Clara Priestley is the new President of the Students’ Union at Liverpool Hope University.
Since being elected earlier this year, Clara and her team - which includes Ollie Smith, Vice President for Sports and Activities and Stephanie Trujillo, Vice President for Welfare - have been working away behind the scenes as they prepare to welcome a whole new cohort of students to Hope at the end of summer.
But what does the role of President really involve, and what projects and initiatives are in the pipeline?
Here Clara - a Politics and International Relations student originally from Ireland - shares some insights in the first of a regular column which we’ll be bringing you each month:
To watch introductory videos from Clara, Stephanie and Ollie, head to the SU’s Instagram page @liverpoolhopesu
Clara says: "When I was running for President of the SU, my manifesto made clear that I’m a strong believer in the importance of preventing sexual crime, and of women’s rights in general.
I’m passionate about education when it comes to sexual consent, of the differences between healthy and unhealthy relationships, and I want to do all I can to combat sexual assault. By addressing the issues, I also want to encourage students to seek support when they need it.
I’m pleased to report that the SU is now putting positive plans in place on that front.
Stephanie Trujillo, Vice President for Welfare, is now in the process of establishing a survivor’s support group for victims of sexual assault.
We’re also hoping to establish partnerships with professional organisations who can then train Hope students to help us establish a peer-to-peer support mechanism, offering guidance, validation and fellowship for victims.
Ultimately, we want to be leaders in the North West when it comes to sexual violence prevention and domestic abuse recognition.
In a similar vein, we’re also hoping to launch a mental health mentorship programme. And we’ll keep you updated about both projects as and when developments occur.
There’s a whole host of other initiatives being worked on right now.
Stephanie has been liaising with the LGBTQ+ Society on an exciting new Trans Friendly City Guide, which will be called, ‘Pink, White and Blue’, and which will signpost trans students to the best places to socialise in Liverpool. Stephanie is also investigating the idea of gender neutral bathrooms on campus.
Black History Month is also just around the corner, and we’re well advanced in the planning stages of that.
We’re also hoping to roll-out a ‘Buddy Scheme’ for all incoming students arriving in October - whether they’re undergraduates, postgraduates or international visitors. The idea is for existing students to offer support and guidance to newcomers, showing them around and making sure they feel welcomed.
Besides the ongoing long-term projects we’re working on, the SU is always here to support students on a day-to-day basis.
And after learning that one of our students had been the victim of what’s being treated as a homophobic attack in the city, I reached out to this individual to tell him, ‘Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help’.
We’ve been messaging back and forth and the University has been able to offer support, too.
But I think that, as well as the official support networks, sometimes people just need a cup of tea and a chat - a place to share their feelings without fear of being judged.
I hope the SU provides that safe space for anyone who needs it. So please don’t hesitate to drop us a line if there’s anything that’s troubling you.
To get in touch, email pres@hope.ac.uk or you can find me on Twitter @LHSU_President. "