Sheffield Students' Union Welfare Officer

Your Way

2008-05-30T14:59:00.001+01:00

And now, the end is near,
and as I face, this final update.
My friends, I’ll say it clear,
this year has been, one I won’t forget.

I’ve been your voice and face,
and now I’ve done, the best I could do.
But friends, whats more is this
I did it YOUR WAY.

This Union, is fantastique,
but then again, it’s up to you.
To make this place it is, get involved!
it’s about, what you do.

You are, its vibrant heart,
its beating pulse, and its no mistake.
That we are number one,
because it is YOUR WAY.

Yes, there were times, I’m sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew.
But through it all, when there was doubt,
I ate them up and spat them out.
I faced it all and I stood tall;
And did it YOUR WAY.

This year, has it’s trials,
from ACS, to other officers.
But then we’ve won for you.
We’ve made changes, you can’t miss.

We’ve listened, we’ve learnt
and then again, we always we’re going to.
But now its up to Kathryn
To do it YOUR WAY.

For what is a Union? What have we got?
If not for you, then we have not,
To say the things you truly feel,
To the university who should kneel,
My record shows, I took the blows
And did it YOUR WAY!

Homeward Stretch but still stretching

2008-04-21T09:56:00.002+01:00

hi everyone and a happy Monday morning to you all!

Over the last ten months I have had the privilege to help lead this body of students and for the next two months they will be my last. But ladies and gentleman they won't be the least.

This week has our liberation campaigns on the concourse educating us about the discrimination still faced in society. We have the amazing Stuff't Olives on the 2nd May. We have a whole host of your issues to raise with the University from housing rights, accommodation issues and student carers and when I'm gone Kathryn Axon will capably take forth the realms of welfare beyond anything I can imagine.

Even though the horizon can be seen it is still receding and therefore the work continues.

Next week we will see the AGM's for all working committees so please come along and get involved.

Welfare Committee- Tuesday 29th 6pm to 7pm, Meeting Room 2, Octogan

LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans) Committee- Tuesday 29th, 7pm, Octogan Council Chambers

DDSF (Disabled and Dyslexic Students Forum) - Wednesday 3oth, 5:30pm-6:30pm, CILASS Collaborative Room 1, Information Commons

Come along and get involved!!

Use Your Head, VOTE!

2008-04-14T09:34:00.002+01:00

Hi everyone

Now firstly I want to say sorry for not catching you up on all the goings on here in the Union. There has been alot happening and about to happen so hopefully I'll catch you in on all that at some point over the next week.

Well, it's all back again! Elections! Democracy, the rule of the people. Now these elections Part Deux are weird. We already have 3 of the 8 people who will replace this current team and by Friday morning we will have the other 5 to join them.

Now the decision is in your hands. The candidates are already out campaigning and the voting starts tomorrow so make your voice heard.

Some say we do nothing, or that we don't do it well. Well, I'll leave that question for another day. What I can say however is that this So when your at the ballot box don't think who has the catchiest slogan or the most gimmicks think - Who's going to represent my needs, my wants and help make my University life the best ever.

After talking to some students about who they are going to vote for this is going to be a close election so make sure you get out and vote.

Make sure you use your head and VOTE.

Check out: http://www.shef.ac.uk/union/student-voice/uforums/elections-08-b14.0/ for joining in the discussion on Uforums

Check out www.sheffieldunion/com/elections08 for all the candidates videos and manifestos.

Nightline

2008-02-21T13:51:00.002Z

Got a question?
Need an answer?
Need someone to chat to?
Need to be pointed in the right direction?

Who do you have to call NIGHTLINE!

Every night from 8pm to 8am thankless and courageous volunters man the phones waiting for your call.

So no matter what you want to speak about phone 0114 222 8788 (information line) or 0114 222 8787 (listening line)
- It's the best thing since sliced bread!

I also want to say a huge thank you to the people who wait by the phones and run Nightline day in, day out. You are a wicked bunch of people whose best work goes unseen. Thank you.

Community Officer

2008-01-30T16:38:00.000Z

Hi

Sorry it’s been ages since I’ve last ‘blogged’. So what have I been up to?

Well, there’s loads of conversations about the Officer Roles Review currently going through Council which will be put towards referendum in a few weeks. One of the most exciting things about this proposal is the creation of a Community Officer.

This Community Officer will have represent you to the local community whether that is your Landlord, the Police, or the City Council. For the first time one person will have the responsibility for representing us on issues where we live- especially housing and safety. At the moment these issues get floated in between myself as Welfare Officer and the President. Never coherent. Never sufficient attention is given to these issues.

Fantastic! And it couldn’t come at a better time. When student burglary has increased. When students are being ghettoised by planning laws. When new Housing Laws mean that students are going to have better rights we need to make sure these are followed through.

This Community Officer would also represent those students in University accommodation which we know has been of pressing concern to many students this year.

Over the next few weeks I’m going to chat about what the other roles will involve however all have come about through a complete blank page review which had the largest engagement of people in a governance review of the organisation.

OVER 1000 PEOPLE WERE ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS!

So we’ve listened. We’ve learnt and what we’ve come up with will progressively move forward our Students Union and make sure that standing up for students is our core purpose.

Speak to you soon

Make the Smart Move

2007-11-10T07:43:00.001Z

Hey

Looking for a house can be the most exciting experience you can get at University. You snoop around other peoples houses and you decide on who you want to live with. However it can also be a journey of many pitfalls. That's why the Student Advice Centre, Welfare Committee and PropertywithUS have come to bring you the Smart Move housing campaign.

So next week throughout the whole week we will be in the Residences and out and about giving out information and advice on how to avoid those and make finding the right house an experience you'll never forget.

One thing you should remember though: THERE ARE MORE STUDENT HOUSES THAN STUDENTS. So don't rush. So even pick up a pace make sure you make the right steps to finding the right house.

And what are those steps? Well..

1. Choosing who to live with. What a massive question and make sure you know exactly who is going to be right for you and don't worry if you haven't decided yet because loads of people in that situation and there are events in the Union next semester to help you out.

2. When should you look? Well January is the best answer as that's when the accredited houses come on the market and they are the ones checked by the University to make sure they are OK.

3. Where should you look? Loads of different places, from PropertywithUS to online groups and agencies, newsagents and the accommodation board in the Union by reception.

4. Victorian terrace or modern apartment? Know what type of property you want to look for and make sure you set clear boundaries that all of you can agree to. Like setting a maximum rent you could all afford, or even listing the things you want in the house like a bath and double beds. It helps to narrow things down.

5. Location, Location, Location. Really look around the whole of Sheffield from Broomhill, Crookes, the city centre, Walkey, Sharrowvale, Ecclesall Road, Crookesmoor. Think about how far it is from lectures but also whether its the right house for you.

6. Choosing the Right House? Check the whole house from security to locks on front doors and make sure you know what your looking for.

7. Signing on the Dotted line. Don't sign anything you haven't read and understood. The Advice Centre run a housing contract checking service and can go through your contract with you to identify any problems to you that you might have.

Above all enjoy yourself. Watch out for the step by step guide in the Union and pick it up and have a read. The Student Advice Centre sees loads of problems with accommodation every year and we really want to make sure you don't suffer the same fate. Check the website for more information www.sheffieldunion.com/housing

Remember the most important thing however is that to find the right house, you can make the right home.

Take it easy

Reignition

2007-11-06T07:39:00.000Z

Hi everyone,

I've just been looking back at my last post which seems like such a long time ago! boy there has been loads going on!

The one thing that has been striking me however is that at the core of what we're doing as a students union is community. Take my week for example. Last tuesday I spent two hours talking to local residents groups about issues which they face and how we as a students union can work with them to address them.

Last night I sat in on an Activites and Events Committee meeting in Opal 2. These committees have the sole responsibility to promoting community in the Residences (by the way you can still get involved go to www.sheffieldunion.com/residences or head along to the relevant meeting this week)

From that I went to meet residents of the Nook and Harcourt Road in Interval to chat about the success of the Love Where You Live event which took place on the 27th October. This event brought non-students and student residents to paint bins, pot plants, tidy streets and make the place feel loved. The biggest thing I can notice is the hedge oppostie the Hadfield on Barber Road has been chopped down- finally we can walk on the pavement!

But then I regularly look at our activites and societies which all help promote community. Be it Debating society going to interval on a Monday evening or any of the activites on the Give It a Go programme. But it also shocked me how community isn't a 'new' thing.

I mean we as a team have got for this year a community team objective and yet community is one of the oldest concepts around. Community was around in Aristotle's day and it will be around long after you and I are gone. But it's core to us as a Students Union. That word 'Union' rings with it a community of students, bound together by common values and goals (we're all here to get the best degree!)

But community cannot be discovered, nor can it be invented. Infact community can be reignited. From the Love Where You Live events, AEC's, or societies community cannot be discovered because it already exists. Instead we have to help reignite the pilot flame of community and fan it throughout Sheffield.

So it doesn't matter what I do (well it does but for this it doesn't), because community cannot be dictated, degreed or decided on in committee but it has to be acted and active from the bottom-up in society. From me saying hello to my next door neighbours Sue and Ian whilst they light fireworks in their back garden to please their son Jamie who just lost his pet Rabbit (true story as I was walking home) to you saying hello to people on the street we need to reignite community.

Next week I'm going to launch the Smart Move Housing campaign with the strapline that to find the right house can make the right home. Most of us are here for three years (or more!) so I ask you to regnite the community around you, knock on the door of your neighbour,get involved in events around campus and be part of a community, a union, your Students Union.

Be a shaper!

2007-09-29T20:18:00.001+01:00

Good evening,

I hope you are all enjoying the second Intro weekend of 2007 and as I get ready for a Saturday night out I thought I would let you know what I had been up to on this manic Freshers week.

Well it's been exactly that and more. From the Intro talks on Monday to the Activities Fair on Thursday with various Intro talks in between it has been non-stop. Throughout all this however it is easy to forget that next week will being new challenges and opportunities and I continue to get on with representing you on loads of different issues.

The highlight of my week however hasn't been welcoming students in talks or helping students move in over the weekend but spending my Wednesday evening with the men and women who protect the city centre- the police. Yes on Wednesday Mark Willoughby and I headed out with the bobbies on the beat checking out what they do for safety in Sheffield. It was amazing to see everyone in their blue, red, orange and yellow t-shirts wander down West St moving from bar to bar.

The amount of cameras and patrols they have on a regular night out in Sheffield is really impressive and we are quite literally in the safest city in the UK. This said however we all need to use our common sense by not walking home alone and keeping to well lit areas. Enjoy your night out and stay safe in shef.

Even though this stands out in my week there are many more things I could mention. For those who made it the Advice Centre tea party was fantastic and really well done. Even without tea however its a great place to go into for advice on housing, academic, international and money issues. Hopefully you won't need it, one the police in your time at Sheffield but it's worth knowing where to go when things don't go right.

For most students there is alot which you can have in common, We are all studying (to a greater or lesser extent), we are all at this University and we are all members of Sheffield Students' Union. This said however there are many options open to help you move away from the crowd. To stand out not just on paper but in person. On Thursday and Friday there was fairs helping students to do just do that, but your opportunities don't just stop there.

The best way to separate yourself out from the crowd is to become a Departmental Councillor. The Students Union Council this year will be elected from all Departments and Representative groups and we are looking for passionate people to shape your Union. So be a shaper, not just shaped. Be a leader, not just a follower. Nominations open on Monday and it couldn't be easier but have your say and represent your peers.

Stand out from the crowd.

Welcome

2007-09-22T09:35:00.000+01:00

hi

Well it's here. It seems to come round pretty quick this year but Intro Week 2007 is here. Today and tomorrow thousands of you are heading here for the first time or returning after the summer.

And what are you coming back to....
a new Foundry and Fusion, a new food outlet with New Leaf, 8 new Union Officers, 6 new communities in the Residences and loads more aside.

And what are you coming to (for the first time)...
Well a beautiful, friendly, welcoming city which I'm sure your fall in love with and a Students Union which had loads of different opportunities to get involved.

Anyway I'm sure your here all about everything going on over the coming week so I'll leave you and do a proper blog some point during this week. In the mean time if anyone has any questions then pop and say hello to either myself or one of the other Union Officers. Ciao for now.

Thanks/ One Potato. Two Potato. Three Potato. Four.

2007-09-01T12:19:00.000+01:00

Hi,

Well firstly apologies for not updating my blog last week as you can probably tell there is a lot going on and this is why I'm posting this on a Saturday as I sit and attempt to get some work done before my holiday.

The last couple of weeks have seen loads of different things going on and if your visiting this site foe the first time and are looking forward to starting at Sheffield university then I'm Tom the Welfare Officer of the Union. Elected by you to represent you.

Over the last couple of weeks I've been focusing on my objectives for the year, which will appear on the website soon. One of them solely focuses on financial and employment issues students face. Most people have summer jobs to pay for university and increasingly there are loads of you working to pay your way. Well this year one my objectives is to work with University and the Advice Centre to inform students of their rights at work. From minimum pay, to holiday leave we all need to know our rights in the workplace. In the last couple of weeks I've been padding out this idea to work with the Careers Service, the Job-Shop and the money Advisors in the Advice Centre so that students are empowered employees.

I've also disappeared for a couple of days to Leeds in order to brush up on the new housing law in place. Basically it helps protects your deposit, you, and is there so that students don't get ripped off in houses. It was also a great way to meet other Welfare Officers from around the country and compare Sheffield Union to them. Trust me we are good! But we could be even better.....

As a team we've been planning for the year ahead over the last couple of weeks and there is still lots to be done in the run up to the 22nd September when everyone descends on Sheffield for Freshers 07. With all this planning a lot of people go unnoticed in the Union From people in Marketing, the Advice Centre, the Bars and the Entertainments and loads of other departments. All working incredibly hard. Some haven't even had a summer holiday! Personally I just wanted to say thank to you all for your hard work it's much appreciated. Without their support we couldn't do half the things we do.

Anyway I will leave you. Oh I bet your wondering why my title talks about potatos. Well, I went to another Nursery event this week and walked off with some Jacket Potatos. Thanks again to everyone at the Nursery for organising it and thanks for the goodie bag.

Tom

The Big Breakfast

2007-08-17T16:59:00.000+01:00

Hi

Wow this week has been immense. Mostly I've spent it in my office arranging things for Freshers week with lots of different events still to be organised. Whats more is that it has been a time of change not lost on any of us. Whilst many are away from Sheffield you can't see that the Union is taking shape ready for September with the hole next to the Source desk being filled in and with Fusion and Foundry being redeveloped over the summer. Literally we're working in a building site. however change isn't just in the physical sense with many other changes taking place- the website being only one which you can see at the moment.

The most fun part of my job this week has though been to go and see the Nursery down in Broomhall. Most don't know about it but part of the history of the Union saw babies being taken into lectures by their parents in order to persuade the University to set up a Nursery. Today, 31 years later that Nursery is still a part of the Union and on Wednesday i went down to have breakfast with the staff, kids and parents. I attempted to go for the healthy choice to start off with and ate some yogurt and fruit however I gave in to the croissants and pain au chocolat especially once i saw the small seats I had to sit on.

What this did get me thinking about is how fantastic the staff are who set up the breakfast and played with the kids and when you spoke to them many had been up since 6 to make sure they were here and had ate breakfast themselves before they arrived. Thanks you to all of the staff of the Nursery for organising such an event.

The second thought that came to mind was how diverse this Union is. 25,000 students made up not of just Under-graduates or 18-21 year old's, but a diverse set of students from all backgrounds and cultures. I mean just look at our society and activity list and you realise how diverse this Union is and how many opportunities there are for you to get involved. For all those who got the grades this week Sheffield looks forward to welcoming you to its community and no doubt you will all find something to get involved with when you get here.

Best Wishes

Tom

The Demon blogmaster

2007-08-10T09:50:00.001+01:00

Good morning everyone

I hope your summer is going well and now the sun has surely come up we can begin to slap on the suntan lotion and fly off to somewhere hotter. That is certainly the case in the officer currently. With so much to do some have taken just a few days off rather than a couple of weeks so that we are refreshed for Freashers' week and ready for the challenges and opportunities of the year ahead.

Pete, our finance officer (or money bags as I affectionately call him) has been one to refresh his batteries in the last couple of weeks. Before he went gallavantin however, Pete, ever ready to stop my communication with your good selves changed my blog password. Hilarity ensued as I tried to sign in and couldn't however now Pete is back and so is my password.

However this isn't the first time Pete has played havoc with the blogs of fellow officers. I can reveal now that he has logged on as Mark Foster and Bryony Shanks only to do their first blog for them. Disgraceful.

I can tell you however that we haven't just been up to fun and jollity as a team and it has been a incredibly packed and vibrant few weeks. From setting our objectives to talking about future campaigns, the last few weeks we are laying the foundations for the our coming year in office. Personally I've also renewing the Disabled Students' Guide which gives a great overview of Sheffield and handy tips on life here in the steel city.

So as you can see it has been very busy and in the coming weeks we will all be telling you about the objectives we have for the next year. For now I can reveal what Pete really thinks of me- he changed my password to 'I am a moron'. Humbling.

Tom

In the beginning

2007-07-17T17:35:00.000+01:00

Hi

I’ll like to introduce myself to you, I’m Tom the new Welfare Officer so that means I look after housing, health, safety and well-being whilst here in Sheffield. It’s an incredibly diverse role from meetings with landlords, university staff and health professionals, to running campaigns on employment, mental health, harassment. It’s only been about a month since I’ve started and already that has flown by with lots of planning and preparation going on ready for your return and/or move to Sheffield in September.

I’ve recently been meeting with Health professional and joining both universities in Sheffield to look at a Health Needs Assessment. In essence that tries to assess the health needs of 10% of Sheffield’s population so that resources can be directed towards the issues which affect you. It doesn’t sound exciting but its one way where we can radically change health and well-being provision for students in Sheffield.

Anyway, I currently have a Jazz band serenading me whilst I work. Graduation week is taking place and it’s a great time to celebrate the achievements of thousands of people. I wish all those who are graduating this week best wishes for the future whatever path you chose to take.