Quote of The Day
"There are all these moments when you think you won't survive. And then you survive ." - David Levithan
Hello everyone!
Many things have happened in the last 2 weeks, and I’m sure that many are you are currently feeling a lot of emotions. Anxiousness, fear and stress have unfortunately become a common feature in our everyday lives. I write to you to remind you that you are not alone. As the situation not only changes in the UK, but on the global platform, I am here to remind you that we are all figuring this out together. On that note, I’d like to tell you the steps that the SU and myself are taking to ensure that continuous support is provided to all of you.
2nd Lockdown Announcement
I’m sure that many of you are experiencing a lot as we are currently in a 2nd lockdown. It is difficult to see a light at the end of the tunnel and having to revert back to our homes with minimal contact with family and friends. I have been communicating with SWIS to ensure that all of our students are aware that the mental health services are still running and are available to support students. Many of you have asked if you should return home to be with loved ones. My answer to this is simple; the decision has to come for you. There is no one blanket ban approach to this. You and your mental health comes first. You have to make the best decision that is for you.
Just Play Committee
The Just Play Committee was originally set up to encourage students to participate in activities and sports without having to subscribe or feel pressure to commit to a sport. The face and purpose of Just Play has radically changed since the onset of the pandemic. Just Play is now focusing on delivering key events that will appeal to a range of students. This is the committee that was responsible for the Mini Golf. I’m happy to be sitting on this committee to deliver more innovative and engaging content for you all.
Buddy Scheme
I have been working closely with V-Team, Olivia, our VP Student Experience, and Adrian, our VP Community and Engagement to deliver a buddy scheme that is loosely based on a similar scheme that is operated by Sussex SU. The buddy scheme has received a really good response from Sussex students. We are at the planning stages of discovering how it will work and we are hoping to get it delivered to our students in the near future. The buddy scheme aims to pair up students from different communities with similar interests to meet and build connections with each other. We hope to have it launched as a V-Team project as soon as we can.
Other than that, please feel free to pop me an email at vpwelfare@essex.ac.uk
Love
Vinnie
Your Vice President of Welfare