This year’s candidates for Welfare and Sustainability are Charlie Thomas, Daisy Watson-Rumbold, Jo Campling, Mads Ruse, and Pheebs Cookson (who we didn’t hear from – Sorry, Pheebs!) Get to know them a little more below.
Be sure to check online for candidates’ full manifestoes, and keep an eye out for further coverage on other officer positions. Voting starts Monday 13th at 10am and closes Thursday 16th, and we’ll bring you the results on Friday night!
Firstly, what should we know about you? Is there anything you’re proud of, any experience you’ve had, or skills that might help you in this position?
Charlie Thomas: “I was involved in the rent strike, which won back millions of pounds for students. I was also involved in supporting the courier strike that happened in Sheffield, that was a seven-month long courier strike – the longest gig economy strike ever, which won paid waiting times for couriers and spaces for them to wait inside in several places. That’s probably my proudest achievement.
“I’m also the Northeast organiser for the National Union of Students, where I’ve been doing some transport campaigning and linking up with many different Student Unions.
“I’m the former President of Sheffield Solidarity Group, which was a society that formed out of COVID. We built one of the strongest campaigning groups on campus – that is something I’m very proud of. I was also the coordinator for the ‘Not only Dungeons and Dragons’ Society.”
Daisy Watson-Rumbold: “Right now, I’m Ethical and Environmental Councillor in the SU Council, so I help students to express their views on environmentalism, anything to do with academic ethics, extension deadlines and stuff, which has been a really interesting opportunity.
“Before coming to university, I was chair of the West Sussex Youth Cabinet, and I was also one of the Chairs for the UK Youth Parliament. I basically helped run national campaigns on stopping domestic violence during Covid, technology support during Covid, mental health campaigns, and I also helped organise one of the biggest beach cleans in the country in youth history – which are all massive achievements I’m extremely proud of, which I hope to bring to this job, and apply the skills I picked up from those experiences.”
Jo Campling: “I’m really proud that I’m studying a course that is heavily dominated by men, especially men that went to prestigious private and grammar schools. I also have dyslexia so I’m quite proud that I’ve succeeded on a pretty challenging course (Civil Engineering) and got this far on it.
“I’m currently the Chair of the Sustainability Committee which is the working committee that links the student body in the Sustainability and Social Justice Society to the wider University. I sit on a lot of their meetings to help the society run events and stuff.
“I’m the only student part of the Welfare Steering group. My role has allowed me to work with both staff and students.”
Mads: “I have always been passionate about sustainable living, and interested in WWF for ages, since I was younger. It has always been the charity and fundraising and more ‘fun’ side of things. But now I’m more educated about sustainability issues, I know what I’m talking about. I have also worked as a mentor and counsellor for students across uni. I feel like I’m at a crossroads and this would lead me down the right path even after the role.”
Elaborate on your manifesto.
Charlie: “It’s split into two, there’s the [Solidarity] Slate pledges because I’m running with a group of candidates as an organised force to transform the SU. The first one is Rent Strike: Fight the cost of living – I’ve done a rent strike before, I’ll do it again. I think rent strike is the only way to fix the mass rise in rent prices, no negotiation is going to fix that without money on the table.
“Fight Border and Racism. That would include local anti-racist and anti-fascist committee – that’s something that came out of the NUS antisemitism report, that there needed to be one on the national scale. I think we should have one on the local scale as well.
“Part of that is also addressing attack on international students’ freedom of speech – the University recently made it clear that not crossing a picket line wasn’t a reason to not go to a lecture, and students would be penalised for it. For home students it’s just a reduction in your percentage attendance, but given international students’ attendance is linked to their visa, they could get penalised for it and could risk getting kicked out of the UK, which I think is mad.
“Re-democratise the SU. It means general meetings, it means that the SU isn’t just run by the officer team, it’s run by the students themselves, and that requires democratisation. The key is to politicise and democratise the SU.
“My two personal policies: First is sustainability, we need to hit the university hard for investing its money in HSBC. HSBC is one of the world’s biggest financers of fossil fuels – I think the SU should be louder in fighting back against that.
“The second is workers’ rights. The SU should be a centre of worker organising because students are in largely un-unionised places, like bar work. I think that these places definitely need union representation.”
Daisy: “I’ve got four main areas I’m focusing on policy-wise: housing and renting rights, financial aid, student safety, and productive sustainability.
“I think the main thing for me at the moment is housing, how to get more financial aid through bursaries and maintenance loans for students, specifically means testing, getting a campaign to review the means testing process for maintenance loans so that middle income students during Cost of Living are getting enough support. Creating a housing hub is something I’m really passionate about, so trying to get a specific building or area of the SU dedicated to ensuring that students aren’t feeling too much pressure over housing.
“Also, generally ensuring our SU is more sustainable. I’m hoping to get more food growth on campus which is something I’ve already put through the SU Council, and if I was elected I would take lead on that in a much bigger role and try and get more food growth on campus that can be circulated back into SU outlets to reduce costs, and create a programme of internships. My manifesto is basically giving students opportunities to be more sustainable, to have better welfare, and to enjoy their uni life a lot more.
“I’ve worked quite closely with Sam [Timpson, current Welfare and Sustainability Officer] being ethics and environmental councillor. Generally, a lot of his cost of living stuff I really want to carry on, I think a lot of it is really structured, it’s proven to work for students – so, cheap deals throughout the SU, lobbying the University. A lot of conversations being had with the University about bursary funds, increasing bursary funds is something I really wanna work on.
“I would like to try and have more of a sustainability spin on our push against cost of living. I want a sustainable cost of living campaign to ensure students can live affordably while being environmentally friendly.”
Jo: “Make mental health service more accessible. Having services in multiple languages, many students who struggle with their mental health don’t have English as their first language. They’re international students who struggle with accessing these services, it’s already difficult enough for them to communicate to seek of this kind of help.
“Campaign for maintenance loans to increase in line with inflation. Maintenance loans are increasing by 2.8 % next year. Inflation has increased by 11%. I know all too well how significant the maintenance loans impact are affecting student mental health. Although this campaign is ongoing, it needs more momentum.
“Removing the charge for alternative milk – apart from the SU, other outlets within our university charge students an extra 20p for coconut or oat milk. Lots of students drink these alternatives as a more sustainable choice, but the extra charge is putting students off. It’s backwards to charge in an institution that claims they care about sustainability.
“Cross departmental green careers fairs. Engineers Without Borders had a green career fair, which was very popular. I think more departments should have green career fair options. We owe it to students to have the option to choose companies that are green and environmentally conscious.
“Disclose all university sustainability information. This is about transparency. Through the steering group, the university is currently trying to map out the emissions rate.
“Emissions, as far as they know, within the university has increased over the last few years and are nowhere near the targets. They’re still talking about disposable cups and turning machines off at night. Just making students aware as to what is going on, so they’re more knowledgeable to create gradual change.”
Mads: “I think obviously welfare and sustainability go together really well as a pair, in terms of improving people’s quality of living and also dealing with the cost of living. Reducing the feeling of panic crisis which we can do by increasing access to welfare services. It has to be open and available.
“I want to make the swap shop online for people who love for second hand but is also accessible to people who don’t go through the SU every day, even just people in halls. 92% of students said their cost of living has increased. 58% said the student loan doesn’t cover their cost of living. 78% said it directly affects how well they are doing.
“Striking a balance in life between fun and getting things done. You don’t have to be a vegan who only ever shops on slow fashion sites, it’s about the little things we can all do along the way.”
Why do you fit the role, and why should people vote for you?
Charlie: “Power to the students, workers’ rights, solidarity. Vote solidarity on Monday to Thursday this week!”
Daisy: “My campaign is aiming to empower students to have an environment where there welfare is good enough to make the decision to tackle climate change in the way they want to, and it’s coming from a place of having experienced a system that wasn’t there when I needed it. I want to ensure students have the opportunity they deserve to have an enjoyable, free, and opportune time at university, and my ideas could really help ensure that students from all backgrounds have the chance to interact with every part of the university without being concerned over money, or rent, or welfare, and being worried they won’t get that support. I feel I can help cover that.
Jo: “I fit the role because I’m outgoing, I don’t take things too seriously so I think I can engage well with students, I am aware of what students want, where they’re engaged and where they’re not engaged through my experience in a big range of societies within the SU. I really am quite passionate about the SU and the change it can make.
“People should vote for me because I’m engaged, I know what I’m gonna do and I have the experience to execute it. I want to create a more fair, more affordable, and sustainable university for all.”
Mads: “I have always loved sustainable living and been passionate about climate change, and in terms of welfare, it is embedded in my personality that I’m suited for that. Being caring and providing advice – you put those together, and it’s pretty perfect.”