In which Nickers says goodbye as VP Development

Just over 11 months ago I wrote my first of 35 Blogs about being the first VP Development at RUSU. In that time a lot has happened, some bad, much of it good, all of it – the most overused word on this website – exciting. Last week I had my last Development Committee of the year, the awards for Honorary Life Membership and very soon will check my last ever MASIV portfolios. I was going to right a long blog trying to discuss all of the things I’ve been up to – but this is impossible. Instead here, in no order, are my top 6 highlights.

MASIV – the scheme I first got involved in as a Part-time Officer elect, saw through it’s first 2 years of piloting and which has become my conversation piece at every NUS, University and Union event, article and blog. I don’t apologise for this, it’s an amazing scheme and the hard work put in by University and Union staff to make it a trailblazing success is to be lauded.

RU Ready – last Summer we trained around 100 people in 2 different sessions. Over the past year RUSU has trained over 400 students in over a dozen sessions, from Course Rep and JCR training to running a Freshers stall and presentation skills.

Student Media – seeing Junction11 get a new mixing desk by injecting extra money to go alongside the alumni funding is something I’ll remember fondly. Although things with Spark and the Sabbs was far from smooth throughout the entire year, I’m proud to have been on the first team to hold up the Constitution as students wanted it and to be frank and honest about the way things work, rather than pretending they were something else for an easy life.

RAGs – I can take almost no credit for this area, but it is certainly one of my best memories and will remain so. The work Julia Horne and the rest of this years RAGs committee have done and the way in which the student population embraced the group and gave so readily is commendable and reminded myself and the other Union officers exactly why we want to do this job.

Pledge Day and the ‘Participate’ Campaign – Seeing Reading’s pledge day up on the screens at NUS National Conference was brilliant. The idea was so effective and, despite the Debating Society defacing it (tut tut), was a great sign of the achievement and worth of student activities at RUSU. I was really pleased to be able to take an active part in the National Participate campaign and getting students enthused about it too.

And of course The Governance Review – It is sexy. We now have a constitution that is readable not risible, more ways to get involved and the ability to tackle changing legislation. It’s not perfect yet, but it is a real step forward.

There’s been a lot more of course, and my collection of memorabilia from this year is huge. Cheesy but true, I need to say a huge thanks to all of the RUSU staff, particularly Sue Breakwell and Stefan Kelly who have done amazing things for development, and would remain calm when I suggested we did huge things on no money and in no time. The Sabbs have been friends, enemies, allies and colleagues at various points, but they’ve always been there and part of the team and so thanks to them all. Again, particular mentions to Andrew, who as Education I’ve worked alongside a lot, and Jenna – a superb VP Welfare, a hard act to follow and the reason I got caught up in the Union in the first place by asking me to join Nightline.

To my successor Emily only one bit of advice – do your own thing. By the end of the year you’ll be the best VP Development RUSU has ever seen and I couldn’t put my baby in better hands.

And onwards to Welfare, to Night Safety, Freshers Angels, South East Weighting, Balanced Lifestyle campaigning and much more.

Goodbye for now,

Nickers x