We officially took office on the 1st of July and we kick started our year with NEC residential in Southport. In the few weeks remaining pre block I was worried about how things worked, who was who, where I fitted in to NUS, and were the rest of the NEC nice? My questions were soon to be answered. Training in Southport was great, we learnt lots about each other and built good relationships with other NEC members (they really are nice peeps!:-) We did team building, looked at creativity in meetings not conflict, had speakers from Amnesty on campaigning, and learnt who’s who within the staff team. We still have no clarification on who won Operation Camera. Personally I feel team zig and zag definitely presented the most interesting storyboard! Please tell us whom the winners are – there is a lot at stake and we haven’t forgotten!

I hope that gives you an insight into what NEC induction is like. The week following that I completed my handover at Leeds Met SU to the new exec. Three of us handed over to a new team of seven! We had a lot to squeeze in but we really enjoyed it and I have absolute faith in the new team.

Week three I attended the first Education Zone meeting. Using mandates from conference we are planning a priority campaign for the zone focusing on Equality Education. I will be working on funding and issues affecting part-time students with Wes. Part-time students face additional barriers to education and they were being overlooked. With more then 20,00 students at my institution studying part-time, I wrote a motion on part-time students for national conference to ensure they were not overlooked yet again. Leeds Met SU submitted this motion alongside with Teesside SU and Northumbria SU and it passed! Now I am proud to see that motion put into action and am proud to be working on it. Motions you submit and pass really do make a difference and it is fantastic to see a mandate transform into real work.

Week Four - Action Through Advocacy. On Sunday I drove down to Hatfield (trains from Leeds don’t go to Hatfield on Sundays!) and it took 7.5 hours!! There was a huge accident, so they closed the M1 and I was stuck! I got there eventually and despite feeling really tired the week was fantastic. With officers from around the whole of the UK we planned campaigns for change, learnt loads from organisations such as the Terrance Higgins Trust and UNIPOL and networked in true NUS style. I look forward to working with such enthusiastic officers during the coming year and please get in touch if you would like me to be involved in your campaigns. Add me to your msn messengers! loulousweeney@yahoo.co.uk.

I gave a plenary session on campaigns for change I had run at my Students’ Union. I spoke on sexual health campaigning and how a local campaign supported a national campaign. For those of you at the plenary who want to see the research on students awareness and attitudes of sexual health in Leeds and the campaign info you can go to www.leedsmetsu.org.uk/sexualhealthcampaign

Priority campaign planning. So far this month I have attended 3 priority campaign-planning meetings. We have lots of very exciting ideas. The last time we mobilised in London to fight Fees we came within 5 votes of winning. That’s a huge achievement, and we can build upon it. 17,000 prospective students will not step onto our University campuses this year. That is unacceptable, and we will make sure the Government knows that. Keep checking the website for updates, make sure you book onto the campaigns launch and attend a regional campaign planning day – if your in the North region I’ll see you there!

In my next blogs – demo planning in the north, sexual health and bullying …

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