Today is the last day in office for the Sabbatical Team 2020/21 and we wanted to say thank you for all your hard work during what has been a year that none of us expected.
Today is the last day in office for the Sabbatical Team 2020/21 and we wanted to say thank you for all your hard work during what has been a year that none of us expected.
Read their farewell message below:
A fond farewell from some and a renewed vigour from others!
2020 began as a regular year in the Union. We were all excited for the upcoming Sabbatical leadership elections and Myself, Beth, Maddy and Nathan all had ambitions which did not include a global pandemic!
What a year! We have been working together since the end of June 2020 and none of us anticipated the impact of the pandemic to still be so present in our lives. It has been a difficult time to represent the needs of 17,000 students, but we have done all we can to support students and are really proud of all we have achieved.
From navigating the ever-changing restrictions and what it means for clubs and societies, to pivoting a largely face to face service to online amidst technical difficulties. From fighting for private accommodation providers to provide rent rebates and securing a safety net for undergraduates and postgraduates, to tackling a major incident which had HUGE negative implications for students during registration and making real changes in university policy. We’ve made it through many Union Council meetings and weekend crisis video calls, two rounds of event seasons VIRTUALLY (filmed from our gardens and houses). There have been tears and tough times. But there have also been so many laughs and moments where we have drawn strength from each other and made so many memories from behind our computer screens or in the near-deserted St Georges Centre.
We couldn’t have done this without the incredible support of our CCSU colleagues and allies in the University – and we couldn’t have done it without each other. It might sound a little cringe, but this lovely photo shows the bond we’ve created and the friendships we’ve built through these “unprecedented times”.
Thank you to all the students who have supported us and trusted us to advocate for you. Thank you to our amazing CCSU colleagues for helping us when it got tough and for lifting us up when we needed the reassurance and confidence boost. Thank you to the University staff we’ve worked with this year for taking our challenges and critiques on board and working with us for the benefit of the students. Finally, good luck to the next sabbatical team, we’re so excited to see what you do and we know you will all do amazing work!
Becky, Nathan, Maddy and Beth
