So the summer’s pretty much over and now the fun of freshers’ weeks have well and truly got going. I know when I was a sabb it was one of the most stressful but also most enjoyable weeks of the whole year.

To give you a brief rundown of my summer activity:-

At the beginning of the summer I was part of a delegation of student officers that went to Southern Africa with Action for Southern Africa (ACTSA). Their mission statement is to influence decision makers in Britain and Europe whose policies have an effect on southern Africa; but also to keep the region in the public and political spotlight through publication of research, media briefings and various lobbying tactics. Whilst we were over there we met with student leaders from the National Union of Students in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Swaziland, as well as trade unionists and other political leaders. We talked about the issues facing Southern Africa and how we in the UK can support them in their struggle.

The key issues were the state of the education sector, housing, levels of inequality and of course HIV/Aids. In relation to the latter, we visited organisations such as Swaziland Positive Living (SWAPOL) and Men as Partners (MAP) who work on the ground to both encourage healthy sexual practices, educate as to the risks of HIV/Aids and also, in the case of SWAPOL, provide care and counselling to those who are either vulnerable, orphaned or terminally ill.

It was an inspiring trip and I will continue to work with ACTSA in my forthcoming year in the society and citizenship zone. There will be a plethora of events throughout the year focusing on Southern Africa and I hope the membership engage with the agenda of trying to effect change in the region.

I went to the Aldwych Group summer handover in Belfast (as part of my handover as a sabb, not in my NEC capacity). It was a really useful couple of days with various sessions on different aspects of the education sector which specifically relate to Russell Group universities and their students’ unions. I delivered a session on bursary reform and we debated the pitfalls of the current system as well as possible solutions. I had a great year working with the Aldwych Group as a sabb and I think we achieved some great things as a group and I’ve little doubt this year will be any different.

I went straight from Belfast on to sunny Chester for the NEC residential. It involved everything from basic introductions to staff and their roles, to presentations from Amnesty International about successful campaigning. We spent a day setting the NUS long term strategic plan, which was something that has never been done before by NUS. Astounding. But I think it’s a real sign of the zeitgeist within NUS that we’ve moved on as an organisation and are serious about delivering effectively for the membership. It was also great to get know the rest of the NEC and staff.

I was heavily involved in the preparations for the campaigns convention. I worked with Wes on the ‘Supermarket Creep’ and everything involved with the briefing and discussion on student charters. The ‘Uncharted Territory’ is an exciting new programme of work for the Education Zone and one in which I will stay heavily involved. In other Education Zone work I’ve been doing some research for the bursary briefing that will go out to members shortly.

At the last NEC meeting, a motion I concocted was passed unequivocally. It was about student discounts at football stadiums only being open to those under 21. I’m always on the look out for negative stereotypes of students and this particular rule that football clubs were imposing perpetuated the malevolent idea that people leave school or college and then go to university and everything else is deviant. I like sport, I like students and I like discounts. So I’m glad it passed.

That’s about it for now, hopefully see you at freshers’ fayre near you!

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