The Story of Our Year 2011-2012

Thank You. We’re proud of everything we’ve achieved this year, and realise none of it would have been possible without the hard work and dedication of a lot of people.

We’d like to extend a massive thank you to everyone who supports us; the Student Exec, our staff, trustees, committee members, commercial partners and funders. And above all – our members.

Without them, we wouldn’t be where we are today.

www.luu.org.uk/impact

Leeds University Union is a registered charity no. 1136742 and a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales no. 7284768.

P0 Box 157, Leeds, LS1 1UH 0113 380 1400

Hello Thanks for picking up this little book – it’s a tiny glimpse into what we’ve accomplished this year. Inside, we’ve collated just some of the stories of the people that made our achievements possible; the stories that explain how we’ve continued to deliver our vision to make sure our members love their time at Leeds.

It’s a vision we hold close to our hearts, and we’re committed to making it a reality - not just for our student members, but also for our friends, local communities, clients, partners and staff.

Our dedication to each and every one of our members is stronger than ever. We have demonstrated our committment to improving the student experience through further partnership with the University and by focusing on key initiatives, such as increased engagement with our Postgraduate and International members.

Shaping our work on a day-to-day basis, our four year strategic plan includes all the important things our members have asked us to work on.

Having reached the half way point, we’re reflecting on our past goals and achievements, but also looking ahead to the next two years and beyond with excitement and enthusiasm.

The recent changes in the Higher Education landscape present great challenges for us as an independent Union representing thousands of students. It will remain firmly on our agenda for the foreseeable future, alongside our dedication to working with the University and external partners to ensure students get the very best out of their time at Leeds.

Finally, thank you for the role you’ve played. If you are reading this, then you are an essential part of our story, either looking back or going forward, and we simply couldn’t tell it without you.

Aidan Grills Chief Executive

Antony Haddley Chair of the Board & Union Affairs Officer

Student volunteers.

Each and every year we are blown away by the selflessness and dedication of our student volunteers, and this year was no exception. They give up their precious time for the benefit of others and the community.

As a responsible charity with strong links to our neighbours in the local community, we’ve been working hard on a number of different projects. These include our anti-crime initiative Knowledge, our environmental project Leave Leeds Tidy and our very own allotment, Bardon Grange.

Harry’s story Originally from London, Harry came to study medicine at the University of Leeds five years ago. When he arrived, he was aware that students and full-time residents often led separate lives, and resolved to strengthen ties with his new community.

Harry chose to get more involved with the city through Homed, a Leeds University Union-affiliated charity that works with a number of hostels for the homeless in Leeds. Student volunteers visit these hostels to help encourage social interaction and improve emotional wellbeing.

“I first saw Homed at the Freshers’ Fair and went along to one of the first hostel visits at Bracken Court,” Harry explains. “I was hooked. It was great to mix with local residents, people who have been here all their lives.” He visited the hostel each week, taking home-cooked meals and hot drinks for the residents.

Harry went on to become President of Homed, building membership from 40 to around 250 students, and now works as their Fundraising Coordinator. All the work they do makes a real difference to people facing extreme hardship. “Many have been abandoned by everyone in their lives. We listen to them, and let them know there are people here for them.”

Volunteering has also had a big impact on Harry himself. “Homed has helped with my career choice, improved my communication skills and heightened my appreciation of the issues that different members of society face in their lives.”

3,064

student volunteers gave their time this year.

£325,743.31

was raised by Leeds RAG for charities and charitable causes.

13.6

tonnes of waste was diverted from landfill through Leave Leeds Tidy and Green Streets – with help from Emmaus Leeds and St Jude’s.

2,500

potential lifesavers were recruited to the stem cell register thanks to the 23 recruitment events run by Leeds Marrow - that’s a third of all sign-ups amongst UK universities!

F o r th e f u l l s t o r y, g o o n l i n e : www. l u u . o r g . u k / i m p a c t

Developing skills, creating jobs.

As an organisation dedicated to giving our members opportunities, we employed over 300 students to work with us here in the Union. Through training, we also gave them the tools to achieve great things after graduation. We did the same for the committees of our 250 clubs and societies.

Students were also helped to find work through our fantastic Joblink service, and this year alone received a total of £680,000 in pay. Now celebrating its 10th year, Joblink has become the largest supplier of temporary staff for the University, meaning more wages staying on campus.

Lucy’s story When an internship came along to work on the Union’s environmental agenda, Lucy recognised it as a great opportunity, but didn’t realise just how much she would get from it.

In her role as Environmental Services Assistant, Lucy helped implement our Environmental Management System, develop our online Green Guide and raise awareness of the policies and procedures the Union was putting into operation.

“It was great to be part of an organisation that understood its impact on the environment, and was working towards reducing it,” Lucy said. “There was a great support network of passionate people, including the Environmental Manager, the Exec Officers, the students and the University’s sustainability team.”

For Lucy, the internship proved to be a great stepping-stone into the career she wanted, equipping her with all the skills she needed. “It was the variety of the role I enjoyed most - there was the chance to be creative whilst meeting energy consumption targets. Everyone was friendly and helpful, which made working there fun, exciting and different every day.”

956,938

is the staggering number of online views our employability opportunities pages have had.

1,500

students attended one of our skills workshops.

8,631

students dropped by our lovely new Opportunities Centre.

700

employers advertised jobs through our Joblink service.

“As a result of the internship I’ve landed a job at the global environmental company, Veolia. I’m so happy here and I’m constantly learning every day. It’s the beginning of what I hope is a successful career in the environmental sector and I have LUU to thank. Their support, guidance and training has made me the person I am today.”

F o r th e f u l l s t o r y, g o o n l i n e : www. l u u . o r g . u k / i m p a c t

Leadership and representation.

This year, a record number of students voted in our Leadership Race. Student engagement in elections ensures the recruitment of six great leaders that students relate to, recognise and rely on for leadership and representation.

It’s through our elected Exec Officers and our reps on the ground that we continue to be recognised as the representative channel between students, the University of Leeds and any other external bodies, further highlighting our commitment to partnership.

Greg’s Story History and Sociology student Greg found his way into leading others through his passion; sport. When he didn’t make it as rugby captain, he instead set his sights on becoming the Union’s Sports Representative. After running in 2011 he was successfully elected, and hasn’t looked back since. “I really enjoy my role,” says Greg. “From day one, it’s been an absolutely fantastic experience.”

Throughout the year, Greg has chaired several Sport Assemblies, giving each of the Union’s sports committees the chance to discuss how to make their clubs the best they can possibly be. He also represents their views at the Better Union forums, which enable students to ensure their union is working for them and make certain they have the best services and support.

Greg has had a huge impact on funding this year, securing over £50,000 of funds for sports clubs. He also developed a new sponsorship policy that has now come into effect across the entire Union. He’s worked hard to increase collaboration between the various clubs, encouraging them to attend each other’s fundraising events, such as Ladies Day. The wildly successful Sports Ball was another great way of celebrating achievements by bringing everyone together under one roof.

1,000

student reps were supported to make changes in the Union, University and city of Leeds.

620

changes have been made in the University by student reps. In the city, bus fares have been reduced from campus to student halls.

94%

of students believe that arguments from students are effective in persuading the University to make change.

17,166

members joined a club or society.

F o r th e f u l l s t o r y, g o o n l i n e : www. l u u . o r g . u k / i m p a c t

Supporting our members.

This year, thanks to our amazing staff and volunteers in membership services, students have continued to be in safe hands, and supported through the good times and the bad. Our help, support and advice services have gone from strength to strength. No less than 74,798 students visited our friendly Helpdesk, and our super Student Advice Centre supported 6,555 individuals.

Each one of our 30,000 members is different - that’s why we love them. So, once again, we aimed to ensure our services, activities and events remained appropriate and accessible to all.

Christian’s Story Set up in 2008, Mind Matters was the first society of its kind in the UK, bringing people together from different backgrounds with an interest in mental health; some with an academic perspective, others for personal reasons. Community Coordinator Christian has been involved for a number of years.

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“We support our members by being a friendly open place,” Christian explains. “It’s something we’re really passionate about – having an environment that’s inclusive of everybody. It’s a major thing for people who often feel quite isolated.”

This year, Mind Matters worked in collaboration with the Union on “It’s Time To Talk”, a video project to raise awareness of those suffering from mental health issues and help normalise the prejudices surrounding them.

Seen by thousands of people online and featured on TV, the video encouraged people to talk openly and honestly about their personal experiences of mental illness, which included depression, anxiety, anorexia, OCD and post-traumatic stress disorder. For many, it was the first time they had talked to anyone; the hope being it would spread the word that it’s okay to talk.

“The future for Mind Matters is really positive.” Christian said. “We will continue to increase our support for students who come to university with mental health problems to the best of our ability, and make sure they have the best time they possibly can whilst they’re here.”

93%

of students said the Union is contributing positively to their time at University.

13,000

people accessed the new help@leeds site, created in partnership with the University.

3,000

students benefited from our relax space during the gruelling exam periods.

150,000

minutes of our video content was watched online – that equates to around 15 weeks!

F o r th e f u l l s t o r y, g o o n l i n e : www. l u u . o r g . u k / i m p a c t

Our family.

We were overjoyed when The Sunday Times named the Union as one of their top 20 not-for-profit employers to work for. This is an incredible accomplishment and a true testament to our staff, who all work tirelessly to keep our building buzzing and our members happy.

By building a fun, high-performance culture, we’ve been able to achieve some truly amazing things this year. This is in no small part thanks to the unique people and personalities that make up our family.

Steve’s story As the Union’s Venues Manager, Steve leads the team that’s responsible for our regular events programme, our nightclubs, security and technical services, as well as major highlights in our events calendar, like the Summer Ball.

Traditionally held at Lotherton Hall, this year the decision was made to bring the end-of-year celebration on to campus for the very first time. By holding the Ball in and around the Union building, the costs saved on transport and setting up off-site could be passed onto students, reducing the overall price of tickets and drinks.

“This year, the Summer Ball was an absolutely fantastic success, and we made full use of our wonderful University grounds,” Steve says. “And because we were able to invest more in décor and lighting - as well as great artists, fairground rides and entertainers - the campus underwent a truly spectacular transformation.”

With over 5,300 attendees and £40,000 raised, the ball was declared a triumph.

The money made was reinvested back into our student services, including our Student Advice Centre, our Nightbus service and our clubs and societies. “It was a collaborative effort by everyone in the Union, and we simply can’t wait for our Summer Ball 2013. We can take everything we learnt this year to make it the most amazing event we’ve ever hosted.”

3 million

visits were made to our building to socialise, eat, vote and get support.

10,000

students across Leeds came to Varsity - a must-attend event in the sporting calendar.

11%

is how much we reduced our carbon emissions by.

500

staff have been trained following the successful launch of Leeds Service Experience, helping us deliver even better service for our members.

F o r th e f u l l s t o r y, g o o n l i n e : www. l u u . o r g . u k / i m p a c t

F o r th e f u l l s t o r y g o o n l i n e : www.luu.org.uk/impact

Our achievements.

Awards and nominations Enough about what we think, here are the nods of recognition we’ve had from others.

100 Best Not for Profit Organisations Placed 17th in The Sunday Times’ prestigious list of best employers.

Specialist Publication of the Year Leeds Student newspaper picked up this fantastic O2 award as well as being nominated for a Guardian award.

The Waste and Recycling Award Recognition from the University of Leeds for our work on Green Streets and our improvements to the recycling point on campus.

The Sustainable Travel Award Awarded by the University of Leeds to the Bardon Grange Project for making food deliveries by bike.

The Bardon Grange Project was also highly commended in the Biodiversity Category for planting fruit trees and wild flowers.

Student Employee of the Year Steve Whiting, a key member of the Knowledge project, was recognised for his outstanding contribution, combining part-time work with study committments.

NASES Lifetime Membership Gail Hardwick, Joblink and Helpdesk Manager, was acknowledged by the National Association of Student Employment Services.

Greeting Card Retail Employee of the Year Award Diane Harvey was recognised within the retail industry.

Best Bar None Award This year, all our venues have once again successfully met the criteria for this NUSSL accreditation, with our clubs achieving Gold.

“We were delighted to achieve a placing of 17th in the Sunday Times list of the 100 Best Not for Profit Organisations to Work For.

The story continues.

We continually make improvements to create a culture which enables our staff to achieve great results and it is fantastic to discover that we are rated amongst the best in the UK.”

It’s been an incredibly busy year for all of us, and we’re ready for a cuppa! However, we’re not ones to rest on our laurels, and we have big plans for the next 12 months too.

Here’s a sneak peak...

Antonia Frezza HR Manager

“Everyone I’ve worked with has been absolutely fantastic. I think students bring a lot to the table as employees, especially in terms of new ideas and enthusiasm.

They want to use what they’re learning in education to change things for the better and really make a difference.”

Steve Whiting Student Employee of the Year

Quality Mark The Student Advice Centre passed with no recommendations for improvements.

F o r th e f u l l s t o r y, g o o n l i n e : www. l u u . o r g . u k / i m p a c t

Looking ahead to 2012/13

Reward our students We’re creating a loyalty scheme that rewards involvement with the Union.

Strengthen local links We’re delivering our biggest, most ambitious community strategy yet.

Reach out further We aim to see a significant growth in student awareness of our help and support services.

Adjust to change We must be proactive and reactive to the changes in Higher Education. Graduate unemployment and £9k fees will provide us with a whole new set of challenges.

Encourage particpation We will increase engagement with mature students and those with dependants.

Empower our global community We’ll deepen the integration between home and international students.

Value through collaboration We will strengthen our links with the academic community, city leaders and national student organisations..

Enhance our virtual Union We’ll reveal a new digital strategy to ensure our services and information is accessible and engaging across digital platforms. of our graduates said they were satisfied with us in the National Student Survey 2012 F o r th e f u l l s t o r y, g o o n l i n e : www. l u u . o r g . u k / i m p a c t