Setting
Brooks bar on a crisp winter morning. Many people are late. EM is looking at houses to buy.
Present: ES (Senior Welfare Officer), EGS (Students with Disabilities Rep), EG (Assistant Students with Disabilities Rep), EM (President), JC (Vice-President), SDB, HMM (Assistant Ethnic Minorities Rep), HB, AC (Welfare Campaigns Manager), JS (Working Class Students’ Rep), FG, LH (Assistant LGBT+ Rep), EK, OW (Male Welfare Officer), HH (PG Welfare Rep), LD
Apologies: LM
Absent: JZ (International Welfare Rep), RM (LGBT+ Rep), BC, OB, JG, AH (Female Welfare Officer), MR (Ethnic Minorities Rep), HCM, LA, AS, SPB
Social
ES: I know some people can’t come, but you can still join us for the Christmas markets if you’re around. Meal is booked for 18.30. Everything is confirmed and booked now. Make sure you do your Secret Santa wishlist.
Christmas Campaigns
AC: I’ve tried to get in contact with Durham estranged students’ association unsuccessfully. We want to publicise a meeting across colleges instead of just Cuth’s for people who are staying in Durham over Christmas. EE (international Rep) is keen to extend this to internationals who are staying. We need social media posts to keep up Instagram presence over Christmas. Maybe self care tips for winter, winter-related mental health statistics. Winter but not just Christmas. If you make posts now, we’ll put them on a drive.
AC: We could also do text for a candy cane.
ES: Last year there was a form to fill in, then we delivered them to houses. Maybe we could leave them in pigeon holes instead.
ES: We need to be cheery and festive too. It’s also important to just share things and invite people to events. Tell your friends about things. We’ll put the form out towards the end of next week. For the meet-up for people staying over Christmas, next weekend during the day might be a god time.
Action: FG to co-ordinate meet-up for people staying over Christmas
ES: If any of you are coming back early after Christmas, also come along.
Self-Welf-Elf
AC: I’ve ordered two elves, one for Parson’s and one for Bailey. We’ll put tips on them and take photos with them.
ES: When they arrive we’ll come here to decorate them. Last year we put self-care tips around the library. This year we’ll have the elves holding them. Someone mentioned a Christmas tree, we could maybe hang the flashcards on that after.
Next Term
ES: If we tell you what we’re thinking now, you can pull together some ideas. I’ve spoken to college about doing a large campaign on allyship and communities. We’re thinking of workshops on being a good ally. Helping allies to think about they engage with certain spaces, and the language they use when they out others. They’re difficult discussions but important. We also want to invite speakers to do panel discussions. So over Christmas particularly minority reps should think about this. We’ll do it in February because that’s LGBT+ History month. Everyone else please also have some impact. If anyone has any useful contacts also let me know.
ES: Then after that it will be SHAG (Sexual health and Guidance) week. Think about what we could do for that. Last year we did a podcast every day on a different theme. That will be towards the end of term. We’ll have a pub quiz and educate people on STDs and sexual health.
ES: We want 3 big campaigns next term, so for the third I think it would be good to let you guys have free reign. So if anyone thinks of any topics, let us know.
AC: It will probably be the first or last one.
ES: So maybe 3rd week of term.
HH: Maybe overwork and stress. A lot of people start early and finish late and convince themselves they need to and then end up burning out.
ES: It would also be good to have some posters and things on that. If we have 3 big campaigns, there might be a gap without much to post. That’s a good theme.
ES: Any other ideas, bring them next term. Another possibility is body image and body positivity. Especially in the new year.
AC: I think February is eating disorders awareness.
ES: If is anyone is passionate about that it might be a good one. If need be we can do SHAG week at the start of term and this campaign at the end. We could do burnout and stress throughout the term, then body image near the end of term. Previously we’ve had people writing things they like about themselves on their bodies.
LD: Could we team up with sexpressions? They have so many good resources.
ES: We’ll make contact with them before next year. Also if anyone has any different ideas that would be great.
JS: Last year we did sex themed karaoke and that got a good turnout.
LD: We did some little stickers.
ES: Maybe like a sex-ed workshop? Because a lot of people come here without good education. It could be fun and useful but not schooly. Maybe even as part of a podcast. If anyone’s doing welfare related things outside of Cuth’s send it to me.
ES: Is anything already planned for LGBT+ month?
LH: We’re thinking of doing a campaign with the society and maybe some socials.
ES: If you want us to some things for people that aren’t known about, we can do that too. It’s good to have materials prepared for the Instagram.
SDB: For body positivity, would you want some over Christmas? Because lots of people want to diet straight after Christmas.
JS: It would be good to disseminate some information about eating disorders before Christmas.
LD: I’m working with an eating disorder charity currently, and they’ve sent me loads of resources. One of them is eating disorders during holidays.
LH: Could we make some posts before Christmas for LGBT+ people going home to family?
ES: Are we alright to set up Instagram and facebook pages?
EM: Yes, but I need the password so I can police them. I don’t mind if there are lots as long as they’re well maintained. And consider whether you actually want that rather than having it on the welfare Instagram. And it’s a lot of things for people to follow. But that’s your decision.
ES: We could make some pages and groups in preparation for next year to help new students who might have a lot to go through when they’re arriving.