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spotlight-studios
11th March 2013

Wellbeing Officer: Lily Risby

Lily Risby tells us why we should vote for her for Wellbeing Officer
TLDR

I’m Lily Risby and I will be Running for wellbeing officer, I’m currently hitches co-coordinator for Manchester RAG (Jailbreak and Lost). I have been apart of the university for three years and been a very active member, you will never experience a lack of enthusiasm from me. Here are my ideas explained in a more in depth analysis of how I will achieve them and why I think they are good for the all round wellbeing of the students of Manchester university.

I want the counselling service to be made more accessible, there is currently a one month waiting list and this needs to change. There has been an increase this year, in the people that use this service and it produces excellent results! However a one month waiting list isn’t acceptable, so more resources need to be put into the counselling service. This is to make sure it functions at its optimum level to promote students to be happy and healthy at University. As the counselling and other services involving mental wellbeing become more assessable this will begin to remove the stigma that people have attached to these services, it will illustrate how positive they are and how much of a great impact they can have upon your life!

I would also work with local and regional external bodies on creating safer bike lanes in Manchester. As there has been one to many times, when I have almost been under a magic bus, most people don’t cycle due to fear of the dangerous roads. Once bike lanes are made safer and by working with the biko bike scheme not only would the university become more green but it encourages a healthy lifestyle too.

I would want a sexual health clinic within the university as there are free condoms available and pregnancy test but this is not available in a very private environment or with the correct professional. I want to bring our sexual health rating up from an F and have more information including posters promoting sexual health as a priority. Also the reason for a sexual health clinic to be available is because some students, do not like being put in a medical setting and other may want to feel safe and secure in an environment in which they are familiar, which the university can provide. With the accessibility being increase we could additionally promote the Hathersage centre and once people understand other centres available across Manchester they will be encouraged to use them further prescription and contraceptive pills. Yet I want screening for all test to be available and for sexual health information to be as important as your physical health within the university.

I would want all students that take part in extra curriculum activities to have awards for contributions to societies, sport teams and other activities. To help improve your CV once searching for work and to have as a reminded about your achievements.

Additionally I believe everyone should have ease of access and feel at ease in buildings and the environment at the university any requirements that need altering – Language, physical attributes, cultural, political sensitivity and even basic things such as lighting or painting. I would have tab online to easily report issues that where effecting your full accessibility into the university campus.

Working with the woman’s officer and others to have free self defence classes and especially helping freshers that have come to a new city to become more accustomed to life in an urban diverse city. Additionally I would want to have a small list of recipes and updating with up to date prices of healthy foods to cook as new students sometimes need help with ideas and prices when cooking and budgeting. For people in catered Hall’s I would continue with the efforts of ”rants, ravings and cravings” to change the food. As when I was in halls as a vegetarian the options where very limited.

I would also work more closely with the activities officer to support sport and other societies and help with there physical and mental wellbeing. By making new friends and having a healthy active lifestyle have proven to increase mental wellbeing.

I believe my ideas are all positive for the happiness of the students at Manchester, I want to environment to become more accessible for all. Also for everyone’s time at university to be a great time in there life. Yet during times of hardship or stress that students do not feel alone and have the opportunity to seek the help that best fits them!


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