This year’s union elections hustings took place earlier today (22 February). Following questions for the Union President candidates, the potentials for Sports President took to the floor.
Aidan Fairbairn and Laura Shaw are competing for the role, as current president Murray Bushell is not running for a third term.
Aidan focused on how, as president of Judo, he is aware of how difficult it can be for smaller sports clubs. He wants to promote smaller clubs on social media and other platforms as well as increasing promotion with LGBT and BAME groups to make sports more welcoming.
Laura is the current swimming secretary and previous swimming president. She said how her university experience would not be the same without the Sports Union and wants to give this role her all. She’s looking at creating a kit bank for clubs. Laura also wants to work with alumni with unused kit, get out to fixtures and improve social media.
Inclusion, diversity and opportunity
Aidan wants to work closely with LGBT and BAME groups, speaking with them as to why they don’t join a sport and what could be done to make them join clubs as well as looking at accessibility and getting more Just Play sessions on.
Laura wants to make sports for all, working with the participation and engagement officer to include more support. She understands that many just play sessions are completely booked out. Laura wants to work on this as well as getting feedback as to why people don’t join clubs and wants to reduce costs with a kit bank.
Collaborating with sports and the Student Union
Aidan wants to engage with sports clubs and societies as a whole, using sporting engagement for general engagement, making the point that the University benefits from sporting achievements and this should be used more.
Laura said it was important to engage with the other sabbatical officers in what they are working on as well to reach the biggest audience possible. She has already established relationships with the sports centre. Laura thinks transparency and communication is key and that it’s important to engage with sport while the stress of uni is on.
Non-BUCS and non-facility teams feeling distanced
Laura said she wanted to make a conscious effort to support teams that play on the weekend, also specifically recognising varsity and creating more opportunities to get involved. She is passionate to develop smaller clubs and promote friendlies as an option to showcase sport that isn’t just BUCS.
Speaking about smaller clubs was a big element of Aidan’s manifesto. He is conscious of them being pushed to the side and he wants to promote their trainings and collaborations. He wants to set up a weekend contact for those that compete on the weekend to make it easier for them to access the Sports Union.
Growing community spirit on campus
Aidan was keen to advocate for using the whole university and large campus to make the gym and sports centre less intimidating. He noted that the yoga in accommodations has been very popular.
Laura also mentioned yoga in the Juniper building and said that accommodation spaces could be doing more. She wants to focus not just on Bleed Green but on wellbeing and support.
Supporting trans and nonbinary people getting into sport
Both candidates spoke about working closely with the LGBT society to get feedback to see what would work with them.
Plan on incorporating more minorities and international students in sport
Aidan spoke about how difficult it can be for people to join in January. The second sports bazaar is not as emphasised, so people are not given the same opportunity to get involved and he wants to change that.
Laura agreed saying it was difficult to join sports after welcome week, focusing on equal opportunities for undergrad and postgrad students, with her wanting to hear from the communities affected to open conversations.
The sports community is intimidating, how would you combat that stereotype?
Laura said that she doesn’t even go the gym by herself with how intimidating it can be and enjoys the female only sessions advocating for more of these. She wants to increase social sports memberships so people can focus on meeting people and playing sport socially.
Aidan wants to increase the amount of just play and social sessions for people to access and enjoy, again wanting to talk directly to the people as to how he can help.
Finally they were asked if they oppose the rent increases on campus. Laura said she strongly opposes it and that looking back on the different in price is shocking over five years. She has signed the petition and would work with others for the greater goal. Aidan also opposes the increases and has signed the petition.
Find out more about the elections and read all the candidates’ manifestos in full here.
Voting opens on Tuesday, February 27 at 10am.
Feature image credit: Jonathan Boomer