow our welcome programme and look forward to building up on its identity and relevance and making BU and SUBU the most welcoming and vibrant place for students – both new and returning –helping them to connect, explore and thrive.

Student Communities

SUBU’s liberation and community work helps students to self-define and find a supportive network with people from their communities at BU; be that to do with their race, gender, sexual orientation, or another unique lived experience. They also allow people with similar life experiences – from students that have travelled across the globe to study at BU to those that are going through university alongside caring or parental responsibilities – to find others who understand their unique position.

By driving a strong allyship offer, supporting six Liberation Officers, celebrating five History Months (Asian, Arab and Ethnic Minority, Black, Disability, LGBTQ+, Women’s) and a Trans Awareness Week throughout the past year, SUBU created a diverse and vibrant campus for and with students from marginalised groups ensuring they are feeling heard and included.

SUBU offered 33 community events this year, attracting over 1,300 students. There was a variety of creative activities ranging from movie nights, speed friending and visits to Google’s Accessibility Lab to international food,

wine and cheese mixers, self-care events, MP debates, Queermas, and cultural festivals.

Highlights include over 200 students connecting with other like-minded students at our Mature Mixers and International Student events, and around 200 students celebrating their culture at Black Culture Fest.

Clubs and Societies

This year, SUBU offered almost 100 clubs and societies, where close to 3,000 student members came together to meet like-minded friends and form long-lasting and meaningful networks to support them throughout their university experience and beyond.

The wide-ranging opportunities –from Benchball to Performing Arts, Computing and Security to Chess –represent sports, culture, faith, special interest, arts and performances.

Student Representatives

Throughout the 2024–25 academic year, SUBU offered a varied and engaging calendar of social and developmental activities designed to strengthen the Student Representative (Rep) community. These initiatives created opportunities for Reps to build connections, develop friendships, and foster a sense of belonging alongside their representational roles. Regular coffee mornings and dedicated socials provided informal spaces to connect and share experiences. A standout event at Dylan’s brought together 80 Student Reps for an evening of quizzes, karaoke, and food, helping Reps network across courses and faculties.

Supper Club

Over 600 students attended seven of our monthly free Supper Club events, and their feedback indicates that 98% of participants felt more connected to fellow students after attending, with almost all students talking to at least 1 to 2 new students at each event. The success of this year’s Supper Club not only reflects the dedication of the team but also the strong demand for social connection and food support among our student population.

Commercial venues

We can tackle student loneliness head on by creating popular events, spaces and communities within our social places at SUBU. We understand that new students expect to make friends and enjoy life to the full whilst at Bournemouth University. Additionally, as students progress through BU, we work on ways to involve them in building their own events in our venues.

The Old Fire Station is a nationally significant event space, built around students and also reaching out into the broader local community with popular student parties, live music and social events. In 2024, Arts Council England invested in a collaboration with us to consider how we develop skills and events for our Indian and Nigerian student communities. We estimate from our data that over half our undergraduate students have visited our weekly student night Lollipop.

What is our progress on our measures?

*730 participants, March 2025 Speak Week

83% 43% 73% of students* have developed good friendships while at university of students* rarely / never feel lonely at university of students* feel part of a community at university

*730 participants, March 2025 Speak Week

*1,063 participants, November 2024 Speak Week

Climbing Club trip

Student members in clubs and societies

This year shows a 3% increase on last year despite a reduction in BU student numbers.

SUBU’s excellent clubs and societies offer provides students with a chance to meet like-minded peers with similar interests, helping them to make friends and take part in a range of activities that are relevant and accessible alongside their studies.

We continue to see the impact of cost-of-living challenges and students’ financial drivers to undertake part-time work, manifesting as reduce campus attendance and time available to participate in opportunities.

Despite these challenges, and a 10% reduction in our overall student population for this academic year, student members of clubs and societies shows a more than 3% increase from last year at just under 3,000 student members.

The same level of student engagement as 2024 was achieved across fewer events and with a decreased overall student population.

These events are key in raising awareness of the specific needs and challenges diverse groups of students are facing, whilst helping them thrive and feel welcomed at BU.

Focusing on delivering high impact events, SUBU’s 33 liberation and community events this year attracted over 1,300 students – the same attendance level seen across the 46 events last year.

95 clubs and societies in total

43 new clubs and societies

2,976 student members of clubs and societies

23% of SUBU members were a club or society member

600+ students attending seven Supper Club events

87% of students* agree it is easy to get involved with SUBU

*736 participants, March 2025 Speak Week

Rhys Smith

A Student Story

Rhys Smith He/Him

Study: Final year BSc (Hons) Archaeology and Anthropology

Part-Time Officer: LGBTQ+ Officer

Committee Roles: IRIS LGBTQ+ Society, Improv Society

Discovering connections and confidence

Growing up in conservative Walsall, Rhys often felt out of place as a gay man. Whilst he was supported by his loving family, he describes his younger self as ‘quiet and reserved’. Coming to Bournemouth University offered a fresh start.

“When I came to university, I asked myself, ‘Who actually am I?’ For the first time, I could explore that.”

Rhys quickly found friends through SUBU’s Iris LGBTQ+ Society at Freshers’ Fair.

“There were five or six of us, and we were just massive nerds! A couple are still my closest friends today.”

Getting involved in societies like Iris, Improv, Roleplay, and Gaming gave Rhys a strong sense of belonging. He joined committees, eventually working closely with SUBU’s LGBTQ+ Network. But near the end of his second year, academic challenges forced him to retake some modules.

“When I was younger, it always seemed to be the case that people left me to it and thought I was doing fine on my own. It made me think that if people were saying that I’m okay, maybe I was okay. I was getting good grades, but there were other things in my life that I needed help with, and I struggled to voice that.

“It wasn’t until I got to university and experienced this sudden change of feeling free in Bournemouth and having to do everything myself, I realised that that maybe I do need help with how overwhelmed and lonely I’m feeling. It was almost like the initial excitement of first year suddenly went, and that was really tough.”

With support from his personal tutor and wellbeing services, Rhys balanced resits and part-time work. During this time, he was invited to step into the role of LGBTQ+ Officer after the previous officer stepped down. Rhys accepted and soon found himself representing SUBU at the National Union of Students’ (NUS) Conference.

The opportunity inspired Rhys to officially run for the Part-Time LGBTQ+ Officer role in his final year, when he was successfully elected.

“Becoming LGBTQ+ Officer has been such a different experience from anything I’ve done before. I’ve never been in a role where I was representing a whole group of people, so that felt amazing! I actually have a voice now to help make the changes that people want to see.”

As LGBTQ+ Officer, Rhys helped plan special events like Queermas-a festive celebration for students who might not feel safe or accepted at home. Having seen the impact Queermas has had for the community, Rhys was delighted to have the opportunity to help plan the event.

“Being at home for Christmas is a really hard thing for some people, especially those who are outwardly queer. It can also be really tough for trans people, as they may have to go back home to a family that isn’t supportive or aren’t aware of their identity.

“To have a family of your chosen people and feel accepted is quite special. I felt really proud to host a space where people can have fun, feel safe and be who they are.”

Rhys also organised a wide range of events for LGBTQ+ History Month including a Clothing Swap.

“No one is judging you for what you’re picking out of the Clothing Swap, you can go and pick whatever you want, you’re entitled to it. I love events like those.”

Rhys also hosted a Human Library, where attendees were able to hear stories from members of the LGBTQ+ Community.

Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with attendees finding conversations

powerful and eye-opening. Volunteers also found value in taking part, as they were able to be part of a space where people wanted to hear their voices.

His efforts as LGBTQ+ Officer led to Rhys being awarded Part-Time Officer of the Year at the 2025 SUBU Awards.

“It was really gratifying and reassuring that I’m doing a good job. I do have doubts whether I’m doing enough, but receiving that award made me realise that I am making a difference!”

Rhys openly shares how loneliness shaped his journey-but so did reaching out and joining in.

“Loneliness happens, but it’s what you do next that matters. SUBU has something for everyone. Even if the first thing doesn’t click, try again.”

Over four years, SUBU became Rhys’s second home. He’s also been a Student Rep and Student Ambassador, and though he arrived with a plan to become a teacher, his outlook has evolved.

“Being an Officer showed me how much I love representing people. Thanks to SUBU, I’ve learned it’s okay not to have a five-year plan-I can stay open to what’s next.”

Rhys receiving the ‘Part-Time Officer of the Year’ award at the SUBU Awards

Jeffery Ononiwu Vice President Student Opportunities

Activating experience for life and work

With my background in media and brand management, I was excited coming to BU to study Film and Television Production, with a specific and keen interest in telling more African stories and focusing on local content distribution from Africa to the world.

I started my journey with SUBU as a Content Creator in the Communications department and I realised I could be a voice for a larger community, which is when I ran for Vice President Student Opportunities.

Being my first time in the UK, I initially had reservations about putting myself forward for an election, due to how these work in Nigeria. Being part of SUBU’s FTO Elections was a positive and fair experience and I would encourage any interested students to put themselves forward!

The experience of winning was wonderful, and getting to understand the role and deliver projects and change to benefit students has been so rewarding. I passionately believe that ‘my purpose

in life is to help others find purpose’, and my SUBU role has helped me do this for students, with a focus on employability and their futures.

Even with my wealth of experience from back in Nigeria, finding a job in the UK was quite challenging – I remember juggling working at a bar and content creation at SUBU alongside studying. This challenge was the main reason I wanted to focus on developing ways to offer students in the creative industries, and international students, more support in finding part-time work when studying here, and to help develop their skills for their futures.

This desire led to a number of projects, some supported by the whole FTO team, which I think are memorable highlights for my year.

In December SUBU held our first ever Studentpreneur evening event, as part of a Student-Owned Business Fair, where I facilitated a Q&A panel session with six student start-up founders sharing their unique journeys. From influencers, filmmakers, game and product designers, to crystal

obsessives, their diverse talent and fascinating reflections were a source of inspiration for over forty student entrepreneurs who came to network, exchange experiences, and celebrate start-up business. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, highlighting an opportunity and need for an even bigger and better community for student entrepreneurship at SUBU and BU.

I also had the honour of moderating “Ubuntu Collaborations & Transnational Filmmaking: Bournemouth University Students & Alumni Speak”, an inspiring panel discussion that brought together filmmakers, academics, and industry professionals to celebrate transnational storytelling. The panel was part of “The Artist as Public Intellectual”, an event hosted by Bournemouth University and in partnership with other UK and worldwide institutions. It was a privilege to moderate discussions with Bournemouth University’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Alison Honour, to explore key challenges faced by international students in media and film studies and the power of global collaboration.

In February I had the incredible opportunity, along with my fellow SUBU FTOs and other BU students, to present a student lived experiences short film and participate in a panel at Bournemouth University’s Race Equality Conference. Current students gained professional and networking experiences by participating in the panel and also filming, directing, editing and producing the short film, supported by the Faculty of Media and Communication.

To help enhance students’ awareness of the employability and career development opportunities available through SUBU and BU, we have further developed SUBU’s working relationship with CareersBU and BU’s Marketing and Communications teams. By collaborating on more careers-related

events and communications, and cross-promoting more effectively to students, we have seen increased student attendance at some events and activities - we intend to build on this for 2025-26.

I am excited to achieve more for students in the next academic year, and feel privileged to continue creating positive impact following my successful re-election to the role.

Our strategic goal:

Activating experience for life and work

“Every student to be aware of and have access to experiences that build their independence, employability and confidence.“

Measures

% of students satisfied SUBU helps develop their employability.

% of students satisfied SUBU helps develop their life skills.

How did we make an impact?

Career Collabs

From a shifting job market in the age of artificial intelligence to the need to find part-time jobs to boost their student budgets, there is increased demand for SUBU to provide and connect students to jobs, work experience and growth opportunities.

Employability is featuring consistently in election manifestos, student ideas and feedback reports. Students are future focused, thinking about their career prospects and looking to grow their confidence, employability skills and independence. They are keen to expand their experience beyond the classroom and engagement with SUBU events, groups, societies, clubs and volunteering is more purposeful.

We have worked with teams across SUBU and BU to better highlight the leadership pathways on offer, such as becoming a Student Rep, Club

Committee Member, Part-Time or Full-Time Officer, and developed employability-themed promotion of our involvement opportunities.

Our SU President Esther and VP Student Opportunities Jeffery also hosted many impactful and creative career-building events over the year. Starting with “Paint Your Potential” vision board making workshop, where more than 30 students developed aspirational wall art, the year continued with our fantastic StudentOwned Business Fair. This featured 14 stalls showcasing students’ business ideas and unique handmade products, 16 brilliant business competition entries submitted in just two hours, and six outstanding student start-up founders sharing their unique journeys at our first-ever Studentpreneur Panel.

The Bournemouth University Business School sponsored the competition and helped two lucky winners walk away with £300 to invest in their innovative, sustainable, and impactful business ideas.

Among our headline events this year, Esther and Jeffery also designed our

new Stand-Out Series (SOS) with the generous support of CareersBU, with the first one “Build your Brand, Land a Job” providing over 80 attendants with the confidence to go for their dream job. From building a personal brand and mastering networking skills, to uncovering hidden skills and strengths, and walking away with a fresh professional headshot, SOS was all about inspiring speakers empowering students to step confidently into the job application arena.

Clubs and Societies

With a wide-ranging clubs and societies offer and increased engagement with academic societies, this year shows healthy progress towards SUBU’s strategic goal to activate students’ experience for life and work.

The number of clubs and societies has increased by 36% on the previous year, offering almost 3,000 students a range of involvement opportunities across 95 clubs to support them in developing their skills and preparing them for the world of work. Included in this offer were 30 academic societies, where students benefitted from a variety of disciplinespecific activities to directly support their futures and career journeys.

Driven by a capable and enthusiastic team, SUBU’s clubs and societies demonstrated a clear strength in delivery over the course of the year and have helped to progress the impact of academic societies for students.

Volunteering

SUBU provides students with a wealth of professional skills that can be developed through a wide range of volunteering opportunities, from varied charities and not-forprofit organisations within the local community and SUBU, to projects and involvement opportunities within Bournemouth University and SUBU. The Full-Time Officers also introduced 15 Student Volunteer Event Assistants this year, who supported the delivery of SUBU’s events for students whilst developing relevant professional events career skills, and eight student volunteers who supported the recruitment of Bournemouth University’s Chair of the Board of Governors.

Part-time jobs at SUBU

Having a job whilst studying has great benefits for students – extra income, social networks and experience that grows critical life skills. SUBU is a large employer of students in its services, from our nightclub staff to our graphic designers, and offers progression pathways to supervisor roles. Structured training and involvement in

operational decisions brings us closer to our customers’ needs and helps our student staff learn what makes a business tick.

Many of our students have used their work experiences in SUBU to lift them into a career they may not have expected – Ed Sheeran’s touring Sound Engineer is a previous Old Fire Station student crew member!

Students who are studying a particular specialism can benefit from bringing their learning to life in our commercial spaces. Event management students, audio students, media students and marketing students have opportunities to collaborate on events, workshops and training that we can organise in partnership with BU. We aim to bring real world opportunities into the academic space to reinforce why SUBU is different, make us add value to BU and also identify great student potential.

What is our progress on our measures?

76% 74%

of students* are satisfied

SUBU helps develop their employability

*732 participants, March Speak Week

of students* are satisfied

SUBU helps develop their life skills

*728 participants, March Speak Week

Departments with academic societies

Up to April this year, 95% of university academic departments were already represented by an academic society, our highest level achieved on record.

This year’s academic societies total figure represents a 43% increase from last year.

This year also sees the highest level of academic society representation across the university’s departments in recent years, with 95% of these being covered.

Further enhancements also include securing an agreement with the University for BU to formally recognise the Academic Patron role within workload planning for academic staff and exploring an Academic Patron role description and implementation plan. This has been endorsed by the Vice-Chancellor and sponsored by the Pro Vice Chancellor Student Experience.

Volunteering skills developed

The increase in the number of skills developed and recorded by volunteers since 2023 is broadly the same for this year and last year.

SUBU Volunteering includes an option to formally record specific skills and knowledge developed in the role, whether it is based in SUBU, BU, or out in the wider community.

Across all volunteering roles undertaken up to April this year, 433 specific skills were formally recorded as learned or developed by students in their roles.

These include leadership, communication, digital skills, presenting/pitching, interpersonal, teamwork, relationship building, administration/office skills and many more.

95% of university departments represented by an academic society

1,854 students registered on SUBU’s Volunteering Hub

333 students registered for volunteering this year

2,721 volunteering hours logged by students

162 part-time student staff employed by SUBU

Andrew Carter

A Student Story

Andrew Carter He/Him

Study: Final year BSc (Hons) Forensic Computing and Security

Part-Time Officer: Disabilities, Accessibility & Neuro-Diverse Officer

Clubs & Societies Committee Member: President of Gaming Society

Nerve Radio: Head of Website

From Self-Taught Coder to Student Leader

Ever since he can remember, Andrew has been fascinated with technology. From a young age, he gravitated towards anything involving computersespecially video games.

Despite his enthusiasm, university wasn’t always part of Andrew’s plan. But in his final year of college, Andrew began to see higher education as the best route to gain deeper experience in computing.

Whilst Andrew was excited to start at Bournemouth University, his first year didn’t come without its challenges. He faced some difficulties with his course and was encouraged by lecturers to speak with his Student Rep. By his second year, Andrew decided to take on the role himself to help improve the experience for others.

“Becoming a Student Rep was my first involvement with SUBU and helped me a lot with building professional relationships with staff. I’ve always been passionate when I believe in something, but before university I would normally keep my opinions to myself.

“Through my role as a Student Rep, it felt powerful to have the responsibility to change something that I think isn’t right and see other students agree with me.”

That same year, Andrew founded SUBU’s Gaming Society to bring together students who shared his love of video games. What started as a small idea quickly grew, and by his final year, the society boasted over 100 active members.

Andrew has served as President of the Gaming Society for two years, and under

his leadership, the club was shortlisted for Best New Club or Society at the 2024 SUBU Awards.

“If I’m going to do something, I want to do it well and to the best of my ability. It’s been great to see the society take off and be part of creating this space for other students who share the same interests.”

In his third year, Andrew ran for and was elected as a Part-Time Officer. Although he was in two minds of whether to apply for the role, his decision come from his experience as a Student Rep and his desire to support others.

“It was my final year, and I was already planning to run for two other roles and I wasn’t sure I’d have the time. But I’d already worked with Additional Learning Support due to my own personal experiences, and I thought why not go for it?

“I wanted to do everything I could to support students and raise awareness, especially for hidden disabilities. Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not there. Someone might need additional help, and if there’s no awareness for hidden disabilities, they can often get left behind.”

Through his role as Disabilities, Accessibility & Neuro-Diverse Officer, Andrew had the opportunity to be involved in real change and advocacy work across campus.

One of the most memorable moments for Andrew was attending his first meeting for Disability History Month.

“It was the first time I’d ever been in what felt like a ‘proper’ meeting. I remember it being in a big room with lots of people, I didn’t know how it all worked at first. It took some time to learn how to follow up and contribute in a meaningful way, but it’s been one of the most valuable skills I’ve picked up.”

Andrew was instrumental in launching important initiatives through the Disabilities, Accessibility & Neuro-Diverse Network. He helped organise events for Disability History Month, supported the implementation of the Sunflower Lanyard Scheme for students with hidden disabilities, and even facilitated a visit to Google’s Accessibility Lab in London.

In addition to his Part-Time Officer and society roles, Andrew joined the Nerve Radio Committee in his third year as Head of Website – despite having no previous experience in student media.

At first, it was a steep learning curve, especially with Andrew having no specific knowledge of how radio worked. To bridge the gap, Andrew started his own show so that he could learn on the job. He had a rough idea for a show, and with encouragement from the Station Manager, he stepped out of his comfort zone and went for it.

“My first show was terrifying – I was so nervous! When I was younger, I did some gaming YouTube videos, and I liked that because no one was really listening. But this felt different because I knew people were hearing me. After a couple of shows, I got into it and it has really helped to build my confidence.”

In February 2025, Andrew worked with the Nerve Radio Committee to host a takeover in Dylan’s Kitchen and Bar on campus. The performance was broadcast live as part of Nerve Radio’s week on FM, and Andrew was responsible for ensuring the logistics of the outside broadcast.

“It was the most stressful, but best night of my life. So much was relying on me to get everything broadcasting on FM, but I did it! That’s something I am so proud of.”

He also had the opportunity to attend the Student Radio Conference (SRA),

where he was able to speak to industry professionals. The event helped him discover pathways that he didn’t even know existed, including software development roles within the radio industry.

As a result of his incredible commitment to creating a positive experience through the Students’ Union, Andrew was awarded Star of the Year at this year’s SUBU Awards.

Realising that he wasn’t quite ready to leave university behind and wants to continue building on the foundations he’s created through SUBU, Andrew will be staying at BU to study for a Master’s degree next year. Being part of SUBU’s Executive Committee through his various roles has also changed his entire perspective on the work of the Students’ Union.

“I didn’t realise how much work goes on behind the scenes. I never really connected with the typical student lifestyle of going out all the time.

“I feel like I have gained more relevant experience for my future through SUBU. As a whole, getting involved has helped me find my place and grown my own confidence.”

Grace Egbonna Ehiosun Vice President Education

Attracting Talent

My journey to Bournemouth University has been one of determination, resilience, and growth. With a background in Agriculture (Animal Science) and a deep-rooted passion for improving lives through knowledge and service, I decided to pursue a Master’s in Public Health at BU because I was interested in community wellbeing, addressing health inequalities and policy advocacy.

What made this journey even more profound was that I undertook my studies while pregnant. Balancing the demands of postgraduate education with the life-changing experience of becoming a mother was both challenging and transformative. Despite these hurdles, I remained committed to my goals, often spending long hours in the library, supported by my husband and driven by the vision of building a better future for myself and others. I graduated with distinction and left with not only a degree, but a deep appreciation for the strength and

potential of students facing complex life circumstances.

During my time at Bournemouth University, I was honoured to serve as the Student Rep for my cohort, where I developed a deeper understanding of the academic and wellbeing challenges students face. This advocacy and leadership journey led me to run for Vice-President Education at SUBU, a position through which I have had the privilege of amplifying students’ voices and shaping meaningful initiatives to improve academic life at BU.

Throughout this role, it has been a privilege to work alongside a passionate team of Full-Time Officers, our ever supportive SUBU staff, and senior university stakeholders - together we have championed initiatives that enhance academic support, improve students’ experience and foster a truly collaborative community at Bournemouth University.

I think it is important that students understand the many ways that SUBU can support and represent them, and provide them with amazing opportunities to get involved and develop personally. Helping students to appreciate SUBU’s relevance is key, and I particularly enjoyed having the chance to meet potential new students at BU’s Open Days for this year and delivering a welcome talk with fellow FTOs and BU’s Vice Chancellor. It was an important chance to share the many benefits of being a BU student with those that might be here in the future, and an excellent opportunity to experience first-hand the different activities, benefits and social settings that SUBU has to offer.

This year myself and my FTO colleagues also supported Q&A sessions run by BU for their undergraduate and postgraduate offer holders. This was a perfect opportunity for prospective students to have a personalised experience, where they felt listened to and reassured about practical aspects of being a new student, and the university expectations. It was also a great chance for them to get a better

overall sense of what the BU student experience is and the wealth of support and involvement opportunities on offer.

When new students arrive, it can be challenging to ensure they understand the many benefits and support they can receive from SUBU and from their membership. For our September 2024 and January 2025 new cohorts, I delivered enhanced induction talks together with the FTO team, emphasising the importance of joining different student communities or events to support students’ transition and find friends. As part of this, we showcased over 100 varied ways students could get involved in SUBU – this was key in making sure we highlighted ‘something for everyone’ to build students’ appreciation of our relevance to them.

Looking back on this year, I am incredibly proud of the work we have done to connect with our students, and create positive, lasting change for them. It was a privilege to serve in this role and to represent the student voice at every level.

I am very proud of the collaborative work that led to the reintroduction of the Laptop Loan Scheme, the development of the Mastering the BU Academic Experience seminar and successfully pushing for the approval of a reading week in next academic year - this was something many students have consistently called for.

These wins reflect what is possible when we listen to students and work together with compassion and purpose. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve and to work alongside passionate colleagues, staff, and university partners who share a commitment to making Bournemouth University the best it can be for every student.

Our strategic goal:

Attracting talent

“Increase in students choosing BU. All students to be SUBU members. “

Measures

% of student members.

% of students agree SUBU represents them.

% of students agree SUBU represents their academic interests.

How

did we make an impact?

Attracting talent to BU and SUBU

The Higher Education sector is shifting and facing serious financial and recruitment challenges, and BU is no exception to these disruptions. Whilst they are not yet our members, this year SUBU worked on proactive engagement and attraction for prospective students, as nothing contributes more to the high-quality educational experience of current students than a vibrant and bustling student community.

SUBU’s enriching social and cultural calendar, unique extracurricular offer and welcoming environment, along with Bournemouth’s unrivalled student life by the sea appeal, are key factors for potential students beyond their chosen degrees. After all, how many UK universities have the natural assets of Bournemouth?

Combine these with a nationally significant event venue that has hosted some of the most historic events on

the south coast for students and a dedicated five floors of student space at the heart of Talbot campus and you have a winning mix. We wrap this up into a marketing and communications plan that is clearly focused on increasing attendance at our activities but has a significant side effect of painting an exciting picture of life at Bournemouth University.

This year we leveraged our understanding of student behaviour to put BU’s proposition ahead of our competitor institutions by emphasising the rich extra-curricular student activity of our Union and coastal location. Working with the Communications team at BU we trialled an exciting SUBU Open Day presence, funded by the university, hosting a range of opportunities for prospective students to experience SUBU as part of their Open Day visit.

This included a joint welcome talk between the Full-Time Officers and the University’s Vice-Chancellor, quiz at Dylan’s, tours of the Old Fire Station, SUBU information zone, clubs & societies showcase with interactive displays, live demonstrations and mini activity

tasters and treasure hunt. Visitors had the opportunity to meet Nerve Radio - SUBU’s award-winning student radio station - and ask unfiltered questions as part of the Bournemouth 101 Q&A. We also had a chill out area with free refreshments at our Fun & Social Zone at the Community Kitchen.

Additionally, we have worked to foster collaboration, aspiration, and create a thriving and safe environment for our young people in Bournemouth by visiting local colleges with our Student Reps and Full-Time Officers, and offering interactive workshops and activities and providing a taste of everything on offer at SUBU. A highlight was our participation at the Bournemouth and Poole College Student Voice Conference where we joined our Rep teams to celebrate student leadership, voice and insights.

Feedback from prospective students across all these activities has been encouraging and we look to build on this work further to benefit both current and new students.

Communications

This year we continue developing creative and impactful approaches to student engagement throughout the academic year. By working closely with student creators and influencers, SUBU has consistently supported key initiatives and produced content across a variety of platforms, helping to reach a diverse audience of over 14,000 students. This year’s Freshers’ digital campaign saw our Instagram account reach increase by 38% when compared to last year.

A key focus of our communications strategy looks at using our channels more tactically to help students better understand the value and impact of our work. As part of this shift, we’ve moved away from heavy promotion of smaller events and instead, we prioritise sharing news stories that highlight the services we offer and our key achievements. This approach aims to build greater awareness of the essential work carried out by the Students’ Union.

The Communications Team has been working to strengthen our partnership with the university’s Marketing and Communications team. As a result, we

have contributed advice and insight to the university’s newly proposed student recruitment campaign, helping to drive tone and messaging to highlight what sets Bournemouth University apart - particularly focusing on its unique location and the opportunities offered through the Students’ Union, which remain key selling points.

Following our pioneering communications work with student content creators over the last few years, we have now invested in a team of 12 part-time student content creators who reflect our overall student population. With these students, we have extended our social media strategy to focus on trends and build engagement across our TikTok channel, whilst providing an authentic view to student life at Bournemouth University to assist with student recruitment. As a result, we have seen engagement on our TikTok channel grow by over 300% this year.

We are in the process of refreshing SUBU’s brand identity to ensure it remains relevant and engaging for students. This evolution includes updates to our logo, colour palette, core messaging, website, and visual

assets to better reflect who we are and help us communicate our offer more effectively.

Nerve Media

Nerve Media is SUBU’s student media outlets, comprising of an awardwinning radio station, online website, photography team and TV station. It is run entirely by students and welcomes students from any course or experience level.

SUBU’s Communications Team works closely to support Nerve Media, by hosting weekly meetings to discuss content planning and collaboration opportunities.

Radio have 105 members signed up this year, with a variety of shows to appeal to the wider student body. They have built on their award-winning legacy after securing four awards at the National Student Radio Awards (SRA) and Amplify Awards.

Presenters Hannah Clubley and Kitty Nixon were awarded Gold for ‘Best Interview’ at the SRAs after their exclusive interview with chart-topping

artist Badger at last year’s SUBU Summer Ball. Nerve Radio was awarded Silver for ‘Best Event Programming’ for an event they organised at Dylan’s as part of their week on FM radio.

Nerve Radio were also awarded Gold at the Amplify Awards for ‘Best Contribution to the Region’ for their Round the Clock Radio Challenge, where they hosted a 24-hour broadcast with student radio stations across the south to raise money for Mind, The Teenage Cancer Trust, The Journey of a Lifetime Trust and Epilepsy Action. They also secured Silver for ‘Best Multiplatform Initiative’ at the SRAs in recognition of the same event.

With over 130 members, Nerve TV have provided members with the opportunity to create frequent short-form fictional content. They have also supported SUBU with capturing content from clubs and society socials, Black History Month events and our Full-Time Officer Elections Results Night to help build our media archives.

Nerve Photography have 39 members signed up this year, and they have captured events and opportunities throughout the year including One

World Day, our MP Spotlight with Jessica Toale and Tom Hayes, society socials and Full-Time Officer Elections. For the first time in their four-year history, Nerve Photography were crowned winners of Best Nerve Outlet at the 2025 SUBU Awards in recognition for their dedication.

Departments across the university continue to utilise Nerve students from both TV and Photography to capture content throughout the year, including SportBU and CareersBU. Nerve has covered games for SportBU and have also created specific committee roles to manage relationships with different departments across BU.

To round up an incredible year, students from each Nerve outlet had the wonderful opportunity to attend this year’s SUBU Summer Ball, where they captured a range of content from the event. Students from Nerve TV, Radio, Online and Photography had the chance to interviews artists such as KiLLOWEN, Notion, Basslayerz and Sota.

Democracy and Student Voice

Our Democracy and Student Voice functions are essential elements of SUBU’s work to ensure we represent all students, enhance our relevance, and encourage student membership. Engagement with our initiatives to collect feedback and represent students has shown a steady increase in general since 2022 (when participation is looked at as a proportion of the whole BU student population) and we are working to further improve our effective response to feedback.

Fair and exciting election campaigns are a key priority for SUBU and a way to stay relevant to our student body. This year’s Full-Time Officers elections saw 28 impressive candidates campaigning, with 1,655 students (12.5% of SUBU’s members) casting a remarkable 6,089 votes to elect their Officers for 2025-26.

Our elected Student Reps and Full-Time and Part-Time Officers receive regular and tailored student feedback reports, making sure the student experience is fully understood, represented and discussed at all levels of BU’s meetings and committees, enabling student-led enhancements, decision making and

strategic projects to positively benefit students and implement best practice.

SUBU’s online feedback tool SimOn is our regular student voice mechanism, used by Student Reps and individual students, to provide feedback on all aspects of their university experience, from assignment briefs, teaching quality and their timetables, to university buses, campus catering and their library provisions. Up to April this year we have seen almost 13,800 student comments submitted to our SimOn tool – we will continue to collect feedback up to July.

In addition to the ongoing student feedback received through SimOn throughout the year, SUBU delivers a range of student voice campaigns to shape its work and drive projects that respond directly to student needs, while encouraging students to use their voices to drive positive change in our university community. A key initiative is Speak Week, which runs twice a year and is designed to gather feedback on issues that are both important to students and strategically relevant for SUBU. At 1,884 participants, this year’s Speak Week initiatives achieved our highest response level in recent history, representing a 14% increase in participants from the previous year.

What is our progress on our measures?

82% 72.3%* 77%

of all students are SUBU members*

*13,130 members

of BU students in the National Student Survey

2024 agree SUBU represents their academic interests of students* agree SUBU represents them

*This is above the benchmark of 71.7%, and relates to final year undergraduate students

*726 participants, March Speak Week

Number of student comments on SimOn

13,794 comments up to April 2025

Since 2020 we have seen a steady increase in the total number of SimOn comments submitted each year, with a significant 108% increase last year.

SimOn comments up to April this year have not yet reached the Sep-Jun level seen last year, however they are already a 65% increase on 2023.

Adjusting for this year’s 10% reduction in BU student numbers, the level of total SimOn comments submitted between September 2024 and April 2025 is 9% lower than the total comments seen last year for the extended period of September to June.

Student participation in Speak Weeks

This is the highest annual level of student participation on record for Speak Week

This year marks an outstanding 246% increase on total Speak Week participants from 2022, and it has also surpassed last year’s record-breaking total.

For the last four years we have seen an exponential increase in the total number of student participants to our Speak Week initiatives.

This growth gives us confidence in our overall strategy for engaging students with our feedback mechanisms - we aim to build on this success by focusing on improving engaging with groups of students currently underrepresented in our feedback.

27.4K Instagram accounts reached by SUBU’s digital Freshers’ campaign

5,300 new students reached across 50 inperson SUBU induction talks

7,500 students and 95 stands at Freshers’ Fair

200+ nominations for SUBU Awards across 15 categories

84% of students* agree SUBU has a positive impact on their lives

*732 participants, March Speak Week

72% of students* agree SUBU plays a role in their student life

*737 participants, March Speak Week

78% of students* who have used SUBU services would recommend us

*726 participants, March Speak Week

Jacob Dyer

A Student Story

Jacob Dyer He/Him

Study: Final year BA (Hons) Media Production student

Nerve Radio: Station Manager

SUBU Comms: Content Creator

The Radio Station That Bought Jacob to Bournemouth

Jacob Dyer’s journey to Bournemouth wasn’t about the course or the facilitiesit was about one thing: radio.

Growing up in a military family, Jacob moved constantly as a child. Every time he began to settle in and find friends, it was time to leave again. It was unsettling. So at eleven years old, he asked his parents if he could go to boarding school for stability. Whilst it was tough being away from his family, this meant it was the first time Jacob got to stay in one place, make and maintain friendships and feel at home.

Although Jacob never saw himself as academic, he discovered his passion for radio when recording broadcasts with his dorm mates. Radio became his passion, and he instantly knew it was what he wanted to do in the future.

When it came to choosing a university, Jacob knew he wanted to stay on the south coast, and his main goal was to find the best student radio station. And there was one name that stood out from the rest.

“I wasn’t looking at universities-I was looking at student radio stations. I looked at who had the best student radio within the area, and I found Nerve Radio, and that’s what brought me to Bournemouth University.”

“I knew I wanted to be a radio presenter, so was torn between studying Media Production and Journalism. I ended up choosing Media Production because I saw there was an audio unit, but in all honestly, I came to Bournemouth purely for the radio.”

When he arrived at BU, he made a beeline at SUBU’s Freshers Fair to find Nerve Radio. He’d already been messaging committee members over

the summer, and Freshers’ Fair meant he had the chance to meet them and have a tour of the studio.

Within weeks, Jacob had his own show. By the end of his first year, he ran for and was elected as Head of Daytimes, managing 30 shows and supporting new presenters.

“It pushed me out of my comfort zone, but I learned a lot and realised how much I enjoyed helping other people grow. That role really boosted my confidence, and by the end of the year, I knew I wanted to go for the Station Manager role.”

One of Jacob’s proudest moments was hosting a 24-hour charity broadcast featuring student presenters from across the south. The event earned Gold at the Student Radio Association (SRA) Amplify Awards and Silver at the Student Radio Awards.

“It was intense, I was physically and mentally exhausted, but it was an unforgettable moment. The atmosphere carried us, and we managed to push through the tiredness, and by the end of the broadcast I was in tears – it meant so much to me.”

Jacob’s talent caught the attention of our staff team who invited him to host the SUBU Awards-his first live presenting gig outside the studio. He loved it and returned the following year.

“I am radio through and through, but I’ve always been interested in all aspects of presenting. It was an incredible experience and opened my eyes to everything else that the Students’ Union has to offer!”

This led to paid work as a Content Creator, where he brought energy and creativity to promoting SUBU initiatives and continued presenting for SUBU, including hosting the Full-Time Officer Elections Results Night.

Heading into his final year, Jacob was elected as Station Manager at Nerve Radio – the dream he had working towards since his first day at BU. That summer, he refurbished the podcast studio, building a second desk, adding mics, sofa and creating a space to meet the growing demand for podcasting. Leading a brand-new team, Jacob introduced news bulletins, new music and tech teams, and extended broadcasting hours to include more students.

“It wasn’t just about my show anymore. It was about helping everyone else thrive.”

Jacob’s leadership earned him Outstanding Contribution to Nerve Media at the 2025 SUBU Awards.

“Honestly, I’ve loved being part of Nerve Radio. It has pushed me in ways I didn’t expect, I’ve learned so much about leadership, resilience, and how to build something meaningful. Getting this recognition meant the world… It made all the work feel worthwhile.”

Nerve Radio gave Jacob more than airtime-it gave him direction. He’s now exploring opportunities in community radio, where he can continue to build connections. Jacob has recently been elected as South Regional Officer of the Student Radio Association, which Nerve Radio holds membership for.

“It was a great experience meeting top producers and presenters, whilst getting honest feedback and seeing the industry up close. I’ve had the opportunity to visit Global Radio’s studios and attend the Student Radio Conference, where I’ve chatted with the likes of Capital presenter Jordan North.

“I’ve also had a reality check, where I realise that I may not ever end up in the industry. But I’m going to keep knocking at radio’s door and pushing to fulfil my dream.”

For Jacob, SUBU’s continued support for Nerve Radio is something he doesn’t take for granted.

“Some universities have lost their stations. But SUBU’s support means students like me can follow our passion. Nerve Radio didn’t just bring me to BU-it made my university experience.”

“My involvement with SUBU has helped to shape my future. I’d say over 70% of my time has been spent on SUBU and Nerve Radio, 20% on my course, and 10% to Lollipop at The Old Fire Station!

“Being able to be part of Nerve Radio through SUBU has made my dreams come true. I get excited every time I walk into the studio, and being part of Nerve has hands down been the best part of my experience at Bournemouth University.”

Fatima Farha Vice President Welfare and Community

Empowering with Compassionate Support

Reflecting on my second term as VP Welfare and Community, I’m filled with pride about the strides we’ve made in supporting students across the university. These two years have been transformative, both personally and professionally. It has been an empowering experience to ensure that students from all walks of life have access not only to good quality education but also to the broader opportunities and support they need to actualise at university.

As someone who experienced university as an international student, I know firsthand how important it is to provide a safety net - supporting students’ mental health, wellbeing, and sense of belonging within the community. One of the most significant areas of focus this year has been addressing the issue of student housing.

In October, I joined student representatives from across the UK to lobby parliamentarians for more accessible and equitable student

housing. We raised serious concerns about the lack of protections for students in Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA), highlighting how exclusion from legislative protections leaves students vulnerable in an already difficult rental market. A staggering 24% of BU students struggle to meet the guarantor requirements, which create significant barriers, especially for low-income, international, and estranged students.

Through persistent lobbying efforts, we have made progress with the university exploring Guarantor and Landlord Review schemes to better support students. However, the real change we need will come from national legislative action to address the deep-rooted inequalities within the housing market. We’ve made significant impact, but the journey is far from over.

Another key focus this year has been mental health and wellbeing, which has been a constant theme in my conversations with students. One of the most exciting initiatives I’ve had the privilege of working on is ‘Out in the Woods’ - a programme designed to connect students with nature while promoting mindfulness. With 13 dedicated volunteers, this initiative has

given students the chance to engage in grounding exercises, mindfulness activities, seasonal nature crafts, and sensory experiences in Talbot Woods.

The aim is simple yet profound: to help students manage stress, anxiety, and loneliness by leveraging the calming effects of nature. It’s been heartwarming to see students benefiting from this initiative and reconnecting with their environment in such a meaningful way. And I just got to spend some hours working in an environment I really love! Mental Health Week coincided with University Mental Health Day, and we reached over 300 students with workshops on loneliness from SUBU’s Advice team, a mental health fair, and creative self-care activities such as pot-a-plant, yoga, and painting.

We have continued to expand our costof-living support initiatives. This year, we introduced ‘Cheap Eat Tuesdays’ at Dylan’s, which has allowed students to access affordable, nutritious meals. We also introduced ‘Tea Thursdays’ in our Community Kitchen, providing a space for students to come together, share warm drinks, and make new friends. We’ve made significant improvements at Lansdowne campus, and offer

a greater staff presence, to make students feel more comfortable and supported. Together with the previous FTO team, I set up an international student bursary, providing grocery vouchers to students in need. With a total of £1,500 spent, this initiative has helped alleviate some of the financial pressures faced by international students.

We’ve launched a women-only gym hour in collaboration with SportBU, offering a safe space for those new to the gym to develop confidence and learn about lifting in a supportive environment. We also collaborated with BU’s Nutrition department to offer a placement opportunity for masters students to deliver a workshop on understanding nutrition through the menstrual cycle.

Throughout all of this, I’ve been fortunate to have incredible mentors at SUBU, which has built my confidence as a leader. Being the first woman in my family to pursue a career has brought challenges and navigating them has not been easy. But through my work at SUBU, I’ve been empowered to push for important changes and advocate for myself and others around me.

Our strategic goal:

Empowering with compassionate support

“Students to be equipped with the right tools to navigate challenges. No student is lost looking for help.“

Measures

% Students know where to access BU/SUBU support (academic, housing, personal, wellbeing).

% Students who have used SUBU services would recommend us.

% Students agree “SUBU empowers and supports me to be myself”.

How did we make an impact?

SUBU-wide initiatives

There have been a wide variety of dedicated student support projects, led by our FTOs in response to student feedback and evidence of student need, that have positively impacted on the student experience and empowered students to achieve.

Following student feedback about their renting challenges, and our members voting for a related student-voted policy, SUBU and BU are jointly exploring options for a new Landlord Review scheme. The aim is to offer students support in their choice of landlords by making other students’ reviews available.

In collaboration with BU’s library team, our VP Education Grace developed hybrid in-person/online seminars for new students - ‘Mastering the BU Academic Experience’ and ‘Mastering Exams and Revision’. Both seminars were designed to help develop students’ confidence to perform

academically at university level. Over 250 students gained practical skills and knowledge in critical writing, artificial intelligence use, referencing and hints and tips for revision techniques – the key aspects of a student skills set that we know from evidence might need an extra hand to build at the start of their academic journeys.

SUBU’s VP Education Grace has also worked with BU to reinstate a Laptop Loan Scheme, to launch as a pilot in 2025-26. The previous scheme had closed, but student feedback and a student-voted policy indicated this closure had a negative impact on financially challenged students and their ability to undertake their academic work.

BU has now agreed to launch the scheme again as a pilot for the next academic year, with 30 laptops available for loan across Talbot and Lansdowne campuses.

Advice

SUBU Advice is accredited by AQS (Advice Quality Standard) and provides independent, non-judgmental, and confidential advice while giving holistic support across areas of student life.

So far this academic year up to May, the team supported over 1,361 students and solved circa 1,500 cases, advising on a range of matters – from academic issues, such as exceptional circumstances and academic offence panel support to financial support, including food poverty and household bills. This year, 36% of our referrals have been to mental health support services compared with 18% for the same period last year, highlighting the continued increase in students needing wellbeing support.

SUBU Advice helped students in urgent need receive over £3,500 in small emergency grants, while hundreds of students were offered food donations through our Community Kitchen.

We are seeing continued increasing use and demand for the SUBU Community Kitchen and Supper Club initiatives, which began due to the escalating cost

of living that many students face. These initiatives remain an essential resource for students struggling financially.

Many students experience food poverty due to a lack of financial resources, which significantly impacts their health, academic performance, and overall wellbeing. With limited or no income, some are forced to skip meals or rely on low-cost, nutritionally poor food just to get by. Rising tuition fees, housing costs, and other living expenses leave little room in their budgets for adequate nutrition.

Persistent food insecurity can lead to fatigue, concentration issues and higher stress levels, making it difficult for students to thrive academically. The Advice Service has seen a 70% increase in support needed for food this academic year (Aug 2023 to May 2024) compared to the same period last year.

The team have expanded the initiative and opened a Community Garden in May 2025, to offer an additional way for student community to access food. Funded through grants and donations, it focuses on students growing food at Bournemouth University, aiming to inspire and engage students, staff, and even the

local community. It serves as a vibrant space for various activities, including monthly supper clubs, open days, plant sales, workshops, team days, and more. The mission of the Community Garden encompasses several key objectives: supplying the Community Kitchen with organically grown fruits and vegetables without the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, enhancing the student experience by offering unique volunteering opportunities, providing a range of student workshops, events, and wellness opportunities to create a sense of belonging.

By enhancing the SUBU Advice dashboards, the team has gained valuable insights into the emerging issues students are facing, allowing for collaboration across university teams to identify trends and develop prevention strategies. Delivered by a dedicated and qualified team, SUBU’s Advice service has demonstrated exceptional commitment and excellence throughout the year, addressing critical student concerns while fostering a spirit of community and belonging. As we move forward into the next academic year, our focus remains on enhancing support services to ensure every student feels valued and connected.

SUBU Community Wardens

The SUBU Community Warden Scheme, ran by SUBU and endorsed by the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council and police, supports both students living in private accommodation and permanent residents, to enhance integration within the local community. Over the year, student wardens worked over 711 hours, patrolling the main local student residential areas to support with a host of issues – from dealing with landlords and estate agents, to bins, parking, noise complaints and burglaries.

The impact of their work is demonstrated by only two Noise Abatement Notice being served to student residences for the current year up to May, in comparison to over 20 being served in the autumn term alone 5 years ago.

What is our progress on our measures?

*1,029 participants, November Speak Week

80% 78% 77% 67%

of students* know where to access BU’s wellbeing support of students* who have used SUBU services would recommend us of students* know where to access SUBU’s wellbeing support of students* agree “SUBU empowers and supports me to be myself”

*726 participants, Speak Week

*1,032 participants, November Speak Week

*732 participants, Speak Week

VP Welfare & Community Fatima serving at Supper Club

SUBU Advice cases

This year shows a 14% drop in the total number of Advice cases, however case complexity has increased

This year the Team offered impartial services to 1,361 students. The trends of student's cases are ever-changing with no month or year consistent for the past 3 years.

The complexity of cases presented continues to grow - half of our student clients come to us with a single issue, 47% come with 2 to 4 issues, and 2% come with 5 to 8 different issues.

Advice student money saved

£10,000+

£40,000+

This year’s student money saved for August to May is four times the amount for the same period last year.

2024 2025

The work of our Advice team includes expert support and guidance for students to recover money they have already paid and are eligible to have it returned. This includes cases where incorrect tuition fees have been paid, or cases involving disputes for the return of accommodation deposits.

Students are also supported to receive money they are entitled to, for example, compensation following a complaint, a payment relating to employment, or applications to Student Finance England to demonstrate compelling personal reasons for receiving additional year of student funding.

£40K+ students’ money saved through SUBU’s Advice Service this academic year

92% of students* who have used SUBU’s costof-living support initiatives found them helpful

*632 respondents, March Speak Week

84% of students* agree SUBU has a positive impact on their lives

*732 participants, March Speak Week

57% of students* want SUBU to focus on supporting students’ mental health

*1,056 participants, November Speak Week

53,200 sanitary products distributed as part of our BU-funded Free Menstrual Products initiative

Kyla Richer

A Student Story

Kyla Richer

She/Her

Study: MSc

Bioarchaeology

Volunteer: SUBU Community Warden

Clubs & Societies Member: Climbing

SUBU Community Garden: Lead Volunteer

From Overwhelm to Empowerment:

Kyla’s Journey with Compassionate Support at SUBU

Growing up in Ontario, Canada, Kyla was always drawn to the past-mummies, ancient civilisations, the mysteries of death. “I was that kid reading about mummies and ancient Egypt for fun,” she laughs. Over time, this childhood fascination matured into a love of bioarchaeology: the study of human remains to understand lives once lived.

But even as her academic passions grew clearer, Kyla faced challenges that often made everyday life harder to navigate.

“I always felt like something was different about me,” she says. “I struggled with social situations, with anxiety, and for a long time I didn’t have the language to understand why.”

It wasn’t until she was diagnosed with autism as a young adult that the puzzle pieces began to fit together. “Getting that diagnosis was such a relief,” Kyla says. “I finally had an explanation, and more importantly, a starting point for learning how to manage and advocate for myself.”That understanding came with the realisation that the right kind of support could make all the difference.

When Kyla first arrived at Bournemouth University to pursue her master’s in Bioarchaeology, she was filled with excitement-but also anxiety, uncertainty, and fear.

“I cried on my first day. I was in the lecture theatre, I was so overwhelmed and nervous about finances.”

Like many international students, she had just enough money to get to the UK, but not much else. “I had a very strict budget, and when you’re budgeting, sometimes you forget things-like toothpaste, soap, medical supplies… things you don’t think about until you need them.”

Despite working multiple jobs back home and careful planning, an unexpected delay in her funding left Kyla unable to pay for her housing. “There was a bureaucratic issue, and because of that, my funding was delayed. It was very scary and I felt on my own.” But that sense of isolation quickly began to shift, thanks to a chance encounter during induction.

“I was about to ask about job opportunities and someone from SUBU asked if I was okay-and I wasn’t. They brought me up to SUBU Advice, and looking back now, I’m so grateful. I’ve gone to them for support so many times.”

SUBU Advice helped Kyla navigate her financial anxieties, and she credits the team with helping her through difficult times.

“The Community Kitchen and food vouchers literally saved me when I had eight pounds in my bank account.”

As Kyla settled in, she also found that getting academic support for her autism and anxiety was refreshingly straightforward compared to her experience in Canada.

“I literally just showed my doctor’s note, and they said, ‘Yeah, cool.’ That was it. I was shocked. It was so easy here.”

Gradually, Kyla went from someone being supported to someone offering support. After applying for numerous jobs and initially facing rejections, she became a Community Warden, a role that helped her overcome social anxiety while helping others.

“My first patrol was terrifying, but I was with a bunch of people and got used to it quickly. Now, I know the peopleand the cats-on my route by name!”

Kyla’s passion for plants, shaped by years of interest in outdoor work through archaeology, blossomed into a meaningful volunteer commitment when she discovered the SUBU Community Garden.

“I went during Volunteer Week, and I loved it so much. Now I’m the lead volunteer and I was even nominated for Volunteer of the Year SUBU Award!”

It was only natural that Kyla ran for election as SUBU’s Welfare & Community Officer-not for glory, but for joy.

“I didn’t expect to win, I just wanted to make people happy. That’s why I used sunflowers in my campaign-to brighten someone’s day, even if they didn’t vote for me.”

Kyla also participates in several clubs including climbing, surfing, and experimental archaeology projects.

“All of it builds skills, connections, and confidence. It helps me professionally, too. And I’d really love to stay in the area if I can. Everyone’s just… so nice.”

Reflecting on everything-from her arrival tears to becoming a student leader and a fixture in the community-Kyla sees SUBU’s support as transformational.

“Honestly, I don’t know how successful I’d be here without SUBU. For international students especially, you give up your whole support network.

SUBU became that support system for me.”

She also recognises the broader impact of SUBU’s work. “All of these things-SUBU Advice, the Community Kitchen, the Community Garden, being a Wardenthey reduce fear, reduce anxiety. They give people an avenue for help, even if they don’t know they need it. Sometimes just having someone ask, ‘Are you okay?’, and mean it, is everything.”

Impact throughout the union

As a democratic membership organisation, SUBU’s core purpose is to represent and support student members. Our services, provisions and involvement opportunities must be informed by student need and our Elected Officers, and so we must ensure that there are effective representation and democracy functions in place to achieve this.

Democracy

Through SUBU’s democratic processes we offer students the opportunity to elect their student leaders and support student voices to be heard. From PartTime Liberation Officers championing marginalised students, Faculty Reps and Faculty Officers, voted to sit on

Faculty meetings and SUBU’s Executive Committee, and Full-Time Officers –all are elected to lead the Union and support the University-wide student experience to be the best it can.

The student Your Ideas platform has had an impressive 1,338 engagements (up by 8% on the previous year) which saw five new policies voted on and passed (with two more democratic meetings to be held before the end of the year). These include ensuring sunflower lanyards are available to all students and are costfriendly, for BU to revise and improve their student disciplinary and code of conduct processes and support, and for SUBU to further Reps improve the Lansdowne student experience.

Number of Student Reps

This figure represents the equivalent of around one Rep to every 25 students

In 2022 the number of Reps elected within programmes was equivalent to one Rep to every 33 students.

This year’s ratio is equivalent to one Rep to every 25 students.

Our focus next year will be to aim to continue achieving this more recent ratio, alongside enhanced tracking of Rep activity to provide greater reassurance of consistency across all Reps.

Student Representatives

Student Reps are elected volunteers who play a vital role in championing the student voice across BU. By offering peerto-peer insight into the student experience, Reps help ensure that feedback from their cohorts informs decisions at every level of the academic provision.

In the 2024–25 academic year, SUBU collaborated with the University’s faculty teams to successfully elect and train 626 Student Reps, representing 184 programmes across the university.

81% of BU programmes with at least 20 students are covered by elected Student Reps, who attend regular meetings within their faculties to discuss student positive and developmental student feedback with BU staff, exploring actions to maintain or develop best practice for the BU student experience.

Wider campaigning and representation of student interests

In October SUBU’s VP Welfare & Community Fatima joined the NUS National Lobby Day, representing BU students in Westminster, alongside officers from around 50 other English universities. Fatima met Bournemouth West MP Jessica Toale to

highlight the urgent housing challenges facing students in our constituency. As a result, Jessica Toale has written to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government calling for changes to address the issues, and highlighted the housing struggles that BU students face in a Parliamentary debate on the Renters’ Rights Bill and on social media.

To create a meaningful opportunity for students’ concerns to be represented at a regional and national level, SUBU and BU collaborated to host MP Spotlight panel debates and forums in November as part of UK Parliament Week. Elected MPs from Bournemouth East, West and Poole attended to discuss BU students’ main concerns, including housing, finding local jobs and work experience, student mental health, and creating stronger communities. Since this debate the Bournemouth East MP Tom Hayes has spoken in Parliament and on social media about the student safety issues that the event explored.

SUBU continued with our representation of students’ housing-related challenges in February when Bournemouth West MP Jessica Toale made a second visit to BU for ‘Conversation with your MP – Housing Edition’, where 40 students shared their concerns about student safety, lack of police presence, and insecurity issues around renting.

Alex Caton-Bradley

A Student Story

Alex Caton-Bradley He/Him

Study: Final Year BSc (Hons) Psychology with Forensic Investigation

Part-Time Officer: Science & Technology

Faculty Officer

SUBU Trustee Board: Student Trustee

Founder & President: Psychology Society

Finding Purpose through Adversity

Sensitive content: discussion of suicidal feelings

Growing up in a small Cotswolds town, Alex never saw himself as academic. Diagnosed with dyslexia at age eight, school was a constant struggle.

“I was never a standout in primary school. I didn’t know my times tables. English and maths were always a challenge. School really isn’t set up for neurodivergent people, but I managed to get into grammar school by the skin

of my teeth when I was eleven, literally because somebody else dropped out. Teachers told me, ‘You’d never do anything academically-just stick to rugby.”

And that’s what he did. Rugby became his outlet and identity. He played the school team, he excelled and joined the Gloucester Academy and played at county level.

But this all changed with a serious leg injury when he was fifteen. A year of being in a wheelchair, hospital stays, surgery, and physiotherapy followedcoinciding with challenges at home, as his parents split up.

“I lost the one thing that gave me confidence overnight. And with my mum unwell and my parents separated, I had to grow up fast.”

Coming from a very successful family and being an only child put a lot of pressure on Alex to do something with his life. He worked hard on his recovery and tried getting back a year later, but further concussions followed, and he was effectively released from the academy. This was devastating for him. He felt lost and directionless.

“These were dark days. It’s difficult to say, but I was close to ending my life. I walked out of the house around midnight and sat on a railway bridge. And it was the lowest I’ve ever been.”

Despite these turbulent years through sixth form and a near loss of his mum to a brain injury, Alex found a real passion and interest in psychology-a subject introduced to him by a friend he’d met during physiotherapy. It sparked his curiosity, leading him to change A-levels and eventually apply to Bournemouth University.

“When I came to Uni I was quite insecure, lacking confidence. I was still lacking direction and mission in my life. I battled mental health struggles. But BU-and SUBU-gave me the space to find out who I really was. It has been honestly life changing for me.”

At BU, Alex threw himself into student life. He joined the rugby team, became a Student Rep, founded the Psychology Society, and eventually took on roles as a Part-Time Officer and Student Trustee. He even presented research at Parliament at the age of only nineteen.

“Being thrown into meetings with ViceChancellors and MPs felt surreal-but it taught me how to speak up and step forward. I found my voice.”

Under his leadership the psychology society were first to achieve 5 star status this year and became the first ever academic society nominated for society of the year He’s also worked on student safety, wellbeing, timetabling changes and representing students at highest level. With every new challenge that he took on – both academic and extracurricular, he reflected on ways to improve.

“I’ve really taken my learnings forward into my final year. From my first essay where I got 50, I’ve been getting first, back-to-back this year. With all the roles and experiences that I have taken on, I’m coming out a different person.”

What has been a full circle moment for Alex has been his toxic masculinity research-an interest that sparkled through his years of playing rugby and he explored further throughout his degree, leading to a fully funded PhD offer at BU. This journey-from nearly being written off to winning scholarships

and shaping policy-proves just how far his compassion, resilience, and opportunity have taken him.

“From being told that rugby is my only option and I’m never going to do anything academically to being on a PhD programme, I couldn’t have done it without BU and without SUBU.”

But alongside the achievements was sacrifice.

“I’ve done incredible things, but I’ve felt lonely too. Building deep friendships was hard-I think I traded some of the social experience for the impact I wanted to make.”

Despite coming from a professional family, Alex has supported himself entirely throughout university, balancing paid and unpaid opportunities to fund his studies.

“People assume you can only get these experiences if you have money. But there are many paid roles at BU and SUBU that can help make the most of what’s offered. I genuinely believe that no matter your background, at

university you are your own person, at university, you can do anything!”

He credits SUBU for being an important part of his story.

“SUBU means opportunity. It offers anyone, no matter what background, race, colour, creed, religion, no matter who you are, what you’ve done, it gives you an opportunity to thrive. You can do something meaningful here. It’s not just a Students’ Union-it’s where you can find purpose.”

Looking Forward

This Impact Report shares SUBU’s progress against our 2024-25 Strategic Goals, informed by our own research, sector trends and consultations with students, elected officers and staff teams.

Over the summer we will reflect on our Goals, alongside BU’s emerging 2035 strategy and other relevant insights, to make an appropriate and adjusted strategy for 2025-26 and beyond.

At the beginning of the 2025-26 academic year we will also be using a completely re-branded look for SUBU

See you next year with a brand new look