our year 2015/16 welcome 4 your voice 6 your opportunities 12 your wellbeing 16 your community 20 your future 24
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Robert Gordon University Students’ Union University Street, Garthdee Campus Garthdee Road, Aberdeen AB10 7GE t: 01224 262 266 hello@rguunion.co.uk Registered Scottish Charity SC016639
exec team Edward Pollock President (Communication & Democracy) Yvonne Ofordu President (Education & Welfare) GianPiero Franchi President (Sport & Physical Activity) David Munro Vice President (Societies) Martin Thomson Vice President (Wellbeing & Equal Opportunities) Frederick Ferife Vice President (International) John Doran Vice President (Student Affairs) Isla MacKenzie Vice President (Sport) Marty McGouran RAG Chair
student general president manager edward pollock I’m delighted to present the Impact Report for 2015/16 on behalf of the Executive Committee of RGU:Union. This year has seen us take a big step forward in student engagement with a number of new initiatives and campaigns being launched. With a new strategic plan, the team at the Union have been striving “to make your student experience the focus of everything we do”. Our activities have seen huge increases in student engagement, with our Annual General Meeting more than doubling in attendance, to record breaking votes in our student elections, to more students participating in societies and sports clubs. We have also launched a number of new projects, from our Live Right Campaign to help students find housing in Aberdeen, to our Safe Taxi Scheme helping students get home at night, which won NUS Scotland’s Campaign of the Year. We have seen record breaking volunteering hours, and our charity-arm, RGU:RAG, has fundraised tens of thousands of pounds for charities across the world. I am incredibly proud of everything we have been able to achieve this year. Your student executive have been working on your behalf to represent your voice, make the changes you want to see, and to help you have the best experience while studying at RGU. I want to thank all of the outstanding volunteers, student reps, officers, and staff who have been a part of RGU:Union’s work this year. As an organisation, we are going from strength to strength and making a difference to students lives everyday, and I cannot wait to see what 2016/17 will bring
michele collie Welcome to our 2015/16 Impact Report. This academic year has seen the Union significantly grow and develop with the launch of our new strategic plan. Our focus has been to embed the Union’s strategic promise, ‘to make your student experience the focus of everything we do’, which ensures that all services are focused on delivering our five strategic priorities ‘Your Opportunities’, ‘Your Wellbeing’, ‘Your Voice’, ‘Your Community’ and ‘Your Future’. This helps us to create an environment within the Union that promotes our strategic principals; ‘student-led”, “supportive”, “inclusive”, “fun”, “equal”, “innovative”, “understanding”, “loyal”, and “commitment”. We started the academic year with a successful Freshers Week, welcoming our new students to the University and the Union. The introduction of new events which offered a range of social activities suitable for all ages was received positively by the students. To safeguard the welfare of our members, a new ‘Safe Taxi’ scheme was launched. This service ensures that students, regardless of their circumstances, can always get home safely. The award winning scheme received national recognition through NUS and was instrumental in gaining the Purple Flag Award for Aberdeen City. We have seen a significant development of the Union website, giving us an outlet to raise awareness to a wider audience, including distance learners, and providing an opportunity to promote our products and services by further utilising social media platforms. In addition to this, our student media groups produced two successful editions of Radar Magazine, RGU:Radio increased their audience figures, and RGU:TV was recognised for producing the ‘Stay Safe’ campaign in alongside the Weekend Partnership and Police Scotland. RGU:RAG, our fundraising arm, raised a phenomenal £65,978 through various events for both local and international charities. Building on previous successes, this year we have recorded a further increase in participation and engagement. This was evident with some fantastic election turnout figures, where we saw a record number of students voting. Furthermore, another new record this year was the 160 students attending our AGM, where our members had the opportunity to voice their opinion and drive change. Another positive development is our Go Green project, which is going from strength to strength, and successfully secured further funding of £149,000 from the Climate Change Fund. The main objective of this initiative is to promote a sustainable campus by raising awareness of our environmental projects such as recycling, reducing waste and sustainable transport. With the increase of societies to a record high of 42, recording over 1600 members, there was a lot to celebrate at this year’s Student Achievement Awards Ball, where two students received the highest accolade of a full scarlet. Our sport clubs also had a fantastic year, winning the boat race for the fifth consecutive year and hosting the Blues Ball, where over 600 guest celebrated their successes and saw with 13 Full Blue awards being presented. As we approach the end of the Academic year it was time to celebrate with our Graduates. Over 850 sold out the Graduation Ball at the Beach Ballroom, enjoying the variety of entertainment including live music, ceilidh, and a disco. Going forward further expansion and investment of University Street is underway, with a new meeting space being developed, along with a relocated Deeview Student Store. I hope you enjoy reading our impact report. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Union staff, elected officers and students for all their hard work in making this year very successful.
staff team Michele Collie General Manager Stephen Fiddes Advice & Administration Co-ordinator Stevie Kearney Student Development & Volunteering Co-ordinator Gregor Mailer Design & Marketing Co-ordinator Zoe Gove Graphic Designer Theresa Schwarz Climate Change Manager Rebecca Dunn Climate Change Engagement Co-ordinator Jo Taylor Receptionist Stevie Harcus Administrator Debbie Booth PA / Admin Nancy Taylor Finance Co-ordinator Norma Polson Deeview Student Store Supervisor Lynne Fraser Deeview Student Store Supervisor
big
wins 2015/16
live right campaign
housing fair awarded
X RECORD breaking
student election
ÂŁ149,958 voter environmental grant
turnout
award winning
taxi
safe taxi scheme campaign of the year, nus scotland awards the
new international representative program
purple wednesdays brand new weekly sports club video news & results update
big one
#
micro wave gate
agm 369 doubled attendance
class reps appointed
connected
@
fitness sessions
empowering
women
campaign
successfully campaigned for extended on campus microwave availability
launched a new distance learners’ monthly email newsleter
boat race
winners
for the fifth year in a row over
sixty thousand
pounds raised for local & national charities
yourvoice annual general meeting 2016 Our Annual General Meeting took place in February, and saw us double the attendance of our 2015 event, with over one hundred and sixty students coming together in the University’s Sir Ian Wood Building for a series of discussions, active debates, and voting of union policy, activities and projects. Motions included ‘Moving the academic calendar to have exams before Christmas’, which was submitted by three different sets of students and passed with a majority, ‘bring back the student union bar’, and ‘study skills support for third year direct entrants’. The meeting was extremely successful, and saw our members take part in lively, passionate and engaged debates based around current student affairs. The outcomes of these discussions and votes will play a vital role in helping the Union to move forward with a clear democratic student-led mandate.
student partnership agreement RGU:Union has continued it’s strong partnership relationship with the University through our student partnership agreement, which focuses on ‘RGU identity’. This enhancement theme aims to explore the aspects which make ‘a proud RGU student’, to be focused on areas including the campus, school identity, diversity of the student body, and the wider community. Students and staff throughout the University have worked together to make significant improvements to the campus as a result of student feedback, including significant developing plans for the social space located outside the RGU:Union offices, including a new Deeview Student Store and bookable meeting space for student groups. Furthermore, enhancements have been made to improve the experiences of distance learning students, and also to increase awareness of available study spaces across the campus. One of our key aims has been to improve the awareness of the agreement itself, with newly developed identity, website content, and video messages introduced to make ‘partnership at RGU’ the face of representation and enhancement. An ‘Achieved in Partnership’ campaign was launched to raise awareness of improvements being made, replacing the existing ‘You Said We Did’ materials. This partnership has been embraced at all levels, meaning that students are at the heart of all developments being made at the University. Going forward, RGU:Union will work to make sure that ‘partnership working’ is the approach taken at every level, for every decision, to help students shape a student experience they can be proud of.
achieved in partnership gray’s opening hours As a result of student feedback, the University reviewed it’s proposals to change the opening hours of Gray’s School of Art, and kept the building open on Saturdays and Sundays.
vending machines Student feedback led to the installation of a range of new vending machines in the Sir Ian Wood Building.
microwave availability After significant student feedback, RGU:Union was able to extend the provision of microwaves, allowing them to operate all day during peak times.
1a bus service We worked closely with First Aberdeen to improve bus services, including the introduction of the ‘1A’, improved frequency, and new double deckers to increase capacity and experience.
‘connected’ newsletter A new distance learning specific email newsletter was created, ‘Connected’, to improve engagement with these students and provide relevant communication.
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yourvoice
student 12652 2243 election winners 2016
student elections 2016 This year’s Student Elections saw us place a specific focus on candidate recruitment by encouraging buy-in from University staff and targeting promotion to individual faculties and departments. These combined efforts saw candidate numbers increase by 57%, which in turn resulted in a turnout of 2,243, setting a new RGU record for individual voters.
edward pollock president (communication & Democracy)
kerry harrison
president (education & welfare)
number of individual voters
22
29%
number of candidates running across all full time and part time positions
voter turnout percentage increase from 2015 student election
katherine corbett president (sport & physical activity)
The Elections section of the Union website was developed further, with an effort made to ensure that information was easily accessible to all students, specifically role descriptors and candidate recruitment information. Individual candidate profiles were again created on the Union website, and we continued to record and promote manifesto videos for each candidate. Additional PR staff members were recruited, which enabled much greater exposure across the campus, and allowed us to run with multiple teams in different locations at peak times. All candidates were also provided with Union-designed election t-shirts, which helped to make them more recognisable across the campus, and we again added to our existing stock of promotional materials, which allowed us to feature election branding prominently throughout more areas of the campus.
Total number of votes cast in this year’s election
voter sex
dana khairi vice president (international)
joshua okpara vice president (societies)
lodovica avidano vice president (entertainment & events)
2243
1920 1680
1616 1335
1505
1734
1413
voter faculty
new rgu record!
nnenna agbasonu raising & giving chair
desmond ojei vice president (sport)
frederick ferife vice president (student affairs)
voter year of study
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
student election turnout figures since 2009
2015
2016
marty mcgouran vice president (community)
nneoma okpara vice president (wellbeing & equal opportunities)
youropportunities societies
student media
During 2015/16, 42 active societies were affiliated with the Union, almost double the number we had just two years ago. Many of our new societies saw great success in their infancy, such as the Computing Society, which attracted over 40 members, and the Jewish Society, who were awarded our Best New Society accolade at the Student Achievement Awards Ball.
This year, we have seen further growth in our student media groups, with record breaking engagement numbers from all three outlets. RGU:Radio has had another highly successful year, with a diverse profile of shows established, including rock, alternative, feminism and hip hop, with regular new music updates, and even the odd celebrity interview! The radio team also continued to host live music events, raising money for charity in the process.
Four of our societies topped the 100-member mark, with another two reaching 96 and 97 members. There were many successful events throughout the year, with the Midwifery Society hosting a national International Day of the Midwife Conference, which attracted attendees and speakers from across the UK. The Allied Health Sciences Society put on two hugely popular balls for their members, which were quickly established as the ‘must-attend’ events of the year for students in the Faculty of Health and Social Care. The charity fundraising events organised by our societies proved yet again that our students are keen to use their time and energy to help some extremely worthwhile causes, including Dumbledore’s Army, who hosted a Harry Potterthemed murder-mystery evening. The event attracted huge interest from people all across the city and helped them raise almost £600 for the Lumos charity.
sports clubs This year has seen much success for a number of our sports clubs, including Mens Basketball, who not only won their league and gained promotion, but also reached the semi-final of the league cup. Mens Football also gained promotion this year by winning their league, as well as making the final of the Conference Cup, achievements which saw them named Team of the Year at this year’s Blues Ball. There were also league wins for Badminton, Swimming and Womens Gaelic Football, while Hurling and Camogie won their respective British Championships. Our Rowing team once again tasted victory at the Aberdeen Universities Boat Race, triumphing for the fifth year in a row by comfortably beating rivals Aberdeen University.
Radar Magazine released two editions this year, for Freshers 2015 and Summer 2016, both packed full of articles written by students and giving an insight into student life. The team have also worked hard to develop an online platform, which is due to be launched over the summer, allowing more articles to be produced and published online. RGU:TV has also seen significant growth, producing a record number of videos in one academic year. Key projects include the ‘Stay Safe’ campaign, which saw TV volunteers work with the Weekend Partnership and Police Scotland to produce a series of safety videos at Christmas time, which were used nationally. Furthermore, the launch of Purple Wednesdays, a weekly sports update show, has reached out to a huge number of students, with each video achieving thousands of views.
3500
34230 20509 minutes listened to rgu:radio podcasts
total views of rgu:tv videos
editions of radar magazine printed
1554
42
number of society members
total number of societies
youropportunities volunteering The past year has seen another big step forward for our volunteering department, with increases in both our RGUbased volunteering and with our links to external charities and community groups. A record number of volunteering hours were posted in 2015/16, with three students passing the 1,000 hours mark - a truly incredible effort. The RGU record for volunteering hours in one academic year was broken by RAG Chair, Marty McGouran, who logged over 1400 hours in total. Internally, the Union provides opportunities to our student officers, student reps, RAG volunteers, Nightline volunteers, student media and a whole host of other roles, which all combine to add a great deal to overall student experience for those attending RGU. Externally, we continue to link-up with local and national organisations and RGU students make a huge contribution to the community through their volunteering efforts. Whether through one-off events like Color Me Rad or The Kiltwalk, or through regular volunteering with partners such as Inspire, Cornerstone, Cash for Kids or Barnardo’s, there are roles and events for everybody to help make a real difference. The total number of volunteering hours logged was 17,000, which is an increase of over 5,000 on the previous year, and shows how the Union’s Volunteering department is able to support students in their extra-curricular work and career advancement.
17000
130
hours logged by registered volunteers during 2015/16
total number of registered volunteers
raising and giving 2015/16 saw our Raising And Giving team take part in a large number high profile fundraising events across the campus and throughout the city, gaining local and national media attention in the process. Almost £66,000 was collected during the academic year, setting a new RAG record in the process. This figure included a group fundraising total of £5040 raised during Momember, which was recognised by the Momember Foundation as being the highest fundraising total achieved by a University team in the country. Once again support and guidance was provided by RAG to volunteers taking part in individual fundraising efforts, societies hosting group charity events, and a number of RGU students taking part in international challenge events, helping to raise tens of thousands of pounds for Childreach International and First Aid Africa among others.
2015/16 fundraising total
£65,978 £51918
£14060
total raised through challenge events
total raised through on campus initiatives
yourwellbeing student advice service This year saw a number of additional services introduced to improve and expand the core Advice & Support service: • Daily drop-in sessions were offered at Kaim Cottage to allocate students a time period in which they were guaranteed to be able to speak with the Student Advice Coordinator, and to allow a greater degree of privacy for these meetings • A link-up was made with the TLC Foodbank to offer students facing a food emergency a food parcel through the Union. This partnership also led to 2 students getting the opportunity to volunteer packing food parcels at TLC’s store • Preparations for a Freshers Welfare Team to operate as part of the main Freshers Team in September 2016, offering a first point-of-contact for freshers experiencing welfare issues, have been put in place, with volunteers recruited and training arranged (not sure whether to include. Can be scrapped if there is no space) The non-commercial section of the Freshers Fayre, featuring medical and dental practices, University departments, charities and external support services, was a big success, with 63 organisations attending.
“very caring and there for students when they need it” “approachable and easy to talk to” “very helpful and sympathetic to my complaint” - student feedback
340
100%
number of students advised during 2015/16
students advised who found the service “very helpful”
72%
49%
23%
interactions relating to academic issues
students advised who were international
interactions relating to student misconduct
rgu:nightline Nightline continued its valuable work throughout the academic year, offering a confidential through-the-night listening service to students at RGU across a number of different platforms, including email, online messenger and directly over the phone. The team host recruitment and training events each semester, which help to ensure that their listeners are fully equipped to deal with any situation to the best of their abilities. This year the Union was able to support Nightline further through the purchase of branded keyrings, which were distributed to all new move-ins at halls of residence. This ensures that students are aware of the service, which is seeing a steady increase in the number of calls each semester.
yourwellbeing safe taxi scheme One of our newest initatives, the Safe Taxi Scheme was launched in September 2016, just in time for Freshers Week and the arrival of our latest intake of students.
100
18
approximate number of students attending therapet sessions
number of dogs used across all therapet sessions
Working in partnership with local taxi firm Rainbow City Taxis and Aberdeen University Students’ Association (AUSA), the scheme aims to ensure that students in the city can always find a safe way home if they are feeling particularly vulnerable, or do not have access to money at the time. It allows the individual to use their matriculation card as payment, with the balance being repaid to their respective Union when they retrieve their card.
therapets
Upon its launch in semester one, the scheme gained national press coverage, and played a vital role in the City of Aberdeen receiving the ‘Purple Flag’, an accreditation awarded to cities deemed to have a safe night-time economy.
In partnership with our Mental Wellbeing Society and Canine Concern Trust Scotland, we hosted three Therapets sessions during the 2015/16 session.
The Union was also recognised for the campaign at the 2016 NUS Scotland Awards, where it was named Campaign of the Year.
Taking place during peak coursework and revision times, when student stress levels are at their highest, the campaign saw us transform the Union’s main office into a ‘dog-petting’ centre, where students were invited to share 15 minute sessions with a number of specially trained Therapet dogs.
number of students who made use of the safe taxi scheme in 2015/16
We saw a phenomenal response, with spaces booking up incredibly quickly, and positive feedback from all attendees.
26 campaign of the year
Suggested donations were accepted during each session, with all money raised going to the Canine Concern Trust Scotland, ensuring that more dogs receive the training they need to become Therapets.
yourcommunity graduation ball
volunteering fair
Following on from the success of our 2015 Graduation Ball, which saw us expand the event across Friday and Saturday nights to meet demand, we continued this format into 2016.
In late February, we hosted our first-ever dedicated Volunteering Fair, and were inundated with applications from local charities and community groups. The event took place in the Union’s social space, and saw 42 organisations attend to promote their services. Student numbers on the day were good, and feedback received from those attending scored the event an average of 4/5, which we will hope to build on next year.
Once again we saw huge demand for tickets, with full tables selling out within two hours. The events saw over 850 students joining us to celebrate across both nights, and also raised £1000 for charity in the process.
student achievement awards ball With over 130 students in attendance, this year’s Student Achievement Awards Ball once again gave the Union an opportunity to recognise the outstanding extra-curricular work of our students. Hosted at The Marriott Hotel in Dyce, over 60 awards were presented on the night, including two of the prestigious Full Scarlets, which represents our top award and is reserved for outstanding students.
861
14
Number of graduation ball attendees
societies and student group winners at the student achievement awards ball
star awards Previously known as the ‘I Love My Lecturer Awards’, our newly rebranded ‘STAR Awards’ took place towards the end of semester two and saw a number of lecturers, supervisors, tutors, and support staff recognised for their commitment and dedication to the student experience at RGU.The annual ceremony was held this year in Aberdeen Business School, with many staff members attending to collect awards and certificates, presented by their students.
one rgu, many nations Our ‘One RGU, Many Nations’ proudly celebrates international diversity and culture at Robert Gordon University. It is a chance to showcase the incredible range of nationalities studying at RGU, and provides a platform to share their cultural traditions with the wider student community. The annual Culture Showcase and Exhibition saw students and staff come together to display their culture with music, clothing, games, dancing and singing.
yourcommunity live right The Live Right Campaign was launched in early 2016. Its main aim is to support students in finding safe, affordable accommodation while living and studying in Aberdeen. Each year, thousands of students move from living at home, to student accommodation, to private accommodation and have to make huge decisions about flats, contracts, suppliers, and more. It is important that students have a clear place to go to get the information and opportunities they need to find a safe place to stay. As part of the campaign, a number of projects have been launched which seek to respond to different areas of student feedback and needs. The first Live Right Housing Fair took place in March, and saw a number of student and private accommodation agents invited to exhibit their services and properties on campus. The fair was well received by exhibitors and students alike, and will be repeated in 2017.
deeview development The last year has seen a number of improvements to the space outside the RGU:Union offices, with investment for new sofas and furniture helping to create a vibrant social space at the heart of campus. These changes have been delivered in partnership between RGU:Union and the University, with feedback from students representatives shaping the decisions. In Summer 2015, the Union developed this social space further to include astroturf, music, and a brand new street food outlet. The area has become a key space on campus, with a number of events taking place during term-time. The lower level of the RGU:SPORT building, outside the current Union offices, is set to undergo further development during Summer 2016, which will see the relocation of our Deeview Student Store, moving from its current location in the Sir Ian Wood Building, alongside a new bookable meeting space which can be used by clubs, societies and student groups. Edward Pollock, President (Communication & Democracy) said “This investment from the university into the RGU:Union space really is an exciting new project. The brand new shop will continue to serve the needs of students and staff, and it’s very pleasing to be able to say that the space has been designed in partnership between students and staff. I am particularly excited about the new meeting space, which will be a highly valuable resource for societies, sports clubs and the Union’s other student groups. I hope that this constantly evolving RGU:Union space will be a fun, welcoming, interactive area that will help build to a great student experience.”
Further projects currently in development include a leasing agent rating system operating through the Union website, and a number of documents and guides aimed at advising students looking for private accommodation.
give it a go week Give It A Go Week returned at the beginning of the first semester, and provided new and existing students with another opportunity to familiarise themselves with the large number of societies, sports clubs, and student groups made available through the Union. Free taster sessions, introductory activities and meetings were all on offer throughout the week, with many students taking part.
christmas craft fair We launched the first RGU Christmas Craft Fair in December, which allowed us to reach out and engage with small and independently owned businesses who may not usually be able to afford advertising packages during Freshers or other peak times. A number of local exhibitors showcased hand-made craft work, all of which were available to purchase by both staff and students.
yourfuture society awards
Academic Society of the Year Diagnotic Radiography (D-Radz) New Society of the Year Jewish Society (Jsoc) Most Improved Society Photography Society Most Improved Academic Society Business Society Special Recognition Award RGU:RAG and RGU Nightline Volunteering Project of the Year RGU:TV Stay Safe Community Ambassador Award Dumbledore’s Army Student Leadership Award IHI Patient Safety Chapter Student Engagement Award ESN RGU Student Voice Award LGBT+ Society Media Group of the Year RGU:Radio Society Person of the Year Amy McNellis
blue awards
Full Scarlet Award Marty McGouran Amy McNellis
Full Blue Award Taryn Neilson Marcus Morton Lewis Clow Katie McBrierty Fraser Ramseyer Craig Falconer Holly Steiger Stuart Innes Caorann Fosbrooke Joseph Miley Rachel Masson Chloe Hannant Aisling Byrne
Half Scarlet Award with Distinction Rebecca Lloyd Lewis Eden Tom Sadler Half Scarlet Award with Continued Excellence Charlotte Rigden Ellen Laird Hilary Scott Joanna MacQueen Kerry Harrison Louis Currie
Society of the Year Language Society Award for Continued Excellence and Consistency Gaming Society
scarlet awards
sports club awards Most Improved Club of the Year Volleyball Best New Club/Team of the Year Womens Rugby Fresher of the Year Stu Innes Team of the Year Football Club of the Year Snowsports Sports Person of the Year Lewis Mcue Presidents Performance of the Year Purple Wednesdays
volunteering awards Volunteer of the Year Marty McGouran Volunteer of the Year (Sport) Steve Martin
Half Scarlet Award Amy Duncan Bethan Coady Emma Diamond Gemma Loudon Karen Mitchell Karl Johnson Lodovica Avidano Lucy Moffat Steven Hair Recognition Award Amy Gregor Andreea Gabriela Alexa Andrew Coulter Annaelle Harris Arham Aziz Bolun Tang Charlotte Blair Chris Burnett Christopher Cowie Craig Stewart Dale Sutherland Duncan Bell Edith Dinkpa Hristina Dimitrova Jemma Tansley Laura-Anne Riach Lydia Man Rory Wemyss Ryan O’Grady Sarah-Jane Reilly Sarah Nwinee Sophie Dolderer Alumni Recognition Award Greg Hanson Gordon Crabb
Half Blue Award Callum Klaassen Charlie Watson Olivia Jackson Gillian Molloy Rona Stewart Graham Black Ellen Robertson Hannah Cameron Iain McEwan Kathrine Thomson Graham Smith Robert Byrce Recognition Award Donald Clark Aimilia-Aikaterini Leontara Holly Reid Rebecca Tasker Billy Morgan Connor Murray Isla Mackenzie Courtney Valentine Kirsten Wilson Katie Lang Lara Senhen Eilidh Paterson Alexander McMahon Slimane Kerrouchi Paddy Jenkins David Johnston Jack Cassie Emily Geddes Graham Smith
yourfuture union finance Income and Expenditure The total income generated for the fiscal year 2015/16 was £499k, £18k higher than budgeted for. Apart from the block grant received from the University, the Union generated further revenue from external sources. It is planned that a portion of this year’s surplus will be invested in additional projects for the year 2016/17. Any further surplus will be set aside as a proportionate reserve amount to ensure financial stability of the Union. The Union’s total expenditure for the period 2015/16 was £479k, approximately two thousand less than the budget. The main objective throughout the year was to conservatively keep the costs low where applicable while maintaining a high standard of service. Trading Division A respectable surplus of approximately £8k was realised by our Deeview Student Store through providing affordable yet high quality merchandise to our students and colleagues. This additional surplus is a positive outcome compared to the breakeven budget figure for the year. The Deeview Store is relocating in September 2016 to a new home located across from the Union office. Sports Clubs With the integration of RGU Sport Clubs to the Union fully operational this year, it has generated a total income of £244k with a total expenditure of £211k. An approximate surplus of £32k is forecast and will be used to fund projects to develop and enhance the sport clubs. Summary Overall, the Union is forecasted to inject £31k of the surplus to our reserves from the year 2015/16. We aim to use these available funds to support more proactive projects in achieving the wellness of our students and supporting the Students’ Union goals and visions within our strategic aims. The figures used in this report were based on the forecast due to early publication requisite.
go green This year saw the Union’s Go Green team aim to help the student community at RGU improve their waste and recycling performance, and also promote the sustainable consumption of water. A specific focus was placed on those living in student halls and throughout the local community. These projects were launched primarily in order to improve the recycling provisions within the University community, and to combat an extremely high level of bottled water consumption on campus. In order to improve recycling performance and awareness, Go Green provivided a number of training opportunities for students throughout the year. The Union aimed to provide students who participated in these initiatives with extensive transferable skills in the areas of resource efficiency, student engagement and sustainability. ‘RGU Go Green’ branded materials, such as recycled water bottles and coffee cups, were distributed during Freshers Week and throughout the year, in order to encourage the use of on-campus water fountains instead of purchasing bottled water. A smart water fountain was installed within the Union’s social space on campus, which alone has saved an estimated 9300 bottles of water during the 2015/16 academic year, resulting in over 70,000kg of CO2 savings through bottled water reductions.
£149,958 grant awarded for go green activities