Johnny`s AGM Report - Queen Margaret University Students` Union

A Year in Review
2014-2015
Johnny Elmer – Student Vice President
Another academic year nearly over, and Fergus and I find ourselves writing our last ever
AGM report. Academic year 2014/15 has been a busy and hectic one with a multitude of
projects happening alongside each other. The entire Students’ Union Team has had many
successes and achievements whilst consistently striving to further represent your views and
opinions.
 Sports and Societies:
Our Sports and Societies programme has grown with even more established groups, led and
managed by a strong leading group of student committee members. From our highly active
and fundraising experts the QMU Copperfeel Uni Boob Team to the badminton society that
has attracted a strong committed membership. Both our sports teams and societies have
had many highlights over the past year a few detailed below:
Sports:
 QMUSU Camogie team were crowned again the British Champions.
 Women’s Basketball is now through to the finals of the Conference cup.
 Our Netball team have managed to stay 3rd in the league after being promoted
last year
 Womens Football now have two teams competing in the Power League with its
highest ever membership.
 We have had numerous students’ representing QMUSU at various local, national
and international levels through the QMUSU Representative Sporting Fund.
Societies:
 Occupational Therapy Society has really took off this semester, planning training
days, conferences and speeches representing OT at QMUSU and QMU itself.
 The Photography society is once again holding their annual exhibition but this time
they are making more of an event out of it in the Piano bar of the university.
 Dance Society have had an incredible fundraising year and managed to raise £2,500
to take them to their competition in Sheffield.
 The QMU Writers Society has managed to strike up a relationship with Children’s
University scheme, expanding on their programme of writing workshops they already
provide.
 The Christian Union had an exceptionally successful Missions Week which attracted
over 200 people to one of their joint events with other Edinburgh based institutions.
Sponsorship 14/15 – Partnership with Floorplay Events
This year’s Sports and Societies Sponsorship deal has provided an increased amount of
revenue for the Sports and Societies budget alongside lucrative ‘kickback’ schemes. Working
closer than ever before with a committed small team from Floorplay and the Sports and
Societies committee members we have developed sports and societies events bringing our
teams and societies together. QMUSU events have benefited from resources and staff from
Floorplay throughout the year, from fresher’s week to the Grand Ball.
Team kit
It took a while but we finally have a unified team kit that has been rolled out across all of
our sports teams. Uniting one team together via one colour for QMUSU Sports Teams. I feel
that by bringing together all the different kits and forming a single design gives our
University and our Union sports teams a positive inclusive image.
Development with SSS
This year I have been working with a member of staff from the Regional Support
department looking at how we can implement a firm Sports strategy for our teams to be
able to continually develop and improve on the pitch. This work involves liaising with the
various National Governing bodies of the various sports and a good start has been made on
a way forward for the next Student Vice President.
Further work has begun on developing and firming existing partnerships with local sporting
organisations out with the Students’ Union. These partnerships are crucial to keeping our
own facility costs low but also by providing QMU players to these local teams in return we
can provide opportunities for students to play in local and amateur sporting environments.
 Events and Entertainment
Fresher’s week
A planning process that spans across several months culminating in a week full of events to
cater for our entire student body. This year we made it even bigger with events for post
grads, undergraduates both 18 and under, student parents and their children. We had an
event each night everything from the classic pub march to the launch of Flying the Nest with
comedians such as Garry Little and Des Clarke. Alongside this I worked towards gaining as
much sponsorship for the week as possible, whether that be in terms of a monetary
contribution or whether that was donation of resources. This year we managed to get
sponsorship from Jägermeister, Walkers Shortbread and Capital Cars Cab Company.
Winter party
The Winter Party was held on the 5th December 2014 at WHY NOT nightclub. We organised
a VIP package with a drink on arrival and a separate space for QMU Students only. Tickets
were £5. We tried hard this year to respond to feedback from students’ Saying they didn’t
want their term time events to be exclusively QMU Students’ so we paired up with WHY
NOT Lux Friday’s, a popular night, so that there were different people from both the public
and student body of Edinburgh.
QMUWATT
Working with Heriot Watt’s Events Department to bring together the two Universities in one
big Event in Edinburgh Central. We wanted to create an event that was in a different venue
and was in cooperation with a university that had similar ratios and numbers. The event
itself attracted 140 people and was a good opportunity for our students to meet other
students from Heriot Watt University.
The Edinburgh Student Arts Festival
The inaugural Edinburgh Student Arts Festival (ESAF) was Edinburgh's first ever student-run
art festival, showcasing and celebrating art from five of Edinburgh’s higher education
institutions: the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh College of Art, Queen Margaret
University, Edinburgh College FEC and Heriot Watt University.
ESAF encompassed and celebrated art in the widest form, embracing and highlighting
performance art, visual art, music and dance.
Working alongside Briana Pegado, EUSA Student President, the Festival was a fantastic
opportunity for all the student unions and associations from the Edinburgh colleges and
universities to work side-by-side for the first time.
Following ESAF’s launch party at the Assembly Roxy on Thursday 5 February, the festival
programme took place over seven days from 5-13 February, at venues such as the
Pleasance, Whitespace and the Roxy. Performances and full day festival programmes then
take took place over the weekend of Friday 6 February, Saturday 7 February and Sunday 8
February, followed by five days of exhibitions, stalls, talks, workshops and evening
performances.
The festival was recently recognised at the National Union of Students Scotland Conference
when it won the Student Opportunities Award!
The Grand Ball 2015
This year’s Grand Ball is due to take place at the Jam House and we have assigned a
masquerade and A Midsummer Nights’ Dream theme. We are hoping to provide a night of
awards, entertainment and a lovely atmosphere to celebrate the past academic year of
achievements from our Sports and Societies.
Maggie’s Tea Time Pub Quiz League
This semester we tried something a little different as we realised our pub quiz wasn’t doing
so well. We introduced a pub quiz league with food and drink promotions on the night. We
did really well with a Jackpot prize of £100 and weekly cash prize winners. Every pub quiz
went ahead as opposed to first semester when several had to be cancelled. We really felt
that having a league structure help promote some rivalry amongst students and staff alike.
 Representation & Governance
Sports and Societies Committee
Throughout various feedback sessions with Captains, presidents and Student Parliament the
need for some kind of representative body for sports and societies came to light. S&S
members felt that they wanted to feed into the strategic and operational decisions made at
the SU. I agreed and as a result created the Sports and Societies Committee which is made
up of 6 members of sports and 6 members of societies. It has now been included within the
representation review with the objective of assigning specific S&S to individual members to
be accountable for. The need to be a committee member will be taken away for the
membership next year.
An example of issues that are being discussed is Sports and Societies membership cards and
we are currently reviewing the price, branding and design leading from the feedback from
the Sports and Societies Committee.
Employability Engagement Strategy
The University and I have been working on a strategy that helps promote and provide
opportunities in order for students to gain extra skill sets and key skills for after they
graduate that would complement their degrees. This strategy was on the agenda for the
committees at the university and was passed. The Students’ Union had an objective to
which we have now achieved. We are now offering our volunteering service and we have
put a big push on Sports and Societies engagement.