By Moses Badri, News Reporter
Your vote determines who will champion your academic and personal interests at the university level. Who best represents you? Make sure your voice is heard.
You can vote here until 9 pm Thursday 12 March. Find candidate manifestos here.
Cara Hene
The Sport and Student Development Officer is responsible for representing students in sport, wellbeing, and extracurricular development. They work closely with university staff, student leaders, and sports clubs to support the student sporting experience.
Responsibilities include the organisation of major sporting events, ensuring access to inclusive sporting opportunities, and promoting recreational programmes such as intramural sport. They work to address barriers to participation and support student wellbeing through sport.
This year's candidates are: Georgina Uden, Izzy Johnstone, Becky Moises, and Piyush Nigam
*If a candidate did not attend our interview panel, nor respond to our questions over email, they have not been profiled in this article.*
Georgina Uden
‘Give it a Go with G!’
The Politics and International Relations BSc student, and President of Touch Rugby club, is campaigning to improve inclusivity and participation in sport in Bristol. She said, ‘Sport should be absolutely for everybody, whatever your background, whatever your ability, wherever your starting point.’
Georgina proposes expanding inclusive pathways into sport by increasing opportunities such as the Give-It-A-Go sessions, as well as growing intramural sport to improve participation. She also intends to improve development and coaching opportunities for students and strengthen support for student-led sports societies.
A key initiative of hers is the introduction of a ‘Wellbeing Week’ with alternative socials, such as sober socials, and wellbeing activities during academically stressful periods.
Izzy Johnstone
‘Johnstone for Rock Solid Sport.’
The Cancer Biology and Immunology MSci student, and captain of the Women’s Rugby club, is standing to increase participation in sport. She said, ‘I’d never played a sport before I came to university, and now it’s the biggest part of my student life.’
Izzy’s proposals include lowering membership costs, expanding hardship funding and increasing free Give-It-A-Go opportunities so students can try sports without financial commitment. She would also like to improve the awareness of financial support, making it easier for students to apply for hardship funding.
A key part of her plan is to expand LGBTQ+ sessions and offer free gym inductions. Izzy has also emphasised the importance of welfare within clubs, proposing sober representatives at sport socials and a wider range of activities as part of improving inclusivity.
Becky Moises
‘Be Included. Vote Becky. Move with Moises.’
The Psychology BSc student plans to remove barriers to participation in sport. She said, ‘My campaign is about making sport in Bristol more inclusive, accessible and supportive for everyone.’
Becky is campaigning to improve access to facilities, specifically better transport systems to Coombe Dingle, as well as ensuring less visible sports clubs receive more support and recognition to encourage equal opportunities. She also emphasised the need to establish stronger communication between the Student Union and sports societies.
A key proposal of hers is to introduce ‘The Other Social’, an initiative designed to create alternative social events so students who may feel uncomfortable with traditional sports socials still have spaces to build community, which ties into her aim of creating clearer systems to report welfare concerns within sports clubs.
Piyush Nigam
‘Play. Grow. Achieve.’
The Engineering with Management (Energy for Sustainability) MSc student is proposing to make sport at Bristol more accessible, inclusive, and supportive for students of all backgrounds and abilities.
His campaign focuses on ‘making sport something every student feels welcome to try and enjoy during their time at university.’ This includes expanding beginner-friendly and social sport opportunities so students who are new to sport feel comfortable getting involved.
He also encourages more inclusive socials and alternative events so students feel comfortable participating regardless, especially if they do not drink alcohol. Piyush plans to work with the Student Union and sports clubs to reduce financial barriers through clearer membership costs and equipment-sharing initiatives.
Each candidate offers plans to make sport and extracurricular life at Bristol more accessible, inclusive, and engaging. All four candidates aim to support every student, whether through expanding wellbeing support, better funding, or further opportunities.
Featured image: Epigram / Suzanne Célérier
Who will you be voting for as Sports and Student Development Officer?
