Well, here we are again. One year round and who would have thought that I would be writing another manifesto for the VP Welfare position at the Roehampton Students’ Union? For those that don’t know me, hi I am Adam, and I am the current VP Welfare Officer for the RSU.  Before I go into what my main manifesto points are for this year, here’s a little bit about me:

• This would be my second year in the VP welfare position if elected again
• I have been a Movember ambassador for 3 years and partaking in Movember for 5 raising over £4000 for men’s mental/physical health
• My middle name is Robert
• I’ve played sports my entire life, with my main sports being Cricket, Hockey, and more recently Golf
• My football team is Watford (I know they are awful don’t need to tell me)

Now onto my actual manifesto points:

Increase Wellbeing and Mental Health Initiatives

• Expand the Roehampton Wellbeing services, offering more online resources and activities to boost student well-being as well as offering Roehampton accredited certificates to allow our students to become more employable
• Expand upon our wellbeing Wednesday initiative and keep offering more ways to take charge of your mental health on the mid-week slumps
• Collaborate with the university to provide more accessible and diverse mental health support services

Boost Sports Participation and Community

• Aims to boost student sports participation by hosting diverse, inclusive events that help with teamwork, and community engagement, and cater to various skill levels and interests.
• Establish supportive team environments with confidential, structured spaces where athletes can openly discuss mental health, allowing a more trustworthy environment, wellness, and holistic athlete support.
• Have the College cup have more of an impact on our sporting students to be represented more

Address Cost of Living Challenges

• Help out with more cost-saving initiatives on campus, cheaper to eat, live, and study: Implement campus-wide programs to reduce living expenses for students. This could include establishing more community fridges and organizing textbook exchanges.
• Negotiate with local landlords and the university for more affordable student housing options: Engage in discussions with property owners and university administration to create affordable housing solutions. This may involve developing rent control agreements, establishing long-term leases at reduced rates, or creating university-sponsored off-campus housing programs.
• Expand student discounts for essential services and products around campus: Work with local businesses, service providers, and online retailers to broaden the range of student discounts available. Focus on necessities such as groceries, healthcare, transportation, and technology.

Build on Existing Initiatives and Campaigns

• Enhance the Black History Month, Movember, and LGBTQ+ campaigns (one of which I have already led this year) with increased funding and broader student involvement.
• Introduce a student-led diversity and inclusion task force to ensure all campaigns are representative and impactful – working with the societies and new part-time workers to make sure they are as represented to the fullest
• Organize more interactive campus events to engage students directly with our initiatives and gather feedback