Candidates for Society & Citizenship and Welfare Zone Elections

Reece Pope, Students Union at Bournemouth University Standing for: Welfare Committee Place, Welfare NEC Place Nominated By: Lloyd Harris, Swansea SU Natalie Jordan, Keele SU Nicola Ward, Canterbury Christchurch SU Lauren Blundel, Edge Hill SU George Cole, Roehampton SU

Ayo Akinrele, Liverpool Hope Standing for: Welfare Committee Place Nominated By: Aisling Davis, Liverpool Students’ Union Nicola Ward, Christ Church Students’ Union Jeremiah Anson, Nottingham Trent

Matt Humberson, University of Bath Students’ Union Rosanna Inman, Swansea University Lloyd Harris, Swansea University Students’ Union Obinna Abraham, University of Sunderland Students’ Union

Hello my name is Ayo and I am the Vice President Welfare and Community at Liverpool Hope University. I'm from Hackney, North east London, so yes I have see a lot of negatives growing up and it makes me proud of where I have got to so far. As someone who has never truly felt at home in education, at any level!, I'm really appreciative of the opportunities that NUS have given to students like me to get involved in campaigns and feel included.

Hello everyone. I am running because, why not? There are many reasons why not, such as, I'm not part of any slate or machine, which can be a disadvantage. BUT, I want to represent students who are also in this position - because student politics should be inclusive and not EXclusive.

A vote for me is a vote for all of us, representing students to improve student experience.

Munya Mudarikiri, University of Surrey Standing for: Welfare Committee, Welfare NEC Place Nominated by: Olivia Adekunle, University of West London Jordan Stephen, Manchester Metropolitan University Mustapha Smith, Surrey University

Laura Ho, Bristol University

Millie Tanner, Durham Students Union Ali Milani, Brunel University I am from the university of Surrey students union. I am a Black disabled male student from a muslim family and a low socioeconomic background. I made it to university. I graduated and was elected as a Sabb at my union 2 years in row, against all of the odds I have done something with my life. However I did not make it on my own, I had help. I had help from a welfare state that is now under remorseless attack from a government riddled with MP's who have the inability to empathise with my plight as they make decisions whilst eating with silver spoons. We have now reached a point where someone like me who is more likely to end up in prison that at a graduation is losing the things that have the ability to change their lives. I will engage with and combat the prevent agenda and the continued racial profiling legitimised by the current government, campaign on the cost of living and push to increase the funding available to students so that it meets the money they are spending to survive.

Harriet Pugh, University of Manchester Students’ Union Standing for: Welfare Committee Place Nominated By: Lucy Hallam, University of Manchester Students’ Union Charlotte Butler, Canterbury College SU Andreas Patsalos, University of East London SU M Smith, University of Surrey SU Carolina Mantzalos, Queen Mary SU

Izzy Lenga, University of Birmingham Guild of Students Standing for: Society & Citizenship Committee Place Nominated By: Nina Mehmi, Kent SU Matt Grange, UWLSU Jordan Kenny, Bath SU Jack Mably, Birmingham Guild Brianna Middleton, Royal Holloway SU

Thomas Hope, Staffordshire University Students Union Standing for: Society & Citizenship Zone Committee Nominated by: Peggy Lim, Sheffield Students’ Union Carolina Mantzalos, Queen Mary Students’ Union Joel Smith, University of Manchester Students Union Alexander Ferguson, University of Liverpool Student Guild Sarah Gillborn, Leeds Beckett Students' Union Michael McGougan, Huddlesfield University Students' Union Craig Heath, Keele University Students' Union Hi, I'm Tom Hope and in my second year as a Vice-President of Staffordshire University Students' Union. I plan to work closely with Piers on sustainability going forward and currently sit on the Direction & Oversight Board for Sustainability at NUS. Together we can all make a difference on matters that affect us all!

I could write a thousand words about what I would change about NUS, be it the accountability structure, NUS NEC or how we work together going forward opposed to in faction fighting. But my personal views don't matter, I'm a representative that will take forward the views of others. The same can be said for zones. Holding officers

to account is something that we as representatives all worry about, however it's a process that can also be a

positive. We help shape campaigns by offering new insight via our own experiences at our own institutions by working as a student movement.

Sarah Gillborn, Leeds Beckett Students’ Union Standing for: Welfare Committee Place Nominated By:

Peggy Lim

Sheffield Students' Union

Tom Hope

Staffordshire Students' Union

Shelly Asquith

National Union of Students

Josie Linsel

University of Central Lancashire Students' Union

Naa Acquah

University of Manchester Students' Union

Freya Govus

Leeds University Union

Cameron Giles

Northumbria Students' Union

I am Sarah Gillborn and I am the Vice President (Welfare) at Leeds Beckett Students' Union. At my Students' Union, my main objectives are around combatting lad culture, giving consent workshops to large numbers of students and staff, raising awareness of mental health and how to support friends or family who are suffering, empowering students to know their rights when it comes to housing, and encouraging letting fees to reduce or, even better, abolish letting fees in Leeds. Welfare is at the heart of everyone’s university experience, especially during a time in many people’s lives when often many of us are away from home for the first time, and where we really begin to find who we are.

Tackling the government’s Prevent agenda is a priority for me when it comes to welfare; students are being spied on and accused of ‘radicalisation’ for things we all do, such as voicing an opposition to the government’s latest ideological attack, and it is a clearly Islamophobic approach, singling out Muslim students through racist profiling. This is something that we cannot allow to continue and I will continue to push this within the Welfare zone. (TW rape/sexual assault) Lad culture and misconceptions around consent seem neverending and are seriously impacting lives at university. I think it is important that consent is seen as a welfare issue, and something that should be a priority to be aimed at all students, which is why I believe that the welfare zone should work with the women's campaign on this issue. Though rape and sexual assault disproportionately affect students who present as women, consent is something that needs to be taught to absolutely everyone.

George Cole, Roehampton Students Union Standing for: Welfare Committee Zone Nominated by:

Jack Malby

Birmingham Student Union

Ebbi Ferguson

NUS Wales

Jenna Holmes

Loughborough Students Union

Matthew Grange

University of West London Student Union

Nicola Ward

Canterbury Christchurch Student Union

Reece Pope

Bournemouth Student Union

Alexa Webster, FXU Standing for: Welfare Committee Place, Welfare NEC Place Nominated By:

Jess Rich

University of Essex Students' Union

Ash Holland

Staffordshire University Students' Union

Anna Lee

Lancaster University Students' Union

Jack Mably

Guild of Students, University of Birmingham

Nina Mehmi

Kent Union

Ohai, I’m Alexa FXU President Community and Welfare, resident nerd, and queen of access! While at Falmouth University I was the student who didn’t know where her SU was or what it was, which seems a lifetime ago now! Coming to the end of studying BA(Hons)Photography I heard about the role I am now in and fell in love with it from the words ‘Community and Welfare’. A love of the movement soon followed, and yes – I love this more than I love my comic books! Well, maybe not Wonder Woman, but I’d sell my wheelchair for my students! I stand for disabled students in the fight to keep their education with impending DSA cuts. Being a disabled woman myself, who used this allowance and would not be in the position I am today without it, I bring not sympathy but reality and a passion to fight for our students. I stand for having united sabbatical officers, through collaborating on campaigns, as well as the sharing of

resources and ideas to aid all student unions. This can be as simple as what I did with the FXU #noblurredlines posters which are now available to every SU.

I stand for Sabbatical Officers. We see the best and the worst of what happens to our students, if they are in pain we feel their pain. I wish to promote self-care, and advice dealing with ones own anxiety, depression, chronic illness, etc. To care for our students we must care for ourselves. I stand for my students, your students, our students; they come first in everything I do. The issues facing them such as the housing and mental health crisis’s many of us are facing, will always be at the forefront of what I stand for. I stand for students. Always.

Rachel Williams, KCLSU Standing for: Welfare Committee Place, Welfare NEC Place Nominated By:

Sophia Koumi

KCLSU

Jo Swo

UEA

Yasmin Gasimova

University of Liverpool (Guild)

Amina Lunat

UCL

Laura Ho

Bristol

I am Vice President for Welfare and Community at King's College London Students' Union. My priorities are Liberation campaigns including the It Stops Here campaign to stop sexual harassment on campus, access to education for Disabled students, and improving provision of mental health services for Black students.

I am also continuing a successful affordable accommodation campaign at my university. Get in touch if you are looking to campaign on housing in London! When I first got involved with student politics, there were very few people who looked like me. Issues that were important to the most marginalised students were seen as secondary to "real issues", issues that were in the interest of dominant voices.

I ran to be an Officer to amplify voices often left out of the student movement. I'm running for NEC to do the same.

It's fantastic to see mental health and housing right at the top of the Welfare agenda. However, we need to make sure that all students are receiving the support that they need. For example, Black students are not only more likely to report mental health issues, they are less likely to be satisfied with the support they receive. If elected, I will be holding all NUS Officers to account by pushing for campaigns to be inclusive and intersectional. I want to support your Unions to make sure you have the resources to support the diversity in your student body. I want to make NEC a body that truly represents all students. If you like the sound of that then I'd really appreciate your vote.

Esther Green, Durham Students’ Union Standing for: Welfare Committee Place, Welfare NEC Place Nominated By:

Ollie Rice

Warwick

George Cole

Roehampton

Matt Grange

University of West London

Ayo Akinrele

Liverpool Hope

Rory Murray

Kent

Jack Mably

Birmingham Guild

Caoimhe McNeill

Queens University Belfast

I'm Esther, the Community Officer over at Durham Students' Union. My biggest priorities for the year include strengthening our liberation campaigns, launching a massive mental health campaign and audit of student support services, focusing on alcohol culture and student safety as well as working endlessly on Durham's newly established Sexual Violence Task Force. Durham's a community of 16000 students, and I want to represent not only them but any student nationwide who feels let down by mental health provision, marginalised within their university environment or unable to access higher education in the first place. I believe I'm a strong voice for the work NUS Welfare will undertake over the coming years. With a housing crisis, abolition of maintenance grants and DSA, and a huge increase in the need for mental health provision on our campuses we've never faced greater need for strong support within student communities. I had to abandon my degree last year due to my mental health condition, and will be returning to higher education part-time over the next two years - this will put me in the unique position of being a current student, something which is rarely represented at a higher national level. Through the work I've done with NUS already, I've developed as a leader and want to further this

by leading a passionate debate on mental health provision; spiralling accommodation costs and worsening quality; the toxic Prevent agenda; Lad Culture; and widening access to university to students from all backgrounds. I currently volunteer for and conduct research for many mental health charities, as well as being a National Nightline Association representative and really genuinely feel I'm the approachable, passionate, dedicated voice that we need on our National Union to better the lives of students across the country.

Marco Brunone, London Metropolitan University Students’ Union Standing for: Society and Citizenship Committee Place Nominated By:

Ayo Akinrele

Liverpool Hope Students' Unione

Lloyd Harris

Swansea University

Daniel Nikolla

City and Islington College

Ali Milani

Brunel University Students Union

Thomsa Hope

Stafford University Students Union

Shakira Martin

NUS

Jeroen Van Herk

Edinburgh College

My name is Marco Brunone and I am the vice president of London Metropolitan University Students Union. This is my second term in office and I am honoured to have been graced with the opportunity to stand for the NUS Society and Citizenship Zone committee position. This is my first NUS election and I am looking forward to continuing my work at London Met on a national scale. London Metropolitan University is a unique and diverse institution. The importance an individual's social background, social status and education pathway is manifested in the difficulties our students face on a daily basis. Society has a stake in education, and for this reason the social barriers and social structures that takes away the opportunity for other to enter the education system needs to be adrresed. From primary school al thought an individual's academic carrier. Education is a tool to integrate, not segregate. Society needs to calculate education as an added value and hold into account the voice of the student movement as a result. In London Met against all odds and obstacles, I was able to implement a sustainability program which rewarded us with the NUS Green Impact Bronze award in our first year. With the help of the students movement and the University, London Met was declared as the University with the most carbon emission reduction in the country with a total of 1.5 million pounds of savings in 2015. Sustainability is profitable and it took students from less privileged backgrounds to demonstrate it to the nation.

Jo Swo, University of East Anglia Standing for: Welfare Committee Place Nominated By:

Rachel Williams

KCLSU

Shelley Asquith

NUS

Gabi Binnie

University of Sheffield

Ashley Holland

Staffs University Student Union

Charlie Hindhaugh

University of Warwick

Jessica Rich

Essex University

I am the Welfare, Community and Diversity Officer of

the University of East Anglia. I was elected to represent and fight for the welfare needs of UEA students, from mental health to sexual harassment on campus. I also act as the voice between UEA students and the local community, and fight for fairer housing and better transport. I seek to give a voice to the most underrepresented and oppressed groups in society, via. our extensive number of liberation caucuses, assemblies and forums and never propose a policy that affects them without asking for their input. One of the ways we do things differently at UEA is that instead of having a President, we have a horizontal hierarchy structure. This means lots of team working, compromise, problem solving and understanding the ways in which different portfolios interact. In the last three months I have battled with private companies and mobilised my local community to save our night bus, I have persuaded our University to provide Gender Neutral toilets in all their buildings of study and I am expanding our anti-sexual harassment campaign, Never OK, into the city because I want to change night life culture outside of

campus. Unions aren’t given the encouragement or the means to campaign in these ‘non-traditional’ ways

and I don’t think NUS does this enough either - which is why we have a fantastic lad culture strategy from the NUS Womens’ Officer in London but nothing is being done within NUS’ commercial arm to prevent sexual

harassment, in the Union Bars quality model.

I will use my seat on the Welfare Committee I will make sure NUS implements it’s own policies in house, and give Unions the means to mobilise with their communities to save the Welfare State together.

Ali Milani, Union of Brunel Students Standing For: Society and Citizenship Committee Place

Aysha Al-Fekaiki

LSESU

Hassun El Zafar

Sheffield Hallam Students Union

Aaron Lowman

Union of Brunel Students

Nesaraj Jeys

University of Strathclyde

Muzz Khan Nawaz

Bradford College

My name is Ali Milani and I am the President of Brunel University Students' Union. At Brunel we have been working hard over the past year to fight to ensure we can win on key issues important to students. These include

winning the largest Bursaries increase at the University history and mobilising more students than any other SU

for the maintenance grants. I hope to continue this effort at a national stage. We must never be naive enough to think our work is confined to a single campus or on a single issue. Over the

past year I have been working at Brunel to ensure that we mitigate the impact of the attacks on higher education. Our main work, however, must be nationally; as the attacks and cuts are coming nationally. That is why I am standing, to ensure all students have a fighting chance. Divestment Ethical investment and divestment from Fossil Fuels must take priority. The student movement has always been at the heart of moral and ethical frameworks. We have to continue that tradition. Housing Student housing is on breaking point and we must stop asking and start demanding fair and affordable accommodation. Building coalitions Our work cannot be done alone. We must build coalition with academics, unions and teachers to not work on one front, but on all fronts.

Gabi Binnie, Sheffield Students Union Standing for: Welfare Committee Place

Nominated By:

Jo Swo

University if East Anglia Students' Union

Luke Pilot

Warwick Students' Union

Rizwan Qureshi

Canterbury College

Hassun El Zafar

Sheffield Hallam University Students' Union

Freya Govus

Leeds University Students' Union

Gemma Lomas

Loughborough Students' Union

Jordan Kirkwood

Aston University Students' Union

Hey all, I'm Gabi Binnie, Welfare Officer at

The University of Sheffield Students’ Union. I want a position on Welfare Zone to create a louder national voice for the issues I believe in- issues that I hope you believe in too! These are international student rights, drug harm reduction, fighting for more mental health support and ensuring the rights of students in housing. But most importantly I think we need to be united as the NUS to fight the devastating changes to welfare support that are already happening and will probably get worse. I'm Gabi, Welfare Officer at Sheffield SU. I love my job, even though it makes me angry! Take the fact that Right to Rent will be rolled out around in February. The rights of our International Students are being stamped on, so I feel a position on welfare zone would

be a way for me to fight Right to Rent at a national level. Other issues in housing I'm working on this year: campaigning for students rights, educating students about admin fees (you don't have to pay them!) and investigating the role student unions can play in housing. Mental health and drug policy also deserve a louder national voice. Science-based drug policies and harm reduction are areas where we can make major wins this year- just look at the recent leaked UN document.

I have seen leaps and bounds in de-stigmatisation of mental ill-health in my union since signing the Time to Change pledge, something Welfare Zone could encourage more organisations (HE and FE) to get on board with. I'm a good candidate for Welfare Zone because of my commitment to work with all aspects of NUS to embed welfare issues into the heart of all we do.

Jessica Rich, University of Essex Students Union Standing for: Welfare Committee Place Nominated By:

Jack Mably

Birmingham guild

Lucy Hallam

Manchester students union

Jo Swo

UEA Students Union

Lauren Blundell

Edge Hill

Alexa Webster

FXU

Hi, I'm Jess the VP Welfare and Community at The

University of Essex Students Union. ( And lover of flowery head gear!) I have really enjoyed representing my students but feel it is time for me to get more involved with students on a national level. I would also like to stop the cuts to student support services at universities, after experiencing such great services myself I feel this is something all students deserve. I would love to fight for all students on a national level, especially around the topic of welfare. Many thanks for reading :) I am running for welfare zone because I want to take the opportunity to become involved in shaping the student experience on a national level. There are a number of welfare issues which affect many students from different institutions, I feel that the best way to solve some of these challenges is through national campaigns. A few of the issues I feel we should focus on are: The cuts to mental health support for students- we should make it a priority to gain more resources for services which the government is currently reducing, furthermore a watch your make campaign would be a good way to raise awareness of issues. Cuts to the NHS bursaries- this is something we should be challenging as matter of priority, as an officer of a

union which has students on nhs bursaries I have seen how much they are affected by the cuts. Hidden course costs- these are something which really affects the student experience and is something we

should be stopping our universities from doing. This also includes a campaign against the massive costs of graduation. Thanks for reading this, any questions please ask

Hussam Hussein, UEASU Standing for: Society and Citizenship Committee Place Nominated By:

Daniel Nikolla

City and Islington SU

Shakira Martin

NUS FTO

Hassun El Zafar

Sheffield Hallam

Yusuf Hassan

Goldsmiths SU

Roisin Callager

Leicester SU

I am Italian-Middle Eastern student, currently in

my final year of my PhD in International Development at UEA; I am the Ethnic Minorities Officer at the University of East Anglia SU and the international students rep on the NUS Black Students Committee. I have organised the best Black History Month ever at UEA, and been awarded the Peace and Justice NUS BSC award 2015 for my work on Palestine. I want to make a difference, putting on top of the agenda the fight against discriminations and racisms, structural in our institutions. We need to liberate our curriculum, expand the global citizenship education, and engage with the most marginalised groups of our societies. An intersectional approach to our work is what I stand for. A vote for me, is a vote for an intersectional approach to our activities and work. INTERSECTIONALITY, THE WAY FORWARD.

Jack Mably, Birmingham Guild of Students Standing for: Welfare Committee Place

Nominated By:

Jordan Kirkwood

Aston SU

Nina Mehmi

Kent Union

Reece Pope

Bournemouth SU

Jess Rich

Essex SU

Matt Grange

UWLSU

Jack Mably President, Birmingham Guild of Students Second year officer, formerly vice president Housing & Community Lover of housing and firm believer in unions coming together to smahs the next 4 years of austerity 2015 will see £12 million in cuts to welfare services, cuts to the grants, another round of DSA cuts, an extension of the right to rent across the UK and thousands of medical students being under cut by changes to contracts - and we are barely 6 months in! The welfare zone has a huge role to play in taking a strong stance against these

cuts but has been so plagued by infighting! Locally, in Birmingham, students on my campus live in genuine fear as national action litter campus with their fascist propaganda and students are continuing to be screwed over my manipulative landlords who take advantage of these first time renters. That's why last year as housing and community officer I trained over 1000 students to become housing activists,

campaigned against the xenophobic right to rent and won £10,000 in compensation for students putting up with

poor quality accommodation. This isn't to brag but rather to demonstrate how much a single union can do, if we brought unions together regionally to win on a local level and feed into the national picture. That's why I want to run for Welfare Zone & NEC to drive forward this change.

Jeroen van Herk, Edinburgh College Students' Association Standing for: Society & Citizenship Committee Place, Welfare Committee Place Nominated By:

Ayo Akinrele

Liverpool Hope Students' Association

Obie Opara

London Metropolitan University Students' Union

Daniel Nikolla

City and Islington College

Rosie Inman

Swansea University

Shakira Martin

NUS NEC

Hi my name is Jeroen and I'm the President of Edinburgh College Students' Association and have been an active campaigner for a very long time. I was a Community Campaign Convenor for NUS Scotland and last year I got our SA in the forefront of the Stop Student Poverty Campaign that won over £300.000 in bursary and childcare money for our students. I've also been active in campaigning against racism by tackling local racist groups and political parties (UKIP) as well as been active in lobbying MSP's in Scottish Parliament to stop education becoming inaccessible due to college mergers. Hi, my name is Jeroen and I'm the President of Edinburgh College Students' Association. Both FE and HE have been having a hard time over the years. Tuition fees make that thousands either can't access to education anymore or have to resort in having to take out loans knowing that they will end up with debt. The welfare cuts hitting those most venerable cause a bigger and bigger divide in society and give opportunity to far right groups to give blame to those who are least to blame. This is given even more emphasis by a Tory Government who with their Prevent programme

actively promote Islamophobia in our colleges and universities. On top of this college mergers are soon to take place in England. Being the Student President in the first college that was merged in Scotland, I know what this process has resulted in: a loss of thousands of course places and an education system that doesn't cater for communities. My priorities are Accessibility and Possibility. With campaigning on Accessibility I want to fight to make education available for all. With Possibility I want to ensure that doing a course doesn't mean having to live in poverty.

Oliver Rice, University of Warwick Students' Union Standing for: Society & Citizenship Committee Place Nominated By:

Gabi Binnie

Sheffield Students' Union

Thomas Robinson

UCLU

Ross Strong

University of Birmingham Guild of Students

Alexander Ferguson

University of Liverpool Students' Union

Esther Green

Durham Students' Union

Luke Pilot

Warwick Students' Union

Hi, i'm Olly Rice, Democracy and Development Officer at Warwick SU. I'm passionate about student engagement and care about democracy probably a little bit more than I should (side-effects of being a Politics Student). I'm from Northumberland, did an Erasmus year in Uppsala, Sweden, and if you like my statement, please do vote for me! :) I’m all about student engagement and feel passionate about framing Universities as communities. It is only when we do this that students’ take ownership of the issues to which they can be apart of the solution to, and tear down apathy. My work at Warwick SU has been all about this with my early projects and wins being: Smashing the all-time record turnout for our annual SU Autumn Elections. Winning the creation of a £3,000 Environmental Sustainability Fund, from the University distributed by students.

Creating a Local Guide to Accessible Venues so that our Societies and Clubs can plan social that students’ with disabilities can access. Creating a ‘Rent-Rants’ campaign which will be apart of the NUS National Week of Action on Housing. With this my main focus if elected would be: Building an anticipation campaign leading up to COP21 and a clear strategy of ‘what’s next’. Expand NUS support of SU accessibility audits of local venues so societies can more easily include students’ with access needs in their socials. Supporting more SU’s to stand up and protect University accommodation rents from uniformly rising above the basic Student Finance grant/ loan.

Orla Hillary, Middlesex university students union Standing for: Society & Citizenship Committee Place, Society & Citizenship NEC Place

Nominated By:

Jack Mably

Birmingham

Jenna Holmes

Lougborough

Matt Grange

UWLSU

Amanda Chetwynd-cowieson

FXU

George Cole

Roehampton

My name is Orla Hillary I'm a third year nursing student massively involved in sport. come and chat to me and get to know more about me! My name is orla hillary i'm the deputy president of middlesex university along with the vice president for health education, science and Technology. I am an adult nursing student. Along with that I am a sports sabb playing rugby and basketball. The main reason I am running is because I have just introduced the environmental ethics into the university and have started up the green society wanting to make the university greener. I believe that students have a fundamental role to play in the wider world around them.

Nadine Almanasfi, King's College London Students' Union Standing for: Society & Citizenship Committee Place Nominated By:

Yusuf hassan

GOLDSMIThs University

Rachel Williams

Kings College London

Aaron Lowman

Union of Brunel Students

Hassun El Zafar

Sheffield Hallam Union

Aysha Fekaiki

LSE Union

Kings College Student Union President My name is Nadine, I'm running for society and citizenship committee. My universities motto is 'in the service of society' and ever since I've been elected as president of kings college londons students union I have been determined to make sure that as well as universities being an educational institution supporting its own students, it is doing the same as an institution of influence in the wider society. I've been working on securing scholarships for refugees as well as working with students at fossil free KCL to pressure our university to divest from fossil fuels. Universities are knowledge makers and disseminators and to miss out on this opportunity to influence

wider society would be a tragedy. I'm hoping I can bring this motivation and passion into the national arena.

Samayya Afzal, University of Bradford Union Standing for: Society & Citizenship NEC Place Nominated By:

Katie Capstick

Lancaster

Carolina Mantzalos

Queen Mary

Yusuf Hassan

Goldsmiths

Ali Milani

Brunel

Hossam Hussein

University of East Anglia

Deb Moore

University of Bradford

I am currently the full time Women's & Campaigns officer at the University of Bradford Union of Students, and the current elected NEC place for Society & Citizenship. I'm restanding to represent students as your NEC representative for Society & Citizenship, to support the Zone in one of it's most critical years. With political parties like UKIP gaining popularity, with the climate change question hanging over the heads of a generation, with policing and counter-extremism legislation encroaching the civil liberties of communities up and down Britain, students need to be co-ordinating and building resistance to everything that is wrong with society today. We're also at an important place to be building everything we believe society should be. In my year, I've supported the zone by building links with

organisations like People & Planet, leading a COP21 webinar, visiting and delivering workshops on PREVENT to Student Unions and building links between Soc/Cit and other parts of NUS.

Raj Jeyaraj, University of Strathclyde Students association Standing For: Welfare Committee Place

Nominated By:

Shakira Martin

NUS

Obie Opara

London Metropolitan University

Sofiya Ahmed

Birkbeck university London

Munya Mudarikiri

Surrey university

Amina Lunat

UCLU

Nadine Almanasfi

Kings College London

Sarah Gillborn

Leeds Beckett SU

Hi everyone, I'm Raj Jeyaraj and I'm running for NUS Welfare Zone Committee. I've been in the student movement for a while now, having been elected most recently as VP Diversity at Strathclyde SA after my postgrad study there. Before that I was on the Student Executive Committee at Brighton SU and on the Disabled Students Committee. I've got the experience, the passion, the drive to make the Welfare Zone Committee as dynamic as it can be. Please vote me as your #1 preference! Since coming to the UK in 2011, every year, pieces of policies and legislations get passed that are disablist, racist,

and xenophobic. Every year it seems that it couldn't get any worse. But every year it has. I want to work together with local students unions around my area. To mobilise and work together with our students on national issues, and exchange of ideas on what has worked and what hasn't.

Rizwan Qureshi, Canterbury College Standing For: Society & Citizenship Committee Place

Nominated By:

Amina Lunat

University College London

Mazn Amhamed

Bradford College

Nadine Almanasfi

Kings College London

Ali Milani

Brunel University London

Sofiya Ahmed

Birbeck University of London

James Smith

University of Northumbria

I am the Finance Officer from Canterbury College Students Union. Whilst I am the Finance Officer, I am heavily involved with issues pertaining to Black Students/Welfare/Liberation. I am involved with my colleges equality and diversity committee as well being a founding member of our Islamic society. I am involved with (and regularly travel to) Calais to help with the European Migrant Crisis as I take objection to the demonization of refugees by the media and government. I am standing for Society and Citizenship Zone Committee because I wish to be an integral part of NUS efforts to combat issues which I find important such as dealing with the loosely worded prevent legislation, encouraging and promoting divestment from fossil fuels. I also think it's important that we have more FE representation as our issues are constantly sidelined. For instance colleges are nearly powerless to speak up against prevent because the government essentially dictates how colleges are run due to them falling under the national curriculum. It is at FE level that students first realise they have a voice and the ability to speak out but this voice is being repressed for fear of potential consequences.

Nicola Ward, Christ Church Students' Union Standing for: Society & Citizenship Committee Place Nominated By:

Orla Hillary

Middlesex

Reece Pope

Bournemouth

Munya Mudarikiri

Surrey

Nina Mehmi

Kent

Jack Malby

Birmingham

Tom Robinson, UCLU Standing for: Welfare Committee Place Nominated By:

Michael Spence

Manchester Uni SU

Shelly Asquith

NUS NEC

Summer Oxley

SUARTS

Hessam Hussein

UEA SU

Daniel Nikolla

CandI College

Hello! I'm Tom - the Welfare and International Students' Officer at UCLU. My background is disability, LGBT+ and anticuts activism, and I believe that education should be free and borders should be open. I have recently been involved in a rent campaign at UCL - where a months long rent strike by students secured a £100,000 payout in compensation over poor housing conditions. (Here I am in a photo talking about it on the news!) That's the kind of experience I want to bring to the Welfare Zone - and I want to see NUS running

a serious and uncompromising national housing campaign over rents. In my spare time, I enjoy outdoor swimming, vegetarian cooking, looking at maps and stroking other people’s dogs. I did Maths with Modern

Languages and was on the LGBT+ Committee for all 4 years of my degree, and was LGBT+ Officer between 2013 and 2015, as well as being Disabled Students’ Officer 2012-2013.

Luke Pilot, Warwick SU Standing for: Welfare Committee Place Nominated By:

Roisin Gallagher

University of Leicester SU

Oliver Rice

Warwick SU

Ross Strong

University of Birmingham Guild of Students

Gabi Binnie

Sheffield Students' Union

Tom Robinson

UCLU SU

Hi! I'm Luke Pilot, the Welfare & Campaigns Officer at Warwick SU. As a student I was an avid mental health awareness campaigner and a facilitator for inter-charity and campaigning societies collaboration by partnering with Student Hubs. I am keen to reverse student apathy and mobilise students into direct, collective action so we can all work towards a more inclusive and supportive student movement. I am standing for the Welfare Zone Committee to take my passion for student wellbeing and activism from the local SU level to a national level. I want to carry our biggest concerns and struggles facing students now and ensure they get the platform they deserve. In my Welfare role, I think it is important the student movement fights for those whose voice is not as loud as others and for those who do not realise they have a voice and I want to make sure we help these students recognise the power of their collective voice. I want to fight alongside all students but I want to especially take the issues facing Postgraduates and International students to the forefront.

My big 3 priorities are: -Mental health and the advocacy of peer support, helping others through solidarity and understanding when our institutions do not recognise their duty of care -The racist Prevent strategy and the barrier to support this creates -The proposed Junior Doctors Contract and the attack on selfless medical students this represents. We must oppose these changes and defend our students! Vote Pilot for Welfare Zone and fly with me to a stronger NUS!

Yasmin Gasimova, Liverpool Guild of Students Standing for: Welfare Committee Place Nominated By:

Obie Opara

London Met SU

Nadine Almanasfi

KCL Student Union

Carolina Mantzalos

Queen Mary SU

Jack Malby

Birmingham Guild

Tom Hope

Staffordshire University Student Union

Molly Maher, University of Brighton Standing for: Welfare Committee Place Nominated By:

Nathan Foley

Brighton University

Jordan Kirkwood

Aston University

Mazn Amhamed

Bradford College

Jeroen Van Herk

Granton Campus

Luke Pilot

Warwick Uni

I'm Molly and I'm the Welfare and Campaigns SABB at Brighton University Students' Union- I

want to be part of an NUS that fights for students' support! I am running because I want to be involved in pushing for the big issues of student welfare to be taken seriously in the NUS; I want to see an NUS that is committed to fighting government welfare 'reform' and the lie of austerity as well as attacks on support and access. I am interested in making sure liberation issues inform the campaigns the NUS runs and that officers are held to account. I want to support current campaigns including Students Not Suspects and Cut the Rent. The government want us to water down our opposition or back

down, but if we are united and enable students to understand what is happening to education, we can win. Mental health awareness and provision is a priority for me, I am working with students to hold workshops addressing the relationship between fees, cuts, debt and overall marketisation and mental health. We will be building a campaign for more counselors on campus. I feel that working with activist groups, societies and individual students to build solidarity, support and resistance is the way to win on campus. On a national level we should be developing a network that supports students to build communities and fight back- I want to help continue the work being done by fabulous activists

in the NUS!

Sofiya Ahmed, Birkbeck Union Standing for: Society & Citizenship Committee Place Nominated By:

nesaraj jeyaraj

university of strathclyde, glasgow

amina lunat

university college london

m mudariki

university of surrey

peggy lim

sheffield students union

rizwan qureshi

canterbury college

My name is Sofiya Ahmed and I'm running for Society & Citizenship Zone Committee. I'm the current Welfare Officer at Birkbeck SU and have been on NUS London as the Women's Officer. I also stood for the Green Party as a parliamentary candidate in the 2015 General Election. I can list off things I've been elected to and committees I've been on, but to keep it short and snappy: I'm passionate about liberation and the environment and feel I have a lot to offer to this Zone if elected. Check out my statement. My union represents some of the most disadvantaged students; as an evening university we have a large amount of mature students who have juggle family life with their education; young people like myself who had to juggle working with studying at university in the evening. We have a very diverse community in every way and a large amount of students of colour. Climate change is a crucial issue to me, as it will have huge effects globally. I am from Kashmir which is home to the Himalayas and provides the water for agricultural livelihoods for 1.2bn in South Asia. These farmers did not

cause climate change and yet they will suffer the most due to it. That's why I will push for fossil fuel divestment on campuses up and down the country. I have done national tours before and will be a dedicated campaigner on the committee. Funding for Postgrad education is also a Soc & Cit issue. My university, Birkbeck, is proof that mature students contribute greatly to society after graduation, and the new loans will exclude many students due to the arbitrary age cap.

For a fighting Society & Citizenship Zone, vote Sofiya Ahmed #1 for Committee!

Mazn Amahmed, Bradford College Standing for: Welfare Committee Place Nominated By:

shakira martin

NEC

jeroen herk

edinbrugh college

H Hussein

university of east anglia

peggy lim

sheffield students union

M Smith

University of Surrey Students' Union

Hi my name is Mazn and I'm the Vice President Welfare and Education

Officer of Bradford College Students' Union, representing over 23000 students from all walk of life, all ages, all backgrounds but all incredibly talented which is what FE is filled with. At my college 78% of students are black and the majority Muslim, that means that the racist government's new prevent agenda targets the majority of them. I'm running for the welfare position because i want to fight this Islamaphobic, racist, agenda. The students not suspects tour was brilliant and the sort of stuff that should be coming out of this zone.

J Smith, Northumbria Students Union Standing for: Welfare Committee Place Nominated By:

Sorana Vieru

NUS

Anna Lee

LUSU

Ayo Akinrele

Liverpool Hope SU

Sarah Gilborn

Leeds Beckett SU

Rachael Williams

KCLSU

My current roles President of NSU Politics Society Treasurer and LGBTQ* rep for NSU FemSoc Equality Rep for NSU Current Policies: I've created a Gender Diversity Forum to campaign and highlight the wide diversity of genders within our university. Northern Equality Network, which aims to bring together SU's in the North East around Welfare, Education, Human Rights, Liberation and Equality and Diversity. Created a Unity and Faith Forum to provide a space for faith and culture societies to meet to discuss any issues and to look at how we can celebrate diversity within our University.

My Campaigns:

Mental Health Awareness including tackling the misconceptions and myths around Dyslexia being a “meaningless

label used by the middle class to hide stupidity”.

Gender Neutral Identity within Universities and Nationally (MX) on Documentation, Dissertation Questionnaires and Support. Bereavement Support in our universities for students. Affordable living including government controls on setting accommodation rates to ensure our students can afford to live. Campaign into sexual violence faced by our LGBTQIA* Students Collaborate in creating a Universal University Consent Campaign, which is inclusive to all genders, sexual orientations, races, faiths and ethnicities. NUS Regional and National Welfare Network, which aims to be run collectively by SU’s and to meet regularly throughout the year. Campaign to lift the blood ban on GBTQ* men, saving lives should never be prevented by someone’s gender or sexual orientation ever! Organise an Intersex Conference in February in joint collaboration with UK Intersex Organisation’s and with interested SU’s, in order to provide a chance nationally for intersex people to discuss issues affecting them across our society. Review the diversity and support within our student accommodation for LGBTQIA*, Women, Faith, Students with Disabilities, BAME and International Students. ___________________________________________________________________________________________