Hi everyone! You might have seen that the Leadership Elections are now live, meaning applications for my job are open! If you’re reading this, you’re probably curious about leading our Students’ Union, so I thought I’d give you a glimpse into what a day in the life of your VP Societies & Sport looks like!
Hi everyone! You might have seen that the Leadership Elections are now live, meaning applications for my job are open! If you’re reading this, you’re probably curious about leading our Students’ Union, so I thought I’d give you a glimpse into what a day in the life of your VP Societies & Sport looks like!
The working day officially starts at 9am. I usually have breakfast before heading in, and most days I cycle to the office — it wakes me up and gets me ready for whatever’s ahead.
On Monday mornings I have the Opps Weekly Update, where the whole Opps Team runs through what we’re each working on that week. Every two weeks, we also have a meeting with the other Sabbatical Officers and the Senior Leadership Team to catch up on progress, share updates, and look at where each team can support one another.
Across the week, I also host Student Leader Drop-Ins — Mondays from 14:30–16:00 and Thursdays from 10:00–11:30. These are a space for committee members from societies and sports clubs to speak with me and the Societies & Sport Coordinators about anything they need support with.
At some point each morning, I dive into my emails. I receive a lot and clearing them takes a surprising amount of time, so I try to get on top of them early. I’m also active on Freshdesk, responding to tickets from student groups so they get answers as quickly as possible.
As VP Societies & Sport, you sit across a lot of different responsibilities, from working on your Priority 8 aims, to your duties as a trustee on the Board of Trustees, to sitting on various university committees like Academic Board & Chairing the Societies, Sport & Opportunities Executive, which helps steer the strategic direction, governance and financial sustainability of Royal Holloway. The work you do genuinely has a real impact on students. You’re often one of the loudest voices in the room, advocating for their rights and making sure their experiences are heard.
A big part of the role is supporting societies, sports clubs and student groups. You’ll also work closely with ALS and BUCS to ensure students are being treated fairly and that activities run smoothly. On top of that, you get to lead cool projects and campaigns throughout the year and collaborate creatively with student groups.
You’ll also have the chance to host major events like Society Awards and Colours Ball, and get involved in Varsity, which is an incredible experience and one of the highlights of the year.
As for my own priorities this year, I’m currently working closely with university staff to push for more student-friendly timetables, and I’ve partnered with the RHSU Venues Team to increase the number of affordable Union events on offer. When it comes to your Priority 8, you’re never doing it alone, the RHSU staff team support you every step of the way and help track progress so those priorities become a reality.
That’s all from me! If you want to chat about the role, feel free to email me at VPSocSport@su.rhul.ac.uk — I’m more than happy to make time to talk it through!