IMPACT REPORT 2019-20
Introduction from our CEO Tim Benford
2020 has been a unique year for our members, the organisation, our Trustees, the University and, indeed, the world. Students have had to adapt to a whole new way of learning and living at the same time as fighting inequalities and injustices in our society.
During the year, The Students’ Union has had a number of highlights, which are included in this Impact Report. The organisation, driven by the Presidents Team, have worked tirelessly to drive societal change - starting with Black History Month, the Black Hall of Fame and the development of an ongoing campaign, which aims to educate, challenge and remove racist behaviour and bias.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, we have actively engaged with students to both support them and gain feedback to improve, amend and develop the online learning environment that our members have had to get to grips with, quickly. This has delivered significant benefit to both students and our key partner, UWE Bristol.
As ever, we strive to build our relationships and networks to deliver quality for our members. It is important to recognise and thank UWE Bristol, the Board of Governors, the Directorate and staff for their support in navigating the practical and financial challenges that have arisen during the pandemic.
Our ability to deliver is, as always, driven by the people at its core. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our people, including Trustees, Presidents, permanent staff and our student, casual staff. During a turbulent and unsettling period, they have rallied, delivered and developed new ways of working to ensure we can suppor t our students and, indeed, each other, to become a stronger and more agile organisation.
Tim Benford opening The Students’ Union’s new building in 2015
THE PRESIDENTS TEAM President: Precious Onyenekwu Tatah
Throughout my year as President, I’ve championed causes that speak to the student community. I have been delighted this year to launch one of my most notable projects, the Black Hall of Fame, which sets out to promote recognition and representation beyond the annual Black History Month. With 22 of UWE Bristol’s Black students, staff and alumni on the shortlist, and a permanent display outside The Library on Frenchay Campus, it has been a real privilege to help create such an impor tant and necessary project. You can read more about the Black Hall of Fame here.
Myself and my Presidents Team have campaigned loud and proud for the student voice this year – and we have succeeded in lobbying for real change at UWE Bristol.
We undertook extensive research, including a trip to the University of Manchester, to determine whether the use of sleep pods will help students’ productivity and well-being during their time at UWE Bristol. This has now been approved by Jo Midgley, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Student Experience, and will be implemented soon.
In February, after hearing concerns surrounding the cost of laundry for students in Halls, myself and my team secured free laundry vouchers to distribute to students living on campus. This was then followed, I’m delighted to say, after seven months of hard work behind the scenes, by a significant reduction in laundry costs for the first time in years.
A 65% saving will be in effect from October 2020, reducing the cost of a wash cycle for students - from £4 to £1.50. You can read more about our campaigning here.
Alongside a year full of projects to uplift the student voice, I have worked hard to ensure I stood for the student community at events on campus – and beyond. Highlights included speaking at ‘A Career in Curiosity’, organised by We The Curious, raising money for United Through Sport at Sports Does Strictly, and raising vital funds for Sports Relief through Row Britannia, an inclusive rowing challenge by The British Inspiration Trust (BRIT).
VP Societies and Communication: Evan Botwood
VP Education: Jane Ojiako
I have enjoyed my year as VP Societies and Communication at The Students’ Union at UWE immensely. The Presidents Team and staff have worked incredibly hard on various student-facing projects throughout the year, and I have led some initiatives that have become real highlights of my tenure.
Back in November 2019, we set out on a cold and wet winter night, alongside some brave students, to sleep outside The Students’ Union on Frenchay Campus to raise funds and spread awareness of homelessness in Bristol. We donated £1,530 to the Bristol-based charity, One25. I’m so glad we had a real impact on such an important local and national issue, by raising funds, and growing a deeper empathy in students, which I’m sure will have a lasting impact in the future. This event was so valuable. You can read more about it here.
In January, one of my biggest highlights of the year arrived. After months of work behind the scenes, the team and I hosted the firstever Refreshers’ Fair! It was time to give a proper welcome to new international students, January-intake students, and to give a second hurrah to societies and sports clubs.
The Fair was a success! Conceived and co-ordinated under my lead, it saw 1,280 students enter The Students’ Union building to discover 80 societies, sports clubs, freebies and more! It gave the opportunity for sports clubs and music students to showcase their talent on a stage outside, which brought in many students and gave them the limelight they deserve.
It was a great success for students, as well as commercially, allowing further activity at The Students’ Union:
• 43% increase of January society/ club sign-ups, compared to the last year
• £500 increase in sales at Union 2 on the day
• £700 gained from commercial stalls
A student reflection on The Refreshers’ Fair: “I wish I’d had this event when I was in my first year! It gives such a perfect welcome to those coming in, really making them feel at home”.
Throughout my year as VP Education, I have worked on a range of campaigns, which aim to improve the university experience for all students at UWE Bristol.
You may have heard about the BAME attainment gap a lot now, but you might still have no idea what it is. That’s fine – let me tell you. It simply means BAME students are less likely to graduate with a 2:1 or above, compared to their non-BAME counterparts. It’s an issue that means a lot to me, and in my time as VP Education, I have found that it means a lot to the student community too.
Student reflections on the event: “The event was educational and eye-opening about the attainment gap.”
“It was enlightening; interactive and informative. I feel empowered!”
Beyond the racialised attainment gap, access to University has become an urgent matter of concern as admission, retention, satisfaction and employment outcomes unfairly differ for Black students. Experiences of racism on campus are being spoken about more openly, but how can we really make a difference?
In celebration of Black History Month, I had the pleasure of organising and leading a panel discussion for the event ‘Beyond Barriers’. The event focused on inspiring Black students at UWE Bristol and held discussions around experiences the panellists faced as Black students in academia. There was also a positive exploration of the ways we might be able to tackle the Black Attainment Gap at UWE Bristol. The key stand-out for me was the emphasis that students should not feel limited by their characteristics - rather, they should have an undying desire to be the best they can.
Another issue that is hugely important to me, and has been since I undertook my earlier role of Women’s Officer in 2019, is the issue of period poverty. Sanitary products are still considered a ’luxury item’, which can make it difficult for those who menstruate to afford or access sanitary products. A lot of the individuals affected by this are students in schools and universities.
Back in 2019, I campaigned for free sanitary products at UWE Bristol. The campaign involved months of discussion and getting over 200 students to sign a petition. As a result of this work, I am happy to confirm that in collaboration with The Students’ Union Community Team, there are now plasticfree, sustainable menstrual products freely available across all Students’ Union buildings at UWE Bristol. I am continuing to work with UWE Bristol to secure this as a university-wide scheme.
VP Community and Welfare: Ubong Joseph Ante
VP Sports and Health: Josh Eseoghene Edje
In my role as VP Community and Welfare at The Students’ Union, I strive to ensure I’m supporting the diverse nature of our student community.
As a food lover and one for diverse food options, I began a campaign focusing on more inclusive and diverse food options across UWE Bristol’s campus sites. I launched a food sur vey to get feedback from students on available food options and what change they would like to see.
In December 2019, I held the UWE Bristol Food Fest at Frenchay Campus, in partnership with Bristol EATS, to kickstart my campaign. A total number of 11 diverse vendors were in attendance, and there were 800 sales, and over 1,000 students and staff engaged with the event. This was a huge success, and the university has agreed to hold a Food Fest at least three times throughout the next academic year, whilst plans are being made to host another at our campus sites. You can read more about the Fair here.
Holding onto issues that affect the student community close to my hear t, I also campaigned for students’ well-being. As part of Black History Month, I hosted an event called ‘Dark Room: The Unspoken Taboo’. This workshop discussed the stigmas and taboos associated with mental health in the Black community, including concepts of masculinity, religious/cultural identity, leadership and intersectionality.
I am also very happy to announce I worked hard to secure a partnership with Studentpad, to ensure students gain more opportunity and support when looking for housing in Bristol - something that is already hugely competitive and taxing on well-being.
This Studentpad website is exclusively for UWE Bristol students seeking accommodation in and around the city. The website launched during the 2019 Accommodation Fair, and the team worked hard to get a range of properties available for students. As of February 2020, the number of properties reached over 300 listings, and in April there were 150 left, showing great engagement from students! You can check out the personalised website here.
Foodfest findings:
• 84.72% felt uplifted after attending
• 73.61% felt relaxed
• 72.46% felt calm
This year, I have worked to support students’ well-being and happiness at UWE Bristol, through the medium of sport. In November 2019, I organised a Fight Night at The Students’ Union on Frenchay Campus. This event was in support of Movember, the month of male mental health awareness. This event raised approximately £5,000 and on the night Union 2 made £3,000 and the event sold £2,000 worth of tickets
- both online and at the door. In total there were over 500 people in attendance.
On the night, I made a speech that encouraged males to be more sensitive to each other and to not be ashamed to talk about their mental health. I also encouraged everyone to make use of the UWE Bristol Crisis Textline, which is available to them 24/7. This speech was well received by students, and I received positive feedback from a number of men, staff and students.
Two other main highlights during my year as VP Sports and Health have been the Poets in the City event and the International College Varsity. Poets in the City was an event which showcased those who face barriers entering the creative industries, due to their race. In collaboration with the Arnolfini Art Gallery, we raised £100 for Bristol Black Carers.
In February, I was approached by some students from the International College, who felt neglected as they were unable to access extracurricular activities. So, I took the liberty of organising a mini Varsity between them and the University of Bristol’s International College. The students had a great time and beat Bristol 7-0. Both events committed to supporting the well-being of the student community.
Adapting to Circumstances: Covid-19
How we worked around Covid 19
In what suddenly became a challenging year internationally, The Students’ Union closed all site functions and set people up to work from home in mid-March. There was a skeleton staff on hand, to ensure that we were still available to assist and guide students who were unable to leave campus, which meant that we were able to carry on providing a provision to the student community. We worked and constantly adapted to ensure that we were operating in the safest and most effective way.
UWE Bristol gave over one of their largest open spaces, which is used for exams and Freshers’ Fair, to the Government to help in the fight against Covid-19. Currently renamed the NHS Nightingale Hospital Bristol, it is one part of a network approach to the management of critical care services across Gloucestershire, Bristol, North Somerset, Bath, North East Somerset, Wiltshire, Somerset and South Gloucester. A number of the Halls of Residence were also handed over for NHS staff and military personnel to use whilst working at the Nightingale hospital.
We also arranged and hosted a range of online activities, which all students could enjoy. From dance classes to awards ceremonies, we aimed to make sure there was something for everyone. We hosted these activities over a range of platforms to include the widest audience, from Instagram IGTV to Facebook Live, our aim was to keep students engaged and supported over what was a challenging period.
A number of the Commercial Team have worked throughout this period to keep the campus Shop open for students, contractors on the engineering building and those at the Nightingale Hospital. We have put in place new social distancing measures and hand gel stations to ensure the Shop is safe for both staff and customers.
Black Lives Matter
We are at a point where we can no longer say that The Students’ Union at UWE is against racism. It is not enough, and we know that.
We need to be vocally anti-racist in the face of violence, threats, oppression and prejudice. Anti-Blackness is a very real issue in Britain and across the globe. In these difficult times and with the recent heart-wrenching murder of George Floyd, we wanted to let particularly our Black community know that we see you, we hear you and we are here for you.
The Students’ Union is continuing to support the #BlackLivesMatter movement and calling for an end to police brutality against Black people. We are working with our student community, to listen and help make change happen.
We want to help educate our students and together create an inclusive campus community, and we will work with students and UWE Bristol to tackle systemic and institutional racism.
This isn’t going to change overnight, but we will keep working, we will keep fighting for justice and we will make sure this conversation doesn’t stop until we see a real change.
We responded to the atrocities being carried out internationally, and within the UK itself, with a call to action from our Presidents Team. We offered a resources list online for students to continue to educate themselves, stand for change and make a difference. Precious, our President, shared a video online addressing her personal concerns and The Students’ Union shared a very powerful poem written by UWE Bristol student, Donnell Asare.
Looking forward, we are excited to say that as a Union, we have decided to run a year-long Black Lives Matter campaign, which means celebrating our Black students is not restricted to Black History Month in October.
It is also important to note that we are currently working with the University to ensure that best practice is put in place to maintain the safety of our Black students during these challenging times. This work with the University includes working together on reviewing the zero-tolerance policy, and also shaping the teaching Block Zero induction programme to include topics around race.
We have also partnered with SARI (Stand Against Racism and Inequality), a Black-led independent charity, to arrange a three-way meeting to continue these discussions between The Students’ Union and UWE Bristol.
We will continue to review our work as an organisation and will continue to stamp out injustice at UWE Bristol and beyond.
Key Impact - Sustainability
Our organisation strives a greater focus on sustainability each year. In 2019/2020, we have continued to embed that ethos and have made leaps and bounds in our commitment to becoming more environmentally conscious. Here are 10 of our organisational highlights from our year of sustainability:
COMMUNITY GARDEN
We have a great community garden on Frenchay Campus where we can help empower students with practical and fun ways to be more involved, giving them some time away from deadlines; to be out in nature. Our Community Garden is a green space on campus that is regularly used by students, staff, and members of the wider community. This symbiotic relationship between students and the environment instils sustainable morals within the campus community, all while reducing the environmental impact of our diets. At present, The Students’ Union Community Garden Group has 182 members.
“I have loved the time have spent at the Community Garden throughout the year. As a regular attendee, the session is great for learning about different plants, how to use tools efficiently and safely, and how to improve my mental health. Having a break from staring at a screen doing coursework and revision to do some exercise, socialising, and being outside for three hours a fortnight has been great for my wellbeing.” Jacob French, Garden Guide and IT lead on the Sustainability Committee 2019/2020.
SUSTAINABILITY MARKET
Our Sustainability Market, created in partnership with the Sustainability Committee, saw vegetarian and vegan meals as the core focus of students’ lunchtime choices. With a range of environmentally-friendly food traders on site, and other exciting commercials such as the pop-up thrift store, Vintage Vera, the event introduced students to sustainable ways of living.
As a result of the Sustainability Market, 44% of students were ‘very likely’ and 33% were ‘somewhat likely’ to eat more vegan food. We served 329 vegan and vegetarian meals at the event, and Vintage Vera made £1,700.
BOOK SWAP
BOOK SWAP
Across all campus sites, we have implemented a Book Swap, after the success of the original Book Swap at Frenchay Campus. We purchased £120 worth of second-hand books from local charity shops, and one of the bookcases was donated by a member of staff. Students have enjoyed the Book Swap thoroughly, and by purchasing second-hand books we are ensuring that sustainability is a core element of the initiative. One student commented “The Book Swap at Bower is a great service to allow people to explore new genres and books, which sometimes they wouldn’t have read”.
OTHER SUSTAINABILITY HIGHLIGHTS
• Our Sustainability 101 initiative saw staff at The Students’ Union hosting fun and informative sessions on sustainable life hacks to empower students with practical ways to be more sustainable.
Our DIY Body Scrub workshop was attended by 90 people, and during the Covid-19 pandemic, we pivoted in offering a series of online Sustainability 101 sessions for students to access from home.
• The Opportunities Team have vowed to remove all helium balloons from future events, such as their Societies and Sports Awards – and will discourage clubs and societies from using them. In doing so, Opportunities have saved enough helium (103 cubic ft) to power 1.7 MRI machines
• In Welcome 2019, we ran a Dip Dye Disco at Glenside, which was attended by 90 students and gave them the opportunity to revive old t-shirts through art.
• At our Green Gathering at City Campus, 60 students made pledges on how they will aim to live more sustainably.
BRITISH HEART FOUNDATION POP-UP SHOP AND THE BRISTOL BIG GIVE
For the first time ever, we expanded our partnership with the British Heart Foundation to run a week and a halflong pop-up charity shop at Frenchay Campus during the 2019 Welcome period. The total monies taken for the charity was £855 and the charity was thrilled with the result.
The ‘Bristol Big Give’ scheme runs annually, and helps collect donations from students of possessions that would otherwise go to landfill when students move out of their homes at the end of the academic year.
• We donated 3,094 bags of clothes at UWE Bristol sites, valued at £43,316 – up from 2,266 the previous year
• This amount of waste is equivalent to the weight of four elephants
Key Impact - Mental Health
Our students’ well-being is paramount to The Students’ Union. Not only do we offer support in-house, with students able to contact our Advice Centre on a range of queries, but we offer initiatives throughout the year to promote well-being. Here are 19/20’s highlights:
MOVEMBER
The Students’ Union’s Movember campaign raised over £4,400 for the Movember Foundation! Research undertaken by The Office for National Statistics has found a male suicide rate of 17 men out of 100,000.
Our campaign saw the Presidents Team, members of the student community who identify as male, and many sports clubs and societies work to raise vital funds and awareness for Movember. The Students’ Union President, Precious held a Male Mental Health Focus Group during Movember, which saw male UWE Bristol students discuss their experiences of mental health.
Our sports clubs and societies really got behind the campaign and put on a range of fundraising events, which aimed to raise money and get teams talking about male health. All campus sites got involved, and we saw events such as a Movember-themed quiz, cake sales, and a movie night.
Our President, Precious, ended Movember by lighting candles across all levels of The Students’ Union in remembrance of the men who have taken their own lives.
SPORTS CLUBS AND SOCIETIES MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING
We recognise that it is important that our students can access mental health support at University, and as such we have provided our staff with training and resources to be able to deliver peer-support workshops, in particular those who take part in sport at University. We have supported our sports club members to develop the knowledge, confidence and skills to make their sport inclusive of all students, including those experiencing mental health difficulties.
This year, 125 students have attended our ‘Mental Health in Sport’ workshops, providing them with the tools to support their peers - whether this is their members or friends. The workshops looked at increasing knowledge around signs and symptoms of someone who may be experiencing poor mental health, and how they can support through signposting and peer-support.
Attendees have been across a broad range of sports, from both a team and individual background, and following on from this, we are encouraging sports clubs and societies to introduce a new role on their Committee of Mental Health Officer, with UWE Dance Club leading the way on this.
Josh presenting at Sports Conference
October 2019
Conference was a chance to
Total Events held Semester 1 (including Welcome): 60
Total Events held Semester 2 to date: 33
Total events held to date: 93
Total Events held at Frenchay to date: 62
Total Events held at Glenside to date: 19
Total Events held online or off campus to date: 12
Total Number of Kitchen Meetings attended: 500 HallsLife Facebook Groups: 10
Total number of members across all 10 Facebook Groups: 6802
Total event attendence Semester 1: 1805
Total event attendence Semester 2 to date: 704
Total event attendence to date: 2509
Total reusable cups given out: 750
Total HallsLife beanies given out: 42
Stats most figures are approximate! To date’ = 24/04/2020
Key Impact - Representation
Representation is at the heart of what we do at The Students’ Union, and helps us to ensure that everything we do is by students, for students. Within the UWE Bristol Governance structure, Student Reps, Department Reps, Lead Department Reps and Presidents represent the student voice. From course level, up to department level and faculty level - all the way to the top at University-wide meetings - these representatives are the student voice. The Students’ Union puts on various initiatives throughout the year to champion and trailblaze the student voice, and here are some of 2019/2020’s highlights:
THE STUDENTS’ UNION’S EXPANDED OPERATIONS
Just after the exam period in January, The Students’ Union temporarily expanded its operations in order to engage with those students who may not have wandered over to The Students’ Union building. The porta cabin by the Metro Bus stops on Frenchay Campus was transformed into a hub of information about The Students’ Union. Staffed by students tasked with engaging others, many people learnt how we can support them throughout their time at UWE Bristol.
STUDENT REP CONFERENCE
THE LEADERSHIP RACE
The Leadership Race saw a hive of activity around the City, Glenside and Frenchay Campuses, with an increase of 20% in the candidates running in the five President positions. Four of the current Presidents Team stood for re-election along with previous Presidents, Lead Department Reps, Sports Committee Members, Society Committee Members and Green Team stalwarts. 4,109 students had their say, which is up over 12% on last year - ensuring that the Presidents Team for next year has the backing of more students than ever before.
Representation at a glance:
• 46 Student Ideas over three months - up over 300% on the same time last year
• More than 800 free hot drinks and lots more sweets given out at The Students’ Union porta cabin
• 30 candidates for five President positions in The Leadership Race - up by 20% on last year
• 4,109 students voted in the Leadership Race - up by 12.7% on last year
STUDENT REP CONFERENCE
The free Student Rep Conference was held in November 2019 and saw a range of presenters from The Students’ Union, UWE Bristol and external providers. The feedback from the Student Reps who attended was very positive.
STUDENT IDEAS
This year, the Student Ideas system has been revamped and has had a slight face lift. When Student Ideas was relaunched in January, we had 46 Student Ideas over the first three months.
Key Impact: Liberation Campaigns
We organise a range of liberation campaigns every year to ensure the student community is represented and that important topics in society are explored. This year, our highlights included International Women’s Week and LGBT+ History Month, where our Community Team worked with other departments across The Students’ Union to create and promote a range of campaigns.
LGBT+ HISTORY MONTH
Will Malcher, our Glenside Campus Officer, was heavily involved in the planning stages of the LGBT+ Healthcare Fair, alongside students from the UWE LGBT+ Society. The stalls consisted of external stakeholders such as the Terrance Higgins Trust, Unity Sexual Health, and NHS representatives discussing LGBT+ healthcare and providing students with resources. Additionally, a ‘pledge wall’ was set up so students could make a ‘pledge’ and suggest methods of supporting their LGBT+ peers, patients, and community. This was a great method of recording positive engagement, and we had over 50 students attend the stalls.
It also allowed us to establish a positive working relationships with these external stakeholders for future projects.
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S WEEK
As part of International Women’s Week (IWW), we ran ‘Vulva Cake Decorating’ events, which were designed to educate individuals about sexual health and promote body positivity, as well as addressing stigmas associated with women’s health. In addition, we had an Environmenstrual Ambassador from the Women’s Environment Network charity run a stall highlighting a wide range of sustainable period products available.
Additionally, for IWW, we ran a panel discussion addressing various barriers women face to accessing sport and physical activity. The event provided a platform for women to gather and discuss any barriers they may face, as well as sharing tips and resources to overcome them. W wanted our students to gain confidence to participate in sport, given the physical and mental benefits of being active.
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S WEEK
Key Impact: Campus Sites
Although it often feels our hub of activity is centralised at Frenchay Campus with this being the biggest campus site, we have been making headway this year with our other campus sites, too. These are so important to our organisation, and we will continue to increase our presence at Glenside and City Campus, offering students on those campuses a quality Students’ Union experience. Here are some of our highlights this year:
WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY
Across all campus sites, we celebrated World Mental Health Day in October and got students speaking openly about their well-being. We gave out free lunch to 200 students, asked the question ‘how do you look after your mental health?’ and received 120 responses, of which you can now find displayed in Union 2. This encouraged open and positive conversations about mental health in a safe space.
FREE LATER BUSES
FEEL GOOD FEBRUARY
150 students engaged with the Bower DeStress Fest as part of Feel Good February and it was well received across all campus sites! We offered free smoothies, massages, stress balls, mindfulness colouring activities and DIY body scrubs, alongside helpful advice and guidance.
CITY CAMPUS COMMITTEE
This year we have launched the City Campus Committee - the meetings are monthly and all Student Reps and Campus Society Committee Members are invited to attend and give feedback to The Students’ Union. Feedback includes what we could do better for City Campus students. This is a vital chance for the student voice to be heard at all levels across all campuses.
THE BUS SERVICE
Thanks to the work of VP Education, Jane, and City Campus Officer, Joe, we trialled a shuttle bus service running from Bower Ashton to the Bear Pit in the City Centre, Monday-Friday, after student feedback surrounding the bus service on offer.
Facts from Glenside:
• Approx. 900 students attended daytime Welcome events at Glenside
• 64 events were held on Glenside campus throughout the year
• 6 academic societies hosted events at Glenside
GLENSIDE CAMPUS OFFICER INSTRUMENTAL IN NHS CAMPAIGN
Our Glenside Campus Officer, Will Malcher, was instrumental in helping the NHS create a brand-new advert campaign to encourage more men to become nurses. Will understands the importance of diversifying nursing and wanted to use his voice to help make this become a reality. Will commented “The video is one of the first ever recruitment videos to encourage men to consider a career in nursing with the NHS. I had the pleasure of working with the MullenLowe Group and NHS England on this campaign and joined them in London as an expert speaker to show ways in which the advert could focus on different aspects of a nurse’s day-to-day actions. I am super happy with the final results and so proud of all colleagues and the teams who put this video together. I think it’s time we changed the statistics. It’s time to diversify the field of nursing and break down perceptions of what nurses are.”
Sports clubs and societies
We are hugely proud of the sports clubs and societies that we have active within The Students’ Union. As well as our main achievements, sports clubs and societies are proud to have represented UWE Bristol up and down the country, both physically and virtually. Some of our sports teams, such as American Football, compete at the highest level of University sport. Our newly established E-Sports Society have established themselves as one of the best E-Sports societies in the country, competing both nationally and internationally in their inaugural year. Our societies cater for all interests, nationalities, faiths and identities, as well as academic courses. This year alone, we have had a total of 20 newly ratified spor ts clubs and societies. Amongst all of this, our students continue to engage in activities to raise money, and ensure that we continue to strive to develop sustainable habits.
AWARDING STUDENTS DURING THE PANDEMIC
Each year, we celebrate our societies with an awards ball. As this year, our ball fell into the lockdown period, so we moved our awards online. Evan, our VP Societies and Communication, posted the Society Awards live on our Instagram over a week to inform societies of who had been successful. It was impor tant to us, more than ever, to recognise the achievements of our students and validate their hard work throughout the academic year. The Sports Awards were held on the Team UWE Instagram, and over the course of a week we had the winners announced.
THE REFRESHERS’ FAIR: A SHOWCASE FOR TALENT
Refreshers’ Fair was a great opportunity for Clubs and Societies to showcase their talents and get students interested. Our students had the chance to perform onstage, which saw great performances from UWE Dance, Fencing and MMA - amongst others. Over 1,200 students attended the event, and we saw a 43% increase in January sign-ups.
“This has challenged us to change. You realise that, actually, it’s a case of breaking habit with most things. I will implore the next society members to do this challenge and better our efforts, but to also continue the changes after the challenge has ended… There lies the real challenge.”
Tina Gouzden-Couzens, Occupational Therapy
“Taking part in Greener Futures this year has helped us become more proactive within our community and helped us to encourage our Dance members to make slight differences in their living that will drive not just the University, but our whole area to be more sustainable and support our 2030 strategy towards zero carbon living.” Julianna Munoz, Dance Club
RAINBOW LACES
Sports clubs have shown their support for the Stonewall Rainbow Laces campaign this academic year – 450 pairs of laces were handed out across all our clubs and worn across various fixtures and competitions on 27 November 2019, and throughout the whole of this year.
Our commercial buildings
The boundary between commerce and sustainability is difficult, but across our commercial buildings, we have been working hard to implement ventures that reduce our environmental impact.
WHAT WE HAVE SAVED THIS YEAR
We have swapped out products used within our catering range to be more sustainable, using vegware and recyclable materials where possible. As part of the ‘bring your own mug’ discount scheme, 19,501 single-use plastic cups have been diverted from the waste stream. At a height of 9.5cm per single-use cup, that is 1,078 feet of single-use plastics saved, an equivalent of 1,929 Big Bens. Plus, students saved £5,850.30 from bringing their own coffee cup. We have decreased our gas usage by 819m ³ on last year.
Over the last three years, we have saved 17.88 tonnes of CO2 through our electricity usage. These energy savings are enough to charge a whopping 2,280,276 mobile phones or to power three entire homes with electricity for a year.
FAIRTRADE AT THE STUDENTS’ UNION: PURCHASING
The Students’ Union Shop is committed to stocking Fairtrade – Fairtrade products are highlighted in the shop, indicated with shelf edging and prices displayed in “green” colour scheme. The Students’ Union also displays information relating to Fairtrade products on the digital screens at Frenchay campus. The Shop carries more than 310 Fairtrade products and has experienced a growth in sales since last year. As well an increase in sales of Fairtrade of £8,545.42 between this academic year and last, Fairtrade products now make up 2% of total retail sales.
Fairtrade sales highlights include:
• Total number of units bought: 25,152 (an increase of 1,222 on last year 2018/2019 - 23,930)
• Total profit: £13,652.16 (an increase of £1,194.41 on the £12,457.75 in 2018/2019)
• Total customer spend: £43,933.11 (an increase of £8,545.42 on 2018/2019’s £35,387.69)
Overall since August Fairtrade products made up the following percentage of all sales:
• Total number of units bought: 25,152.00
• Total profit: £13,652.16
• Total customer spend: £43,933.11
• 2.6% of stock purchased between August and 31/03/2020 was Fairtrade in the Shop, excludes the Full of Beans Coffee Cart
• Full of Beans Coffee Cart: Joint venture spent £5,549.88 on Fairtrade coffee beans.
• Full of Beans coffee cart makes £27,309.67 profit 2019/2020
• Students’ Union spend on Fairtrade products at the Full of Beans Coffee Cart from August 2019 – April 2020: £2,925.
• 100% of coffee purchases are Fairtrade across all campus sites.
• Profit made from fairtrade coffee sales: £59,051 from August 2019 to present.
THE ZERO WASTE SHOP
This year, we were extremely proud to open a Zero Waste Shop in our U-Block Shop on Frenchay Campus. Offering a wide range of sustainable products, from bamboo toothbrushes to cleaning detergents, students are also encouraged to bring their own containers to refill on everyday items like pasta and rice.
How much students (and the environment) are loving our Zero Waste Shop:
• Shampoo bars account for 1/3 of shampoo products purchased in The Students’ Union’s Frenchay shops
• 25% of our toothbrush sales are eco-friendly alternatives, rather than plastic toothbrushes. This is saving 4kg of plastic over a year
• Eco-friendly kitchen roll made from bamboo makes up over 61% of our kitchen roll sales
• Biodegradable bin bags account for 43.7% of our bin bag sales
THE ZERO WASTE SHOP IS EXPANDING
We are excited to announce we have secured £3,086 from the UWE Bristol Student Experience Fund to launch and install a zero waste shop at The Students’ Union at Bower Ashton. As soon as the Students’ Union is back up and running, work for this will begin. We can’t wait to give greater access to sustainable choices for all our students across the campus sites.
BIKE LOAN SCHEME
Our Bike Loan Scheme gives students and staff at The Students’ Union the chance to loan a bike from our Shop on Frenchay Campus, allowing them a cheaper and greener way to travel to and from University, and around Bristol. It’s been hugely popular in the 2019/2020 academic year – and we are excited to see so many benefitting from the scheme.
In total, 72 bikes were loaned in the 2019/2020 academic year - 2.5 times the amount of bikes loaned in the previous academic year - including:
• Five to the UWE Centre for Sport
• Four to our City Campus
• Three to the UWE Hardship Fund
• Two to staff at The Students’ Union
• 42% were extremely satisfied and a further 38% very satisfied with the scheme (80%)
• 100% felt the scheme was good value for money
• 54% felt the scheme had prompted them to give a lot of consideration to sustainable habits in other aspects of life
• 54% are very likely and 25% are likely to continue cycling after using the scheme (79%)
Halls of Residence
Hey HallsLife! We hold events throughout the year to help students meet their neighbours, make new friends, and feel at home at UWE Bristol. Since the programme began three years ago, we’ve hosted a huge range of activity including Bring Your Own Bowl, Speed Dating, cooking classes, RAG deliveries, and we’ve even hosted an internationally famous drag queen!
HALLSLIFE PIVOTED: VIRTUAL ACTIVITY
When the Covid-19 hit, HallsLife made the decision to get virtual. This has been a huge success for us, and has allowed us to test-run new ways of engaging with our students! Our HallsLife programme was quick to create a great range of virtual activities, which supported students who had to remain on campus during lockdown. Since 18 March 2020, we’ve run 27 virtual events and activities, covering everything from Netflix nights, cooking competitions, sustainability workshops, online quizzes, and PT sessions. We’ve engaged over 550 students (and counting) in these events and have loved creating online content to help students remain safe and well.
WHAT HALLSLIFE HAS BEEN UP TO THIS YEAR
• Number of HallsLife Facebook groups: 10
•Total number of members across all Facebook groups: 6,802
• Total event attendance to date: 2,509
• Total reusable cups given out: 750
• Total HallsLife beanies given out: 42
• Events held: 62 at Frenchay Campus, 19 at Glenside Campus and 27 virtual events
VIRTUAL EVENTS
Our charitable contributions
This academic year, we are incredibly proud to say that thanks to the support of UWE Bristol students, the local community and staff, The Students’ Union at UWE’s RAG Team has raised £97,461 since September 2019.
UWE RAG is run by staff and the RAG Committee – a volunteer-led student group - who put on events throughout the year, which aim to raise money and awareness for a range of campaigns and not-forprofit organisations.
Epic events this year have included Lost, a challenge where students were dropped at an unknown location, with just 12 hours to get back to UWE Bristol without spending a penny of their own money, and Sports Does Strictly, the sell-out annual dancing bonanza which sees sports teams attempt to cha cha to victory with members of UWE Dance. The money raised from these events has supported a variety of charities including United through Sport, Bristol Mind, The Christina Noble Foundation and The Students’ Union Community Fund.
Amounts in £ and % as to how much was
Sustainable Development Goals
The Students’ Union is committed to working alongside the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to ensure our work is doing enough to support the environment. We recognise the importance of halting and slowing climate change, and we put the SDGs at the forefront of our work.
Amounts in £ and % as to how much was donated to which SDG’s 2019/2020
ENABLING PRIORITIES
Making sure we have the best tools to help us communicate, get our message across and demonstrate our impact, The Students’ Union is active across popular social media platforms to engage with our student community in a fun and instant way. Our social accounts have exceeded KPIs this year, with [needs stats].
Ensuring our spaces, and those our members have access to, are the most appropriate for our needs is paramount to The Students’ Union. Furthermore, ensuring those spaces hold sustainability at their core is essential. From reducing single-use plastics in our eating and drinking spaces, to offering zero waste options in our shops for eco-conscious students, we have ensured that our spaces keep both students, and the environment in mind.
Making sure we can fund and invest in the development of our activities and ser vices is crucial to us. We always put the student experience at the centre of everything we offer, and we work hard to ensure we offer funding to students that need it.
We reserved 10 bikes on the Bike Loan Scheme for students eligible for the Hardship Fund. Through the Student Experience Fund, we are able to grant money to support extra-curricular activities that enhance the student experience, such as trips and events both on and off UWE Bristol campuses. This year, £20,696 was awarded to and spent by students, sports clubs and societies. Support ranges from funding for UWE Paintball to modernise their equipment, in turn increasing membership, to supporting Photography students on their exhibition, ‘Mother Arts: Perspectives on Home’, which was well attended by students and staff, as well as the wider Bristol community.
Student Trustees, the Presidents Team, part-time Officers and Elected Student Council members are some of the students who help keep The Students’ Union governance working in the right way. We are ensuring that all of our governance is transparent, and all of our key governance meetings have minutes or notes taken, which are placed online, so students can scrutinise them. Whilst there are, on occasion, parts of meetings that can’t be shared - as they are sensitive - you can rest assured that the Presidents Team are representing all students and guiding The Students’ Union in the right direction.
Ensuring our people are supported and developed to provide the best guidance and support to our student community is essential groundwork we cover for all employees at The Students’ Union. Staff engage with a range of modules throughout the year, including modules on Diversity and Equality, Mental Health and Building Resilience. [More info might be needed here.]
STUDENT PRIORITIES
Our Sports Clubs range from traditional sports, to the non-traditional. This year, 30 newly ratified sports clubs and societies have joined our roster, and we encourage students to get active. In addition, we support our students, and take on their feedback to enhance how activities are run. This includes developing our facility provision, as well as accessing grants and funding to support groups to run activities, trips and events.
Enabling students to support each other and make connections during their time at UWE Bristol is critical to our communications, the events we hold and initiatives we suppor t. Our Freshers’ Facebook group is the first port of call for new students, which gives them an opportunity to make connections and new friendships. Our HallsLife groups have seen an increase of [x] members in the 2019/2020 academic year, and they foster positive relationships across Halls of Residences - with an exciting array of virtual and in-person events.
Championing and embedding student welfare and support in all that we do is one of the sole functions of The Students’ Union. Our Advice Centre team are contactable for students on a range of issues. including well-being, academia and housing. They are impartial from the University and offer free, confidential support.
We also run initiatives with support at their core. Our Alcohol Impact Re-accreditation was received in September 2019, and reflects the dedication and commitment of both The Students’ Union and University to embedding social norms of responsible alcohol consumption, to help build a healthier, safer and more productive student community. Our Late Night Do It Right campaign has engaged with over 1,000 students in night-time activity across Frenchay and in the city centre to help students stay safe and have a great night out for all the right reasons. Furthermore, across our Welcome programme, we offer an array of day-time and night-time activities that ensure a sober, alcohol-free good time.
We are making our money work harder, and for every pound spent in our shops and eateries, we are making every penny count. Every time we look at spending money, value is a consideration. We aim to be good value for money across all of our opportunities and services and in order to do this, we regularly review the prices that students pay, as well as the cost of activities that we put on. The profit that is made on items that you buy is put back into the student experience. This could be paying student staff, getting the right stock on our shelves, hiring or buying the right equipment, ensuring officials and coaches are qualified or that you get safely to a fixture.
The Students’ Union is all about representing the student voice and ensuring it is heard and, crucially, acted upon. Current students represent your voice. With more than 1,000 Student Reps, 45 Department Reps and 20 Lead Department Reps working throughout the UWE Bristol governance structure to make sure that the student voice is always on people’s mind when decisions are being made.
We also have the Student Council, which is made up of 20 elected members from the Society Conference, Sports Conference and Rep Committee. The Executive, which is made up of the five elected full-time Presidents and 12 elected part-time Officers, works together with the Student Council and The Trustee Board, to keep The Students’ Union on the right track and make sure students are making decisions about and for other students.
The Trustee Board is made up of the five President Trustees, four External Trustees and also has two seats for Student Trustees. This ensures students are always at the heart of our decision-making.
Fun Facts
• The Students’ Union self-assessed how period-friendly they were and what more could be done for students and staff. Upon the feedback we responded by providing free organic menstrual products in our toilets.
• Did you know UWE Bristol’s Frenchay Campus is a Hedgehog Friendly Campus? The University has been recognised by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society for its efforts to provide a sanctuary for wild hedgehogs and for the 2019/2020 academic year both UWE Bristol and The Students’ Union received Bronze accreditation.
• For a fourth year in a row we were awarded the Highest Scoring Students’ Union for our Green Impact submission and were awarded ‘Excellent’, which is the highest rating that can be achieved.
• The Students’ Union RAG Team has raised £97,461.
• Over the last three years, we have saved 17.88 tonnes of CO2 equivalent through our electricity usage.
•This year’s Movember campaign has raised £4,442, surpassing last year’s total of £3,800.
• Sleep Out for homeless charity, One25 raised £1,530.
JOIN IN, SPEAK UP AND BE MORE
The Students’ Union offers a range of activities, events and services throughout the academic year and offers all students a range of things that allow them to:
1. Try something new
Learn a new skill 3. Meet new people
Gain new experiences
Make memories
Be a part of something
Join a club or society
Be supported
Get advise and guidance
HAVE FUN!
The Students’ Union are here to help you
Join in, Speak up and Be more
The Students’ Union at UWE | Union 1 | Frenchay Campus
Coldharbour Lane | Bristol | BS16 1QY
Open term time Monday to Friday: 10:00–18:00.
Open outside of term time Monday to Friday: 10:00–17:00.
+44 (0) )117 32 82577
thestudentsunion@uwe.ac.uk thestudentsunion.co.uk
TheSUatUWE @
TheSUatUWE
The Students’ Union at UWE