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Hi,

In my 7 years of experience in badminton I have engaged with the sport in all its forms and levels. As a player I grew up in the Wimbledon academy. I've played for county junior teams, and as Surrey's poster designer and through close connections, I've always been keenly aware of the needs and struggles of sports societies. I also have first-hand experience as an organiser. My years volunteering disability sessions and training as a coach and swimming instructor (with more than a year of experience in both) have given me insights into the roles and responsibilities of sport organisations beyond just developing skills and providing sessions.

I believe above all else that a badminton society shouldn’t just provide value and opportunities, but foster community and inspire enthusiasm. In its current state, ours has its limitations. As vice president, I want to start building bridges and breaking barriers. That means development infrastructure for pathways into the team or committee, bigger and better society-wide activities and opportunities that actually cater for our richly diverse society, and a system that emphasises quality of what the society provides rather than quantity. Naturally, I believe this starts on the court.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to contact me, 07475631140

Michael Aw-Yong.

Hi everyone,
My name is Annette. I am currently a third year Law student on placement so I may be new to you.
To let you know who I am: I was a prominent member of recreational sessions in my first year; I was in development sessions and made the team in my second year. Due to being an avid member of all aspects of the society through the past two years, I believe I have the experience to ensure that the society will be in good hands alongside your president.
I wish to be a voice for both recreational members of the badminton society as well as the team as I know what it’s like to be members in both of them. I will assist and advise your president and other elected members of the society to the best of my ability. I also love a good badminton social; I’m sure you’ll see me there for most of them!
I hope you vote for me to be your vice-president… I won’t let you down!

Statement in brief:
Do you want to vote for someone who understands the issues the society faces or do you want for vote for someone who has been on placement the entire year?
Do you want to vote for someone who is experienced and goes to rec or a fresher who’s never even set foot in rec?
Vote Gio for Vice President!

Statement long form: Hey guys, it’s Gio or as some of you know me “Whistle guy”. I’m running for vice president of this society and I think you should vote for me. I’ve been a part of this society for 3 years and one thing I’ve noticed every single year is the lack of badminton recreational members in core committee positions. I mean it doesn’t really make much sense does it? We have around 250 members and the team is only about 50 of them. We literally make up the majority and yet we don’t hold any major positions within the society. What does this mean for the society? Well this means that the issues that come up in recreational session simply aren’t addressed by the high up committee members because they don’t understand the issues. How many times have we needed and requested new shuttles but been denied? How many times have we asked for the Sunday 9am timeslot to be changed but its fallen on deaf ears? How many time have we asked for varied socials and yet we still find ourselves at mischief for the NINETH time in a row? Quite frankly I think this is ridiculous. I understand these issues and if given this spot on the committee then I will be able to address these issues myself.

Another issue I’ve seen this year is a growing disconnect between recreational badminton and the badminton team. When I was a fresher and even in my second year we would see team members at socials and this was a great way to engage and become friends with them. We also had tournaments during rec badmintons sessions where team members participated. However, this year we have seen a separation between team and rec. This year we have slowly seen the numbers at rec socials decline while we see the team host exclusive team only socials which could’ve easily accommodated rec players. Is it really THAT hard to book an extra bowling alley for rec? This disconnect has caused many issues for the society like the cancellations of socials. The Christmas meal social was cancelled and then moved to a later date and the badminton ball this year has been cancelled entirely. The reason for these cancellations is because of the disconnect. Last year we had a badminton ball and honestly it was one of the best socials of last year and we could only sell enough tickets because both rec and the team bought tickets. This year looking at the ticket sales I can tell you that only rec bought tickets. This disconnect has grown too far and I plan to close the gap between rec and the team by having more varied socials between the two, hosting tournaments and encouraging mixing between the two.

Now just some information about myself and why you should vote for me. I have experience in committee positions for many different societies. In my second year I was the president of the debating society, the secretary of HRM society and the social secretary of the badminton society. I am currently the secretary of HRM, welfare officer of the commuters society and club rep for the badminton society. Clearly, I have the experience and skills necessary to be the vice president of this society. I’ve been a member of this society for 3 years and this society has honestly been one of the highlights of my uni experience. I’ve met some of my closest friends at this society and I’ve made some great memories. I’ve seen this society slip up this year and I want to see it get back to what it once was.
Vote Gio Bains for Vice President!