This month has been brilliant – living off the high of National Demo and refusing to let my body feel tired!

How I spent the beginning November days:

• 1st: Working from home to write the Bursary Briefing and NUT Plans
• 2nd-3rd: Amicus Young Members Conference talking about the NUS’ Students@Work Project
• 6th: Regional Conference (East of England)
• 7th: Regional Conference (London)
• 8th: Regional Conference (East Midlands)
• 9th: Regional Conference (North East)
• 10th: Meeting with Beth Forester, Education Officer, Leeds SU and Kat Stark, National Women’s Officer about the “Women on Governing Bodies” Project & Short Listing for Midlands and East Regional Manager (NUS HQ)
• 11th: At Imperial for the Referenda (London)
• 13th: Trent Union Council chairing their first meeting of the year (Nottingham Trent SU)
• 14th: National Council (Loughborough SU)
• 15th: At Imperial for the Referenda (London) & NUT Liaison Meeting (NUT HQ)
• 16th: Meeting with Aegis Trust (Westminster) & At Imperial for the Referenda (London)

Regional Meetings were really great – thanks to everyone who came to my session (if you didn’t the PowerPoint can be found here). I really enjoyed the experience – the occasional grilling and generally very poignant and pertinent questions – all make it worth while and keep you motivated on the track of winning for members and student interests. I thoroughly enjoyed regional meetings They were a really rewarding experience, I didn’t miss one because I had taken the time off work and saw a very different event being on the NEC side! Each event had a very different character, with a different set of issues and a different approach to the NEC.

Interestingly there were two issues that seemed to unite people, one the education side everyone is working on Plagarism and on the Welfare side everyone is running some kind of Student Safety Campaign. The fear and reality of crime is currently really high for students who are picked on and targeted by tourist thefts who travel into dense student populations to find all the laptops, iPods and mobile phones that are available.

In between events I was so scared while driving a mini bus with no power steering but we all made it in one piece!

I was asked by Kelly (Education & Democracy Officer) to chair the first Union Council of the year - which I was more than happy to do. It was a fun event, a little stressful at times but great to see how things develop and again how students can get really involved in the debate of how the union runs.

I wish them lots of luck in the year ahead.

mperial was a hard fought battle and took a real team effort – I enjoyed it thoroughly despite living in a youth hotel for three days (which costs less than one night in the Tavistock!) – well done must go to everyone involved especially Alex the campaign convenor and John Collins (President) and Ben Harris (Deputy Pres: Ed & Welfare) for being real leaders as Sabbaticals and putting their heads above the parapet to fight for what they believed in.

I hope that has been an interesting insight about what I have done in the first half of November, there will be more to follow but until then get in touch, send executive questions, invite me to your campuses or update me on the biggest issues for students in your college on richard.angell@nus.org.uk or call on 07966 161 444.

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