Meet your candidates for Wellbeing Officer 2020

Callum Chapman – ‘A Union for All’

In his manifesto, Callum pledges for a “safer, more supportive campus” aiming to improve the student’s union counselling service, making Sussex more accessible, a greater transparency in the Support Services, increased wellbeing support for Sports and Societies and more.

Speaking to The Sussex Tab, he says that throughout his time as an elected volunteer, he has seen that “too often the support needed for students isn’t available or isn’t accessible for everyone”. Therefore, he believes that we need a “safer, more supportive campus community that all students can identify with”.  His approach if elected will be “more inclusive, holistic and community based” because too many students don’t feel they have a sense of belonging as Sussex which leads to feelings of isolation.

Read Callum’s full manifesto here.

Jacob Charnick – ‘Leading by listening’

As a union trustee, Jacob promises to ensure that union policies are implemented from the bottom up through holding a microphone to the student voice” in order to “secure the needs of students across campus and beyond by opening dialogues to tackle the most important issues”.

Most importantly, Jacob ensures that voting for him will mean “voices are heard” which will “help to develop the enjoyment and ease of use of an educational system that you have paid for”.

Read Jacob’s full manifesto here.

Jesse Leed – ‘Every student deserves to feel supported’

Jesse has tried to make her manifesto as inclusive as possible as she wants to increase efficient access to Mental Health services, work towards increased support for students with disabilities, work with schools to help create supportive working environments for all students and more.

Speaking to The Sussex Tab she says “every Sussex student to feel their needs are represented and supported, regardless of what they are. She believes “the SU elections are important because they give the student body the opportunity to shape the team that helps make the SU what it is”.

Read Jesse’s full manifesto here.

Paige Lewis – ‘Time to turn a new Paige’

Paige is “passionate about the student experience” and her main aim is to “increase general wellbeing and decrease the number of students reaching crisis”. Her manifesto suggests that a vote for her is a vote for “increased support for survivors of sexual misconduct, domestic abuse and hate crimes, better support for all societies, more events to tackle student isolation and loneliness and a happier, healthier student led campus and union”.

Speaking to The Sussex Tab, she says she believes “we should be working with students as individuals and that services should be reviewed to ensure efficiency” as well as saying “the wellbeing of our students should come before money and reputation”. Paige also highlights the importance of the election saying “every student should take the opportunity to vote, it takes 2 minutes but can have a huge impact on your University experience. It is your opportunity to make a difference and contribute to how your University and union is ran”.

Read Paige’s full manifesto here.

Paris Palmano – ‘Done with the norm? Vote Transform!’

Paris says he intends to use the experience he has gained “to provide the student population with a direct channel of communication to University management so the issues affecting students are projected to those who need to listen”. His manifesto pledges voters to “raise our expectations of what Sussex can be” being a manifesto “for the students, by the students”.

Read Paris’s full manifesto here.