The Students’ Union are currently working towards two accreditations for Sustainability- Green Impact and Responsible Futures. We have recently won a Fairtrade Award for our shop and Coffee Bar and our current Sustainability Officer has won the ‘Spirit of 2015’ award for Bristol Green Capital.

The VP Community and Welfare will be working on Freshers' publications in the coming months and reviewing information given to new students.

In November 2014, the VP Community and Welfare ran an Anti-Abuse Campaign at UWE this helped to lobby the university and engaged with a large number of students to take a zero tolerance approach.

The activity included students wearing white ribbons as well as making pledges as a result the Pro Vice Chancellor of UWE lobbied the Bristol Mayor to run a Bristol wide campaign against domestic abuse and violence. As a result of the Anti-Abuse Campaign the Intervention Initiative will be implemented across all faculties to educate students how to become an active bystander to take a zero tolerance approach to sexual abuse, harrassment and violence. Both Universities and Students' Union's in Bristol have signed a policy to take a zero tolerance approach.

The VP Community and Welfare is launching a 'Late Night Do It Right' campaign across Freshers' and beyond to engage with students on these key messages.

The Students' Union is sitting on a joint board with Bristol SU and the Univesities to propose projects to tackle sexual violence and harrassment including adopting a safe space policy. The Students' Union venues policies will reflect these changes when dealing with these matters. 

This motion is complete.

VP for Societies and Communications has set up a meeting with the new committee members (2015/16) to discuss the policy and their responsibilities as committee members of these student groups. 

This motion is complete.

From January 2015 all Students’ Union’s bars will be serving from glass and mugs. The exemptions to this are for large events such as Lock-In and Freshers

This motion is complete.

The position of LGBT Officer has now been filled as part of the March 2015 Officer Elections. 

The community and welfare officer has been working with Staff at UWE who are also representatives of Mental Health charities and passing them onto the VP education to help the current APT review which is being undertaken.

The Community and Welfare officer is running a student support campaign aimed at finding out what students thought about the support on campus and what provisions there are. He is currently in the process of writing the results up as a report, planning focus groups and lobbying for change. The community and welfare officer has been working with Staff at UWE who are also representatives of the charities Anorexia and Bulimia Care and Beat to increase visibility of support around eating disorders for example on the advice centre website and is currently looking into how to extend this to accommodation.

The Students' Union is a project partner in the Univesity's Resilience Project, which aims to support UWE students in accomodation with mental health considerations, this will involve mental health and specific training delivered to Wardens, Academic Staff, PAL leaders, Students' Union staff, Info Point staff and other important advisers. This project will launch in September 2015 under the Wellbeing Service.

Students' Union staff are attending mental health first aid training to ensure all activities can be inclusive and safe.  

This motion is complete.

VP Education has been in discussions with the Director of Academic Services about this. Unfortunately, the university does not have resource to establish a partnership in Gaza. It will however continue to strengthen links in country with an already established partnership with UWE.

This motion is complete.

Polyethylene bags have now been removed from the SU Shop and Bar

Ongoing work has been taking place through ‘The Only Way is Wessex?’ consultation which involves engaging with bus operators and the university. Smartcards are now available on First Bus Services (http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/touchsmartcard/about.html)

There are ongoing conversations between the university, students’ union and bus operators around transport in the city. The Students’ Union will be writing to the Mayor of Bristol about student concerns.