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Hi guys, I am sure most of you already know me but in case you don't my name is Reuben and I am one of the current social secs in the society and I am hoping to become president next year!

When I was a fresher I was really unsure on what society I wanted to join so I went to the freshers fair and spoke to a lot of tables of people but the only one that I remembered was the padel table due to the fact it was different and seemed like the most kind and welcoming one there. That decision to go to the give it a go meant that I have made some great friends and memories that will last a lifetime.

As president I would do my upmost to ensure that others joining in future will have this same experience and for you current members I will make sure that the incredible legacy left before me continues. This will be a challenge as we are all aware of how rapidly padel is growing year by year and I'm sure next year it will only get bigger but keeping that inclusive and tight knit community feel will be at the forefront of my focus. Additionally, having already had experience on committee I will be there to assist and guide new committee members through the initial struggles that come with running a society, as well as making sure that everyone in the whole society is enjoying their experience. I will look to gain regular feedback from our members to see what could need changing or tweaking to ensure padel remains the best society in Leeds. On the actual playing side of things I will look to expand our competitive and non competitive sphere outside of Leeds and NUPL by looking to arrange one off tournaments with other Unis where players of all ability are able to compete and most importantly have fun. (Also I may add a chat sec committee role)

I won't keep everyone too long as I know there will be a lot fo these to get through but I'll conclude by saying that padel for me and I'm sure many others is more than just a society and I can't describe how much it has made my two years at uni the best they can be and I think that is what everyone deserves from a society. Therefore it would mean the world to me to be able to head the society which has bought me so much joy. I hope everyone has a good Easter and good luck to any other candidates!

Reuben

WHY VOTE FOR ME:

I am running for president because I love and care for this society and want to help it thrive and grow. Padel isn’t just a sport to me—it’s a community, and I want everyone to have as much fun as I do and inspire more girls as well by following Aimee's steps as a girl pres 💪 Also, I'm Spanish, so the sport runs in my veins - fundamental for organising tour and possible talks and future events 👀.

Being Social Media (clog) Sec this year, I've seen and learnt from Aimee the discipline, leadership and passion needed for the role and what specific tasks have to be done. With my business degree background and extracurricular activities I've been doing throughout this year, I enjoy and know how to manage my time, plan events, organise people, and communicate with external partners. As well getting things done efficiently, I am open to feedback and will actively involve members in group decisions, valuing their suggestions.

I am a reliable and trustworthy face for the society, someone you can count on to make fair decisions and always put the club, the team and its members first. At the same time, I know how to have fun and bring people together, create a fun atmosphere, and lift others up. I strike the perfect balance between responsibility and making sure we all enjoy our time in the society.

MY PROMISES:

🏟 Push for Padel Courts on Campus (I've been involved in some talks and I'm trying but nothing sure yet)
🤝 Strengthen Our Community – Whether you play competitively or just for fun, I’ll make sure everyone feels valued and involved and address all concerns
🚀 Make the society more welcoming for girls - making girl padel sessions or events
🤗 Collaborate with other societies
💸 Follow up Aimee and Luke's efforts to get Gryphon funding to subsidise costs
📅 Focus on the Behind-the-Scenes Work - So this society keep running smoothly
✈️ Guarantee a Padel Tour Next Year for All Alumni (did someone say Barcelona again?)
❤️ 100% Commitment

Hi there, my name is Dylan and I have been the social sec for this past year!
I have been going weekly to padel for the past two years and have played for around 10 years so Padel is a big part of my life. Not only Padel, but also this society has had such a massive impact on my uni life, I only joined by coincidence last year after hearing that my flatmate had been cornered by Luke (although he says otherwise haha) and made to join the group chat, and since joining I’ve never looked back. I’ve made some amazing friends here and having the opportunity to carry on the society to allow it to have the same impact on other as it did for me is such a privilege.

Why me?
I’ve always been very organised with work, and that has really helped me with the running of the weekly socials, creating plans for the term early was crucial to the smooth running of the socials (and has also saved me a bit with my engineering degree haha). I am also a very pro active person, at the beginning of this year I pushed hard to get the society’s first ever blackcards and society tickets from Fresh2Death (Bobby’s and Full Fat) and Mischief, in fact I ended up sneaking into a Fresh2Death staff recruitment event so I could pitch us to them. I am also a very good public speaker, frequently speaking to large groups especially at socials, it was incredibly helpful when trying to get over 120 people out of my house and split into two groups during the fridge 2 fridge social and trying to navigate 60 people around Hyde Park, god that was stressful haha. I have also been part of the Men’s Padel team this year, helping Aimee and Jake select who got onto the teams and then afterwards carefully selecting the pairings for our domination of NUPL

What are my aims as President?
- Keeping its core principles of inclusivity, social atmosphere and community feel
- Working to make it more affordable by creating meeting points for people with ubers to ensure full cars
- Keep improving the socials by working with the social secs to create a monthly social budget to give them more freedom and allow us to subsidise more socials
- Try and get more trips to other Padel societies across the country, and host more here, and go out with them after
- Try and allow non-team members to receive coaching if they want to so everyone can keep improving!
- Create a team membership to go towards keeping our team competitive nationally and allow us to possibly subsidise us taking part in more tournaments outside of NUPL
Thanks for reading if you made it this far haha
I would be such an amazing experience being President of the society
Much love,
Dylan Taylor Barca