End of Year Highlights 2022/23
What a year! We can’t believe the last term has already come to and end. Check out our highlights from 22/23.
September- Welcome
This September, all in our newly launched brand. we welcomed thousands of new returning students to Bristol. With over 200 events across the city and an incredible Give it a Go series run by our student groups.
Over half the events were non-alcohol events, and half of the events were free. From club nights to plant-potting, paddleboarding to craft workshops - we tried to make sure there was something for everyone. We also hosted a huge 13,000 students at our Welcome Fair at the end of the week.
October- Black History Month and Elections
In October we celebrated and commemorated Black History Month, welcomed Pets as Therapy dogs to the Anson Rooms and hosted our first public forum of the year.
Over 3000 of you voted in our TB1 elections, electing a range of roles including first year and PGT course reps, PGT faculty reps, network committee members and more.
November- Reclaim
November was a busy month for campaigns. She Can, They Can run by your Sport and Development Officer, Lucy aimed to inspire all women, non-binary people and other marginalised genders to take part in sport and feel confident while doing so. There was a wide ranged series of events from Carnival Fitness to film nights.
Reclaim is a national campaign against sexual harassment and gender-based violence, as part of the national Reclaim The Night movement, which began in 1977.
The Reclaim the Night march returned to the streets for the first time since 2019. Over 150 staff and students joined us to march through the streets of Bristol to reclaim the city as our own and demand the use of public spaces at night without fear.
December- My Rent, My Rights
December started with the Bristol SU Lettings Housing Launch - the beginning of properties being added to the listings for next academic year. As part of our My Rent My Rights campaign we've been supporting students with concerns about renting through events and resources, covering everything from finding housemates to a property viewing checklist.
January- Give it a Go
We entered the new year by launching Refreshers and encouraging students to try something new in 2023!
It was fantastic to see you all back on campus for the Commercial Refreshers Fair, our Give it a Go takeover with over 90 GIAG sessions hosted by our student groups and a whole host of fun events. There was something for everyone, with plant potting, karaoke, game nights, guided tours of the city and more.
February- Volunteering Week and Sustainability Month
February saw Sustainability month coinciding with student volunteering week and Be the Change Action month, which led to a jam-packed student event series with community based volunteering with environmental conservation at its heart.
Volunteering events saw 111 volunteers give over 300 hours to good causes across the month. Students were at the centre of our largest events, with Plant Soc running a plant fair with 9 local vendors and 22 local and student makers showcase at our first ever sustainable sellers fair.
We saw Laura Baldwin and Etienne Stott - two Olympians and members of extinction rebellion come in to kick the month off with an inspirational talk. An exciting and varied month, student groups also got heavily involved in promoting others to act with talks and events run by Dino Soc, the sustainability network, fashion forward, BUST and Epigram.
March- Elections
Following a month of nominations being open, we saw 4 days of intense campaigning from our candidates, 75,146 votes, and 6,010 voters later, you – the students, had your say on who could make your SU greater.
With campaigns involving fun video creations, over 600 thyme plants handed out to voters, and even talking about candidate manifestos in student club night queues – it was a whirlwind of an elections period!
April- Accreditation
In April 110 Student Groups took part in our Accreditation scheme which is designed to help recognise and reward affiliated student groups who provide an excellent experience for their members. Achieving accreditation shows your members and potential members how much they are valued and gives them confidence in your ability to provide an outstanding student experience through your group.
This year we saw 18 groups achieve Bronze, 22 achieve Silver, and 50 achieve the highest standard Gold!
May- Donate your Plate
May saw the launch of our campaign 'Donate Your Plate' is the answer to unwanted move-out waste, as well as initial move-in costs.
Bristol SU’s new initiative offers students a place to donate any of your unwanted kitchen waste – from forks and spoons to pots and pans.
The aim of the campaign is to collect items that The British Heart Foundation is unable to sell in the shops, therefore combatting the waste produced when first years move out of halls. All items collected will then be offered to new and returning students in Welcome Week – creating a full, sustainable cycle!
June- Awards
We were so excited to celebrate all our fantastic student success from across the year!
The Bristol SU Sports Awards, Society Awards and Student Voice Awards ceremonies took place on Tuesday 6, Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8.
After three nights of fun and festivities, we announced the full list of Bristol SU Awards winners on our website.
