I know you’ve probably seen me popping up at just about every sports and society event this month, but believe it or not, I’ve been doing quite a bit behind the scenes too! 😂
October has been a busy month of meeting students, supporting activities across our campuses and, most importantly, working on turning my manifesto commitments into action.
At the beginning of October, the officer team presented our priorities to the University’s Senior Leadership Team, including the Vice-Chancellor. This was a great opportunity to share our manifesto commitments directly with university leadership and highlight the changes we want to achieve for students.
Towards the end of the month, we held Student Council, where I presented updates on my manifesto priorities and the projects I’m currently working on. It was encouraging to hear from faculty and campus representatives who are keen to collaborate on these initiatives, and I was delighted that they approved the Officer manifesto objectives for 2026/27. I’m now arranging meetings to explore how we can work together.
Positive Campus Experience
I’ve been working closely with student representatives to identify improvements across our campuses. In particular:
Roehampton Vale
I’ve been supporting the Roehampton Vale Campus Rep in raising concerns about library opening hours. We’re arranging a meeting with university colleagues to explore whether the library could remain open for longer, particularly during busy assessment and examination periods when students need access to study spaces.
Knights Park
I’ve also been meeting with student representatives to discuss how we can improve the student experience at Knights Park.
Some of the ideas we’ve been exploring include:
- Art supply exchanges, allowing students to share or reuse materials.
- More student-led events, exhibitions and creative activities.
- Opportunities for fundraising and supporting students’ final-year projects.
- Book exchanges, print sales and other collaborative activities.
- Improving Students’ Union visibility, communication and signage around campus.
We’re also looking at bringing more activities to Knights Park, including the Students’ Union’s upcoming Swap Shop. These ideas are still being explored, but I’m keen to work alongside representatives and university colleagues to see what we can realistically introduce.
One of my highlights was Cyberscape 2026, where I had the opportunity to deliver an opening speech at an event bringing together students from different universities through technology and cybersecurity.
I’ve also been visiting sports clubs and societies, meeting students, hearing about their experiences and helping those interested in starting new societies understand the support available through the Students’ Union.
During the Student Group Executive meeting, we also discussed feedback from student groups and ideas for improving activities across our campuses, including how we could encourage more events beyond individual campus locations. For me, attending these activities isn’t just about showing up. It’s about meeting students, listening to their experiences and making sure they know they can approach me with ideas or concerns.
And, of course, we had Kingston Have Your Say Week!
Throughout the week, I worked alongside my fellow officers and Students’ Union colleagues across our campuses, encouraging students to share their experiences and opinions.
And the results? 1,440 individual student responses! 🎉
This marks the highest student engagement in any Students’ Union survey or data-gathering activity since 2010! It’s been amazing to contribute to such a successful campaign, and I’m incredibly proud of what we achieved together as a team. A massive thank you to everyone who took part. Your feedback helps us identify student priorities and advocate for meaningful improvements across Kingston.
Job Market Opportunities
One of my main manifesto priorities is improving access to career development, networking and employment opportunities.
Throughout October, I’ve been working with the Careers Centre to develop an initiative bringing together academic society leaders, faculty representatives and faculty-specific Careers Advisers.
The idea is to create opportunities for these groups to connect, share ideas and collaborate on networking events, employer engagement and career-related activities tailored to students’ subject areas.
We’re currently planning our first session for November, with the aim of developing ongoing collaborations between academic societies, student representatives and the Careers Centre.
Breaking Down Barriers for International Students
I’ve also been discussing how we can better support international students with employment opportunities, including exploring what additional guidance, resources and support could be useful.
I’m working with the Careers Centre and connecting with student representatives who are passionate about international student employability to make sure students’ experiences and concerns are part of these conversations.
Looking Ahead to November
A lot of October has been about building relationships and putting plans in place for the coming months.
In November, I’ll be continuing work on several priorities, including:
- Bringing academic societies, faculty reps and Careers Advisers together to explore employability initiatives.
- Meeting with university colleagues to discuss Future Skills and opportunities for students to develop their skills.
- Exploring international student employment support with the Careers Centre and student representatives.
- Discussing potential student discounts with In Kingston.
- Working with campus representatives on improvements at Roehampton Vale and Knights Park.
- Meeting with more faculty and campus reps to explore how our manifesto priorities can work together.
October has definitely been a month of turning conversations into plans, and I’m looking forward to seeing how these initiatives develop!
Thank you to everyone who’s taken the time to speak with me, share feedback or reach out about collaborating.
And if there’s something you’d like to raise or work on together, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!