Hey! I’m Danny, and I’m campaigning for the position of Leeds Beckett Students Union President. I’m currently in my final year of Interior Architecture & Design and am one of my course representatives. I’m running for this position because I currently work as a student ambassador, course ambassador, outreach ambassador and student careers advisor for Leeds Beckett and working with Leeds Beckett students to positively impact their student experience has become something of a passion over the last year.

What I'm striving for, and how do I plan on doing it?

Increased representation. I’ll ensure that LBSU represents you. Our university is diverse with amazing people from different cultures and races, and people with different abilities, identities, sexualities and more. As a member of the LGBTQI+ community, I understand the importance of feeling seen by your union, so will strive to ensure you feel seen. To do this I’ll make sure wherever possible, we are engaging with all students. Rather than being a place for students to go to with issues, we’ll be actively going out to seek and solve any concerns you may have.

Sustainability. LBU has many measures in place to ensure it is doing its part to combat climate change. However, it seems there is still more work to be done. Helping stop climate change seems to be a shared value most students share so I want to ensure even more measures are put in place so that we can help protect our planet. Encouraging LBU staff to not use printouts and digitalise more is a good starting point however there is more to be done.

Student Safety. Feeling safe where you live and study should not be something to strive towards, it should be a given. We live in a time where we know that is not the case. I want to do everything I can within the role to make sure every student feels safe, focusing specifically on women and those in marginalised groups. Leeds already has several initiatives like ‘Women’s Lives Leeds’ and I want to ensure the union is working with them so that all students are aware of them and know where to turn if need be.

Maximise funding that benefits you. Part of this role includes overseeing the Unions budget. We are in a cost-of-living crisis and we are students. I want to ensure that the amount put towards bursaries and hard-ship funds is prioritised in these difficult times.

We pay large tuition fees so deserve a top-tier education. In my final year of study, LSA stopped paying for Adobe for all students, meaning remote working was no longer possible. I led a series of discussions which resulted in the successful reinstallment of Adobe for all LSA students. I’ll translate these skills into this role to represent you and help make sure you receive the best experience possible.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read, I hope I can count on your vote!