Welcome to my 1st blog of this year !

In December, I completed my Health & Safety refresher training, making sure I’m fully prepared to support student events and activities safely.

I’m really pleased to share that all seven Southend societies are now fully trained and officially set up. This included completing all the required paperwork, getting societies added to the SU website, and securing budget codes so committees can run their activities confidently. Some societies have already hosted their first events, and it’s been great to see students bringing their ideas to life , I’m very proud of them.

Leadership, Representation & Advocacy

I also continued to represent Southend students at a leadership level. I attended the Students’ Union Senior Leadership Meeting, contributing to discussions around priorities and the student experience.

Alongside this, I met with Ryan from UNISON to support the campus closure rally which will take place on the 5th of Feb, making sure student voices were part of the conversation during an important time for our campus community.

Starting the Year Strong

January kicked off with focused planning, as I mapped out several projects for the rest of the academic year. This has helped me set clear priorities and keep momentum going.

I also completed media training with the wider Student Leader team, led by guest speaker Ewan Foskett, which was a really useful session and boosted our confidence when communicating and representing students.

Welcome Talks & Student Engagement

As the new term began, I delivered Oral Health welcome talks and an Essex Business School postgraduate welcome talk, helping new students settle into Southend and get to know the Students’ Union, student life, and the support available to them.

Sustainability & Wellbeing

This month, I ran an SU Journal Workshop, where students recycled old books into journals. It was a simple but meaningful way to combine creativity, wellbeing, and environmentally friendly practices, and the session went really well.

Eat & Meet

One of the highlights this month was my Eat & Meet event. Sharing chicken biryani together created a relaxed and welcoming space, and the feedback on the food and atmosphere was really positive. Events like this show how powerful food and conversation can be in bringing people together.

What’s Coming Up

I’m excited to share that a trip to Colchester campus, including an overnight stay, has been planned for Southend students — a great chance to explore the campus and its facilities.

I’ve also got some exciting events coming up:

• A Cheese and Wine Tasting for mature students at Southend

• One World Essex, taking place in the first week of March, celebrating the diversity that makes our student community so special

More details coming very soon.

Final Thoughts

These past two months have been busy, challenging at times, and really rewarding. I’m proud of the progress we’ve made and excited to keep building on this work for Southend students.

Thank you to everyone who’s supported, attended events, shared feedback, or worked alongside me , your involvement makes all the difference.