Alex Parry.

Candidate for VP Societies & Sport

Royal Holloway has been home to me for the past 4 years, during which I have been the President and Treasurer of Men’s Football, and a society member. My time in these roles has given me the insight and leadership abilities that are needed to represent student groups fairly. I am aware of the various areas that need improvement, and I am highly motivated to enhance student life through increasing accessibility, inclusivity and sustainability within societies and sports clubs.

If elected, my aims are:

1. To provide alternative payment methods to students:

‘Pay as you play’ methods are widely utilised outside universities in sports, as they are much more inclusive and practical for many. Introducing alternative payment options, such as these, will ensure no students are left out due to financial struggles, allowing for larger teams and making sport clubs more accessible.

2. Implementing end of term reviews and questionnaires:

These will allow committees and members to regularly raise anything that they think should be changed/introduced by the SU. This will improve the overall running of all societies and clubs, ensuring that students’ voices are heard and appreciated more often.

3. Introduction of a platform for better communication within and between sports and societies:

Through this, I will encourage committees from all societies/clubs to communicate more directly, through a channel that is easier, quicker, and more accessible for all. Utilising the time groups have is even more important given the impacts of COVID-19. For example, this platform could be used to:

• Swap training slots/room bookings with other groups directly, rather than cancelling them or having bad turnouts.
• Organise joint socials more confidently/easily.
• Share updates of what groups are getting up to inspire others (i.e., socials, charity events etc.).

4. Improving sustainability:

Collection of all unwanted/leftover kits and sporting equipment at the end of the year to redistribute for free to students who may not be able to afford kit/equipment prices, further expanding accessibility.

5. Increasing participation through changes to Freshers’ Week and events:

The Freshers’ Fair experience can be overwhelming and intimidating, especially for new students, due to the overload of information and some perhaps feeling too shy to ask questions. By ensuring each student group runs their own taster session (with emphasis on clearer advertisement), additional incentives upon attendance could be offered to encourage and increase participation from new members.

Vote AP4VP!