VOTE EMMA

for VP (Sports)

a candidate with proven success,

emma birch is running to be your VP (sports)

for a 2nd year

about me

• current VP (sports) 2022/23
• former table tennis president, 2020/21 & 2021/22
• vice chair of west midlands BUCS group
• shortlisted for sports personality of the Year 2022

Insta: emmaforsports2 Facebook: emmaforsports2

Why should you re-elect me?

i've made fantastic progress on many important projects in the past year,

and i'm really keen to continue to deliver for you

i truly love sport at warwick and i am passionate about making our sporting community even more welcoming and inclusive

i know what is possible, i know how to effect change, and i will continue to work hard to keep student voices at the forefront of sporting decisions at warwick

My priorities:

The change that you want to see

• varsity with birmingham uni
  • coventry's staff and team shortages have meant many sports have missed out on this year's varsity. this is unfair for clubs, and this cannot happen again. i have already begun discussions with birmingham's sports officer and i believe this will be achievable
• fair circle allocations
  • this year i have helped secure additional space in fusion bar
  • i will continue to push for fair allocations for clubs (& societies!)
• exec training
  • i plan to run exec training in term 3 instead of term 1, as this is when most execs changeover and so is preferable
• transparency
  • i believe transparency is hugely important. i will ensure warwick sport & the SU are always open with clubs regarding finances, facilities, and grant allocations
• sports ball
  • obtain sponsors for sports ball to lower the cost of the tickets
  • sustainability award as part of sports awards
• no more classes on wednesday afternoons!
  • this year i reached out to students to find out which departments continue to put mandatory classes on wednesday afternoons
  • i will continue to lobby departments via the course rep structure alongside the VP (education)
• AKUMA contract
  • despite my opposition, the kit tender voting panel made the decision to renew the contract with AKUMA
  • nevertheless, i will focus on holding AKUMA to account under our new contract with them, especially regarding delivery times
  • i will negotiate a cost of living payment to support clubs with kit
• support for clubs in getting coaches
  • i will push warwick sport and the SU to help coach recruitment
• sports fair
  • alongside the VP (societies), i set up an SU fairs subcommittee, which i co-chair. i am pushing for a clearer exit/entry system for execs, increased university funding, and sports showcases

A NEW EXCITING IDEA...

• champions of champions sports event
  • you nominate players from your club to compete in a wide-scale sporting event against other clubs. which club will win?!
  • this event idea has the backing of the SU operations team, and i will apply for innovation funding to make this happen!

equality in sport 

• women's & NON-BINARY initiatives
  • i have proudly co-delivered warwick's first women & NB-only club night and self-defence classes, and these are popular initiatives i would like to help continue and develop
  • i am in talks with warwick sport to establish women & NB-only gym sessions & classes, for which i have the gym manager's approval
• gender parity within sport
  • continue to fight for women's sport to be seen in the same light as men's sport
  • i worked with the birmingham sports officer to produce a gender parity report, highlighting the discrepancies between the treatment of men and women in sport. this was presented to the BUCS ceo and received well
  • i plan to start a women's one-to-watch, in addition to the current one-to-watch project
• trans-inclusion work
  • i have established myself as the lead on trans-inclusion in the west mids region, having set up my own subgroup
  • i am currently lobbying BUCS & NGBS to renew their trans policies
  • i am working with the volleyball's women's captain to make recommendations to NGBS on making their policies trans-inclusive
  • i organised a trans-inclusion workshop for clubs and sports staff
  • i am in talks with Active Bystander and academics to create content for a ‘running a trans-inclusive club’ workshop
  • i want to revive the pre-covid trans participation programme, which includes: weekly trans-only taster sessions of different sports and spotlighting trans athletes to inspire participation
  • i will work with the trans community group to support all of this
• sports officer bursary
  • i have revitalised the bursary scheme to target WIDENING PARTICIPATION students, to help make sport more accessible
  • i pledge to continue this work to support as many as possible
• show racism the red card
  • i will work with the charity to put on an educational event
  • working with fellow sports officers, i plan to make this a regional event
• i will work with Active Bystander and Report & Support to put on welfare and discrimination awareness sessions, drawing on findings from the sexism in sport survey

money, money, money

With the cost of living crisis, there needs to be more financial support for both clubs and members

• club pass
  • i will push for the VP (sports) to have more control over the cost of the club pass
  • i have already begun discussions about having payment plan / installment options rather than only upfront payment
• review of club grants
  • i have kickstarted a review of club grant criteria; this is something i want to help take forward
• off-campus club pass consultation and report
  • i have consulted with off-campus clubs regarding their club pass, presenting a report detailing their dissatisfaction to warwick sport
  • this is a priority for me: i will continue to lobby for both a reduction in the cost and for better value provided to clubs
• lobby the university for non-BUCS grant
  • (currently, the SU only receives a grant for BUCS)
• push university departments to contribute to the cost of sport for their students
• push for a club development fund from warwick sport
  • the club development officer should have access to a fund to support the development of clubs that aren't on the performance programme.
• push for reduced pint prices and extend Bus Stop at terrace bar to 5pm-9pm
  • ...not sport-related, but i think this will be popular with clubs!

Mental wellbeing and community outreach

• mental health research project
  • the university should incorporate sports into their wellbeing strategy
  • Working with the president, welfare officer, and the wellbeing co-ordinator in sports committee, i want to showcase to the university how important sport is to students' mental health, drawing on students' personal experiences and survey data
• movember
  • we are falling behind other universities when it comes to our movember fundraising. i want to introduce movember reps in sports clubs and motivate clubs who don't currently participate in movember to get involved, through sharing best practice
• outreach
  • continue to offer clubs outreach opportunities at a local retirement home and local schools using the connections i have
• sustainability
  • continue to support climate reality sustainability challenges
  • push SU operations to invest in a reusable cup system at pop!

Vote Emma as your #1 preference!