Hi, my name is Emily, and I am running for the position of Vice President Wellbeing & Diversity because I want to improve the mental health services that the university offers and increase the support students get during this cost-of-living crisis.

>> What my goals are.
If elected, I would aim to:

GOAL ONE:
• Give students more cost-of-living support, improve the student advice available and increase the funding for those facing financial hardship.
  95% of students polled said that the university doesn’t offer proper or enough cost of living crisis support. Examples students mentioned included: SU shop prices being too high and there not being enough student advice, in particular for first year students. We need to change this.

GOAL TWO:
• Lobby the university to offer long-term counselling options.
  When I came to university, I was very surprised that there were no long-term counselling options available – 85% of students polled said that this should be made available at the university. This has been discussed before, but nothing has been done yet.
  I think this would have a very positive impact because currently, the wellbeing department only offers short-term counselling. This only helps those who need solutions to short-term problems and not those who have had issues spanning over many years.
  So, if elected, I would make it happen, but I need your support!
GOAL THREE:
• Obtain more support for those with mental health problems, such as grants for students who need help to get diagnosed or treatment for certain conditions.
• 47% of students polled believe that there should already be this kind of support in place and a further 42% believe that the university should offer grants in these circumstances. Currently, the wellbeing team only help if you have an existing diagnosis; mental health can often go undiagnosed and untreated, particularly in adult women, and therefore this is why we need more support.

If elected as VP Wellbeing and Diversity, I would work tirelessly to lobby the university to provide more support to students as many of us have been hit extremely hard by this cost-of-living crisis. Whether it be workshops, more access to funding for those facing hardship, student advice, better access to mental health care or collaborating with national student bodies to increase loans in real terms, I will not rest until I achieve these goals.

#VOTEEMILY4VP

I’m Grace and I’m running for VP of Wellbeing and Diversity. I am excited about the opportunity to ensure everyone has the support they need to make the most out of their university experience!

Here’s what you can expect from me...

Support with the cost of living crisis:
Roughly 46% of students reported a decline in their mental health and wellbeing due to financial stress. As costs continue to rise, more needs to be done to ensure everyone can afford to remain at Royal Holloway. I plan to negotiate with local bus companies and TFL for cheaper travel, increase funding and transparency for students in Egham who are forced to travel to London, raise awareness about existing financial support offered by the university, and discuss with Runnymede council to reduce council tax for part-time students.

Support for disabled and neurodiverse students:
An estimated 13% of RHUL students are registered as disabled, that’s ~1500 students who have specific access requirements. Despite the demand, their needs are not being met. We need a larger study space for disabled students, to hire more specialist mentors and reduce the waiting list (already funded by the DSA), and for accessible ramps to be maintained and pot-hole-free.

Incentives to support the Royal Holloway community and their health:
This year, there was a 30% increase in students reporting a mental health condition via UCAS. We need to support both our existing students and the influx of new students in September. To achieve this I will continue working to grow incentives created by our predecessors (Give It A Go, SHAG week etc.), ensure security is trained to handle mental health crises, promote what the SU advice centre has to offer, work with the VP SocSport to encourage student groups to host some sessions during the day or online, increasing accessibility for commuting students.

Support societies to create inclusive and accessible environments:
Every student deserves to take part in the amazing student groups available, but creating inclusive environments can be tricky without the right support. To help with this, I would create a fund allowing committees to receive financial support in making their events inclusive, ensure sexual harassment and wellbeing training is completed by at least 50% of each student group's committee, add an option to disclose access needs when purchasing a student group membership and increase the access fund cap.

For more information, head to my Instagram!
@Grace4Wellbeing

Hiya! My name is Olivia (Livi-Mae), and I am running for VP of Wellbeing and Diversity.

Who am i?
I am a passionate person who believes everyone should have fair access to every opportunity. My experience of being a member of Wales Women’s Equality Network and part of Mind’s Youth Voice Network, has greatly benefitted my current roles of Women Students’ Community Officer and the President of Mentality (RHUL’s mental health society).
In these roles, I have had the opportunity to run events, work with amazing societies, write blogs, help plan Women’s History Month with the current VP of Wellbeing and Diversity, and I have launched a social media campaign ‘Women of the Month’. 
These skills will all assist my role of VP of Wellbeing and Diversity if I am elected. I have loved every second of being in these roles. 

What will I achieve? 
• Work with the community officers to solidify their communities. 
• Work with the community officers to solidify their communities. 
• ‘Round table events’- host monthly meetings to speak to the community officers and relevant societies to receive student voice surrounding our goals and plans to achieve them.
• ‘Wellbeing workshops’ – online drop-in sessions delivered by the Wellbeing team (no sign up needed! Just turn up to the sessions that you find useful). Examples of these are Cognitive Behaviour Therapy techniques, meditation, sessions surrounding how to manage home sickness, cost of living or university stress.
• Revise the extenuating circumstances criteria to include long term mental health conditions.
• Provide in-depth training for wellbeing officers in societies and sports and have monthly ‘Coffee Catch-ups’ to check whether they need further support in their roles. 
• Work alongside VP of Societies and Sports to promote physical wellness including ‘weekly wellbeing walks’.
• Make the on-campus gym more inclusive for everyone. For example, women’s only hours and more inclusivity for every disability.
• Continue running successful campaign weeks, such as my upcoming ‘Women’s Mental Health week’ in March.

Additional campaign weeks would include:

• Anti-spiking (alongside this continue working to make security better in the SU) 
• Inclusion week 
• Body positivity 
• Disability and LGBTQ+ Visibility weeks

These are just some of my ideas but I would love to work with you and hear your ideas to make Royal Holloway better for wellbeing, diversity and inclusion. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my manifesto.

Vote for Livi-Mae to support YOU every day! 

Hello, I'm Nathaniel McShane, a 3rd Year Computer Science student, and I'm running for VP Wellbeing and Diversity to enhance the university experience for all students and dismantle barriers hindering their success. Here are my key objectives:

1. Promote sports accessibility, particularly for disabled and transgender students. I aim to collaborate with the VP Societies and Sport, ALS and sports clubs to expand options for disabled students in sports activities and clarify the participation rights of transgender individuals to participate as their gender identity. This includes exploring para options in existing sports and ensuring equitable access to sports for all students.
2. Enhance relations with the Campus GP, especially for trans, international, and chronically ill students, who have extensive issues accessing on-campus healthcare due to difficult attitudes, a lack of information, and rigorous testing for pre-existing treatments. Addressing longstanding concerns regarding the campus GP, I plan to conduct a thorough assessment and devise strategies to improve healthcare access for marginalise student groups, minimising reliance on off-campus alternatives, saving you time and money.
3. Foster diversity within the wellbeing and counselling team to better serve the student community. Recognising the importance of representation, I propose increasing diversity within the team to ensure that students from various backgrounds feel understood and supported in seeking help for their mental health and wellbeing. I believe and hope that this will be particularly useful for LGBTQIA+ and Black and Global Majority students who often have unique concerns and experiences based off their lives.

My extensive experience in committee roles, including both President and Wellbeing Secretary for the Archery Club, and involvement in the Disability Collective (now Community), equips me with the skills needed for this role. I have also been a student ambassador for 4 years, giving me plenty of opportunities for public speaking and presenting. As your potential VP Wellbeing and Diversity, I am committed to advocating for your rights and equal access to resources at Royal Holloway.

Feel free to reach out to me at @nateforvp on Instagram for further discussion or questions. Remember, voting takes place from 5th to 7th March. I encourage everyone to participate in shaping our university community.

#BeAMateVoteForNate
#APushInTheRightDirection

Wellbeing means being comfortable, healthy, happy with the correct mental health and being at a peace of mind. As someone who has been at Royal Holloway for 4 years now, as well as being part of the Men’s 1st XI Hockey Team, I’m passionate about making RHUL a place where everyone’s wellbeing is a priority. With great motivation and support of the fellow sabbatical officers, we can make campus a place where all student problems are addressed in a way that makes everyone feel welcome and at home in our community.

If I am elected, I will focus on:

1. Working with the VP Sports and Societies to Create an Inclusive Atmosphere: Acceptance regardless of skill level and identity has been key to continuing our high engagement in hockey. Therefore, I want to encourage other sports clubs and societies to be inclusive of everyone to feel more accepted on campus.
2. Hosting More Diversity Centred Events: I plan to host more events surrounding career opportunities and guest speakers to highlight the experiences of underrepresented student groups including Disabled, BAME and LGBTQ+, seeking regular feedback for improvement.
3. Bi-monthly Forums Surrounding Mental Health in Sports and Societies: Open discussions with committee members of all sports clubs and societies on watching their members wellbeing and health is key. Loneliness is an issue when moving to a university as homesickness will occur. Therefore, ensuring committee members make new students feel welcome will help combat loneliness.
4. Seeking Solutions to the Darkness When Walking back on a Night Out: As an issue that involves many students feeling unsafe, I will lobby for more streetlamps to be installed around the area and work with the University and local council to seek solutions to how students can feel safe walking back to their accommodation.
5. Supporting Those Through the Cost-of-Living Crisis: This is an on-going issue for everyone. I will post blogs on how to save money during this time for everyone to save money and also enjoy your time at university, including working with the university for those to seek financial support.
6. Establishing a wellbeing helpline: I want to create a helpline for students to reach out for any reason whatsoever, whether to talk students or have someone to speak to while walking home after a night out. This will not be powered by AI but by real people.

Hey everyone!

I'm Sajjia Zahra, and I'm super excited to announce my candidacy for VP of Wellbeing and Diversity. As someone who's deeply passionate about creating a supportive and inclusive atmosphere for all, I believe that together, we can build a campus community where every voice is heard, and every student feels at home.

Having been actively involved in various student-led initiatives, I've seen firsthand the difference a welcoming and diverse environment makes. I'm here to champion your wellbeing, celebrate our differences, and work tirelessly to ensure that our campus is a place of growth, support, and understanding for everyone.

Let's make a positive change together!

Mental health is super important, right? I want to make sure every student has access to the support they need. It's all about creating a safe space where it's okay to talk about our struggles without fear of judgment.

Here's the plan: we'll ramp up the resources—think more counselors, better access to therapy sessions, and workshops on managing stress and anxiety. Plus, let's get some chill-out zones around campus where you can just breathe and take a break.

But hey, it's not just about services; it's about changing the vibe. We'll kick off campaigns to bust the myths about mental health and get the conversation going. By sharing stories and experiences, we can break down the stigma and make it normal to seek help.

Together, we can make mental health a priority and create a campus that truly cares.

Alright, so that's the game plan! Prioritizing mental health, boosting resources, and smashing the stigma. Let's make our campus a place where wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do. With your support, we can make a real difference. Let's bring on the change and make sure everyone feels supported and included. Can't wait to embark on this journey with you all! #MentalHealthMatters #TogetherForChange Let's do this!

Hey everyone!

Firstly, I am Shaun D’mello, I’m running for VP Well-being and Diversity, and I want to ensure that my promises will meet not just the demands of a few groups but the entire student community. My role as a well-being and Diversity officer is to ensure that all students regardless of sex, race or religion are treated equally with an open space for discussion for all sides. My role has been created to ensure that there is inclusion of all kinds of thought and speech without the need to fear. Open spaces for discussion are necessary for new ideas and innovation in order to make everyone feel able to be who they are and speak out their issues. Not only thoughts but also mental health as university life is a struggle for most if not all students. There are several issues which students keep hidden under the carpet but as a student myself, having discovered these hidden issues I have realised that social lives, mental health and free expression are some of the issues that are present amongst students. Diversity is only emphasised as a racial and ethnical issue rather diversity includes speech, ideas and the well-being of students. How can we praise diversity if not every student enjoys the same social life and wellness as other students; loneliness and depression often lead to alcohol abuse as well as heavy abuse of soft and hard drugs. Which is one of the actually main issues that the SU doesn’t realise due to it being an underground issue.
There needs to be an open space for discussion among students so that they can discuss their problems so we can action on it and improve the social environment and well-being of the student body.

International students also face mental health issues as well as issues with integrating into a new country, their voices are not heard due to lack of knowledge of assimilation hence I want to guarantee an office where international and local students can meet and talk to officers about their issues, they are facing with campus life.

Students demand change over promises.

Reform SU, Changes over Promises