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Hiya, I’m Abby Boon (she/her) and I’m running to be your next Wellbeing Officer.



As a fourth year student of Spanish and History of Art, I remember uni before COVID - I still struggled to feel at home here my first couple years even without the pandemic, so I don’t want any student to feel the same. Instead, I want everyone to feel empowered to get involved and feel a part of our community.



I know the ins and outs of LUU, as I’ve been working in the Cafés for 3 years as a student staff member, and am your current Community Rep - so you can trust that I won’t be afraid to get stuck in, and make change happen.



I’m always up for a chat - stop me on campus or get in touch via the socials below! (Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @abbyb4wellbeing)





SAFE NIGHTS OUT NOW

£1000s spent by clubs and societies on nights out and still…

-Clubs haven’t trained their staff and security well enough - I want regular checks supported by the university based on a student-led criteria

-Drink and needle spiking continues - I want societies to organise their bargaining power to hold joint boycotts of dodgy venues that sign up to schemes but make no changes

-Victims have to turn to social media to warn others of bad experiences - we need a centralised online reporting and reviewing system to share safely and anonymously, and create a community knowledge base of safer venues to support

-As a feminist, I recognise that the root cause of this epidemic - misogyny - needs to be fought across the year in both our campus and our city





HOMES, NOT HOUSING

£1000s spent on your accommodation, and yet:

-Rodents are a public health risk run riot in Hyde Park, Woodhouse and Headingley

- I want to get rid of the rats by demanding the council supports cleaner streets with food waste and more glass bins

-Rent is going up next year - I want to hold landlords and letting agents accountable for damp, mouldy, broken houses, and demand value for money

-Hyde Park has a bad reputation - let's feel pride in our local area by getting involved in making the area nicer for the whole community





MAKE MORE MATES

£1000s a year for your uni experience, and yet:

-With online classes, it’s been harder to meet your coursemates - all university departments should actively connect students with subject-based networking events

-Getting involved in societies after Freshers is daunting - I'll create a buddy system to link people who want to go to events together, so you don’t have to worry about going in alone and not knowing anyone.

-Every year, from first to final, has missed opportunities due to COVID - I want to ensure every cohort has regular refreshers events throughout their entire uni experience, not just for Freshers.





Your student union is a charity, so your exec should reflect you. I’m committed to listening to all students, hearing your ideas, then making the changes you want to see. I would love to represent you next year, so make your voice heard and vote for me, Abby B!

My name is Kirti Peeyoosh pursuing a master's degree in Advanced Computer Science with artificial intelligence at The University of Leeds. This is my first time nominating myself for a LeadLUU election and looking forward to working with Union and the University of Leeds for the year. I am currently an NUS delegate and active GOGA volunteer. I am working as a volunteer for GOGA, an organization aimed at getting people active and encouraging them to join active fitness.
Being a part of GOGA has given me an opportunity to recognize ideas to implement a university like Leeds. Given the opportunity, I will work to the best of my abilities along with my fellow officers to make it the best year for all.



The ideas I wish to work upon include: Everyone deserves to be treated well live a happy and better lifestyle. Almost everything is good at the University of Leeds but still, some needs require more attention and improvement. I have a few ideas which can be better if I get elected as well being officer such as prioritizing mental health awareness in which I will mainly focus on the best forum and anonymous platform for support and help with the guidance of mental health experts, counselling sessions and workshops.



Support for unrecognized international students all over the globe at the University of Leeds and partnerships with other universities. It will introduce a platform for every student to connect with other students from their home country. Somewhere it also helps their mental, physical health when you know a person from your place now we have to take action and make our future life better.

Vote Emily to be your well-fairy!



Hi! I’m Emily (she/her), an English Literature graduate now studying MA International Communication but you’ll have most likely seen me rushing about between dance studios or making your morning coffee in the union cafes. LUU has played a huge role in my experience as a student, and has given me some of my best memories, so I want to make sure that nothing is holding you back from getting the most out of your time here too!



No magic fix

Whilst I’d love to wave my wand and give everyone their happy endings straight away, improving and maintaining wellbeing is a gradual process. Due to the limit of four sessions per student, many come away from the uni’s counselling service still struggling as they wait for further support from outside of the uni. To help see students through this period of waiting, I believe we should



- Build closer links between the union and external services, helping to make the process of getting a referral more manageable.



- Ensure that those still waiting for further help are checked up on following their use of uni services.

- Increase opportunities for constructive feedback on the service at a later date when people are more likely to feel comfortable reflecting on their experience and highlighting areas for improvement.



Helping your societies help you

On top of the brilliant work being done by our welfare and volunteering groups, more and more societies are introducing welfare officers to their committees. To help these groups build on the fantastic work they’re doing, I’d like to



- Introduce more training for welfare officers at the beginning of the year, including mental health first aid training, to give them the best tools to help their society members.



- Assign a clear point of contact within the union for these officers to speak to if they are concerned about a member’s wellbeing.



- Facilitate a discussion panel in which representatives from welfare and volunteering societies can discuss how the union can help them to achieve their aims and to allow them to become more integrated with union-wide initiatives.



A safe space for everyone

It’s easy to feel that your problems don’t quite fit the mould for what warrants help and support, but no one should be left to feel that their experience can’t be talked about. I want to encourage a positive dialogue around ‘taboo’ topics to help make students feel more comfortable reaching out if they need to.



- Just three Russell Group unis have policies in place to support and protect student sex workers. As Leeds is not one of these universities, I will lobby the uni to acknowledge these members of their community and ensure that their safety is treated as as much of a priority as any other student’s.



- I will endeavour to create a stigma free environment around drugs and alcohol, with a focus on creating realistic and effective policies informed by the current wellbeing officer’s positive drug and alcohol use survey, as well as encouraging the union to address previous commitments made to assisting drug safety through access to drug testing kits.



- I will aim to collaborate with existing societies working on challenging stigmas to bridge the gap between them and the union, and represent their concerns as best as I can.



If you have any questions about my campaign or ideas for how you think wellbeing should be treated at LUU then feel free to get in touch – I’d love to hear from you! You can find me at @emilyforwellbeing on Instagram or email at emilytabern15@gmail.com

I'm Dheekshi, a Master’s student in Electrical Engineering and Renewable Energy Systems. I'm also the Course representative for my department.



It’s often talked about in three parts which make up wellbeing as a whole – physical, mental/emotional and financial wellbeing. The mental state of the students are influenced by these factors and I would like to ensure the wellbeing of the students in all these aspects. Through my previous experiences in the field of student welfare, I believe that students face a lot of difficulties in communicating and expressing their concerns and thoughts when it comes to their personal wellbeing.



I would ensure through my initiatives, I would not only make people feel comfortable but also make certain that the required support is offered equally among all the students.



Interactive sessions : By organizing more team activities like sports games ,puppy yoga sessions for students,I believe students can relieve their stress and get to communicate with more people.



Safe Space to Socialise : I would also like to organize some fun events in student accomodations during the weekends. Everyone can participate and student suggestions are utmost welcome.Free mental health aid trainings and stress relief sessions will also be conducted for all students.



Students safety:

To ensure the safety of the students, I would organize events in which outsiders or students can share their experiences and views. This interactive session can help in learning decision making.