VP (Welfare) September Update

Hi everyone, I’m Jack McGuinness, the Vice President (Welfare) here at the University of Derby Union of Students. September is the start to the new academic year and it’s great to see students back on site and interacting with everything we have to offer.

Here’s some of the updates on the work I’ve been doing over September.

OfS 2025 - 2030 National Strategic Direction

The Office for Students is a regulatory body of the Department for Education in the United Kingdom, regulating the Higher Education sector. And with 2024 ending in 3 months, the organisation is developing their 2025-2030 national strategy.

As part of this new national strategy being developed, they were keen to have the voices and experiences of students, and invited representatives from Unions to attend workshops and, in their own words, “shape the OfS’s strategic direction”.

It was great to attend the workshop and speak to representatives from other universities and the Office for Students. And going forward, the Executive Officer team and I will continue to feed into the consultation process for the OfS’s 2025-2030 strategic Direction and ensure that it benefits you.

Work with local authorities

A huge part of my work is working with local authorities on matters relating to student safety. It’s great to be able to input into various areas and see that members of local authorities know the importance of having the student voice in these conversations.

A fine example of this is being invited to attend the Purple Flag working ground and Nighttime Economy Sub committees with the Derby City Council. And I look forward to being an important part of the conversation, improving student experience in Derby, going forward and submitting applications for accreditation in upcoming months.

Alongside this, with the result of the general election switching the previous Members of Parliament to new members, I’ve been contacting our local Derby MPs to build relationships, so the student voice can be brought forward. This is especially important on topics relating to student safety and experience in the City Centre, especially when so many places are going through consultation processes for development projects. But another reason is to lobby, and with a national campaign on Guarantors coming up soon, it’s important to ensure that Derby does its part. So if you would like to share your experience, contact me via vpwelfare@derbyunion.co.uk.

Derbyshire Constabulary DA event

Violence Against Women and Girls is an important topic and one that routinely comes up in Police and Crime Commissioner Roundtables. Due to the severity of it, the Derbyshire Constabulary developed a VAWG Action Plan to combat it.

As part of this project, I’ve been working with the Advice Manager at the Union and the Detective Inspector at the Derbyshire Constabulary about hosting an event as part of the national “Call It Out” campaign, raising awareness of the signs someone is a victim of the Domestic Abuse. If you would like to attend the event or find out more information, follow this link: derbyunion.co.uk/ents/event/4928/

Freshers’ Fair

Lastly is Freshers’ Fair. Freshers’ Fair is an important part of the student journey, marking the start to a new chapter in people’s lives. And there’s plenty of freebies, what’s not to like.

It’s amazing to see the variety of different student groups coming together to welcome those starting their first days in university and make them feel part of the Derby community. Seeing everything going on is great, but for some it’s overwhelming. We fully understood this, and speaking with the Advice and Marketing Managers, a quiet space was developed in collaboration with the Multi-Faith Centre.

It’s always important to share feedback about your experience accessing our events, so if you have any comments, please feel free to contact me via vpwelfare@derbyunion.co.uk