November Blog: Manifesto Progress & Reflections
November has been a month of learning, responsibility, and reflection for me. Stepping deeper into this role has reminded me that leadership isn’t just about delivering outcomes, it’s about being present, listening properly, and standing by the commitments you made to the students.
Manifesto Objective 1: Community Building
Community building has been at the heart of my work this month.
The Know Your Rights initiative started as a conversation and slowly grew into something meaningful. Over the weeks, I met with society leaders, listened to their ideas, addressed concerns, and supported the planning process. What stood out to me most was not the scale of the event, but the willingness of societies to come together for a shared purpose.
Law Society, Psychology Society, Women’s Society, Arts Society, Book Club Society, Tamil Society, Pharmacy Society, and Scientific Journal Society all played a part. Some offered stalls, some helped with food, others supported with content creation and demonstrations. Everyone contributed in their own way, and that’s exactly how collaboration should work.
For me, this is what community looks like at Kingston: different groups standing together, supporting one another, and creating spaces where students feel informed and safe.
Manifesto Objective 2: Hardship Support – Reducing Barriers
This month, I submitted the KU Backer application for the Hardship Fund, and it is now live on the platform.
This is something I care deeply about. Too many students miss out on opportunities because of financial barriers, and that isn’t right. This fund is about fairness, making sure students can take part in societies, sports, and activities without cost being the deciding factor.
November was about getting the groundwork done. The real work continues, but this is an important first step toward long-term support.
Manifesto Objective 3: Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI)
Progress on EDI was slower this month due to delays around grant funding. While this was disappointing, it hasn’t changed my commitment.
EDI work takes time and care. I would rather do this properly than rush it. This pause has given me time to reflect, reassess, and plan how we can move forward in a way that is meaningful and sustainable.
Looking Ahead
As November comes to an end, I’m proud of the foundations we’ve started to build. Community collaboration, hardship support, student safety, and representation have all moved forward, even if some progress is quieter than others.
December will be about strengthening this work and turning plans into visible impact.
Thank you to every student and society who took the time to engage, attend meetings, and support these initiatives. None of this works without you.
One step at a time, we move forward together.
CK, Vice President, Kingston Students’ Union