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Motion to campaign for an increase in our annual Block Grant

Date passed: 21 February 2013

Speaker for: Tom Renhard

Seconder: Sam Barnard

This Union notes:

1. The receipt of a block from the university to the Students’ Union takes place annually.
2. Over the last two years the block grant received from the university has been reduced by 5% per annum.
3. Currently there is a campaign budget of £3,000 available for the whole of the academic year.
4. Compared with Bristol University Students’ Union, we receive less than there with figures from 2010/2011 academic year showing that their union was receiving approximately 50% more per student than UWE Students’ Union.

This Union believes:

1. The systematic cuts being made to the block grant are minimising the effectiveness and scope that the quality of representation can have for the student experience.
2. More money needs to be made available for campaigns, to maximise their potential and effectiveness.
3. A substantial increase in the block grant, which seeks to reverse the cuts made to it in previous years and increase it beyond this would allow the needs of our students to be met through more financing for representation, democracy and governance, settle in teams, societies, sports clubs, networks, RAG, competitions, liberation and varying campaigns as called for by the student body.
4. This has meant reductions in areas of the students union.
5. That the clarity of where the block grant is spent can be improved.

This Union resolves:

1. That the Executive lobby the university for a substantial increase in the block grant given to UWESU, without reducing grants or funding given for any other student union led activity, campaign or role.
2. To ensure any increase won in the block grant campaign is represented in an increase in the available campaigns budget.
3. To ensure that an effective proposal is put together that would also allow the growth of: our representative and democratic functions; our sports clubs; our societies; our networks; our settle in teams and RAG/charity fundraising at the university.
4. To provide the first Student Council of each calendar year with a block grant draft proposal for consultation.
5. To provide the second Student Council of each calendar year with an updated block grant proposal ahead of its submission to the Board of Governors.
6. To provide a clear breakdown and summary of the block grant to its members each year that is easy to understand and find on the Students’ Union website.