Setting
Brooks bar on a Saturday afternoon. I was very late and almost smashed one of the gin bottles.
Present: AC (Welfare Campaigns Team), JS (Working Class Students’ Rep), LM, AH (Female Wlefare Officer), JC (Vice-President), OW (Male Welfare Officer), FG, HMM (Assistant People of Colour Rep), BC, LH, EK, SPB, JG
Apologies: ES (Senior Welfare Officer)
Absent: EM (President), EG (Assistant Students’ with Disabilities Rep), HH (Postrgaduate Welfare Rep), JZ, RM (LGBT+ rep), OB, LD, HB, MR (People of Color Rep), HCM, SDB, LA, AS, EGS
Movember
AC: Movember is next thing coming up, it will be bigger than stress prevention. Mostly social media stuff. Has anyone spoken to S&S about photo campaign?
JS: Darts are keen
AC: Originally it was just going to be “check your balls” and “check your boobs”. ES has mentioned there could be a gap then also “check your language”.
OW: Rowing will probably be keen.
AC: Also try to think of things to go in the gaps so it’s also mental health awareness.
AH: last weekend there was a massive event with men’s rugby and feminism, but it be productive to also get other sports like football involved to shift the focus away from rugby.
AC: Also maybe hockey.
AC: We want to another pub quiz because last year it was very successful. There are free bar mat templates but I don’t know how we’d make them.
OW: I’ll speak to EK (bar steward). The bar is very keen to help.
Action: OW to speak to EK
AC: If we can put them here and the Bailey, we’ll reach a lot of people. We can put the photos up at the quiz. We’ll also try to announce this one further in advance, and have some more welfare related rounds, especially with statistics. Any other ideas?
OW: Last time we raised the idea of a sharing space event.
AH: Maybe some kind of walk. An SU society did a dawn walk. We could do a sunrise walk to observatory hill then sit and chat at the top.
OW: That could become a regular thing.
JS: Sharing space could be framed as a Cuth’s café.
OW: Could be in the JCR while the quiz is in here.
AH: If they’re simultaneous it might lower attendance at both. Also people might think it’s secondary. So I think the café should be a separate event
AC: Agreed, I don’t think people would want to leave one event for another.
JS: Last year, we did a few podcasts for one of our events discussing different topics. Could just have a few people sit down and chat.
AC: Also, because it’s a month long a lot of these small things are good, rather than one big event at the end.
FG: Maybe we could do a quick video while taking the photos
AH: Do we know how many people listen to podcasts?
JS: They were minority focussed, so people listened but not many.
AH: For reaching out to people, I think short, quick things has a broader scope. But if we can target specific issues then that’s also really good.
OW: It would be good to focus on minority reps and to increase their visibility.
JS: As part of Movember I think we’re touching on mental health, so maybe the minority reps could do something related to starting at uni as a minority.
AH: There also physical health issues tied into minority issues.
JS: Last year we did a podcast looking at AIDS activism and the resources available today.
AC: I like the idea of maintaining a strong social media presence. And maybe 1 or 2 podcasts about more specific issues. And then ask a few people to film a quick video.
FG: I could ask at mixed lacrosse tomorrow.
AC: Yes please. Then we can hopefully start photos and videos next week. As many S&S as possible would be good.
OW: I’ll ask AC (Sports & Socs Chair) to post on the S&S captains’ group.
Action: OW to contact AC
JS: We could also show a film
HMM: Maybe something topical like Billy Elliot
AC: Good idea
JS: Last year it was a strong social media presence throughout the month, then in the last week a few lowkey events
OW: One event per weekend would be good
EK: Vegan society walk ended in Spoons for Breakfast
AH: Maybe have two meeting places, one in Viaduct and one at Brooks then all meet at Brooks
OW: We should warn people that it will be weather dependant, so could be Saturday or Sunday
JS: Last year, the pub quiz was also an art exhibition for the photo campaign. LM arranged that because she had a contact that could print it, but that might be more difficult this year. But the feedback for that was great.
Action: AC to look into printing photos for a display
Christmas Campaigns
AC: I’m keen to an international and estranged student event a week or two before people go home for Christmas. Hopefully not just Cuth’s. It would be good for people to meet before Durham gets empty. ES has asked us to start collating posts for Instagram over Christmas. Some festive, but some serious and helpful. We’re very keen to maintain social media presence over Christmas.
AC: Self-welf-elf will be a thing.
AH: Like elf on a shelf, but without the shelf. It’s a silly name for while people are stressed, to be a light hearted way to encourage people to look after themselves. A little cartoon with some self-care tips.
AC: Any more Christmassy ideas?
LM: In previous years there’s been a Christmas tree that people can attach things to.
AH: We could do it in Cuth’s Library.
AOB
AC: We’re also hoping to have a low key social soon and then one closer to Christmas. Maybe Secret Santa for Christmas one. We’re a very big group. We’ll do some organised fun.
AH: I can put some games together.
Action: AH to plan some organised fun
AC: We’ll have another meeting in December to discuss Christmas campaigns and plan for next term.
*Meeting Adjourned*