Friday 16-06-2023 - 12:36

With over 200 nominations for only 15 awards, VP Societies and Media Danny Goodwin and the Societies Team are blown away by the scale and quality of nominations for this year’s Societies and Media Awards. Shortlisting only 2 or 3 groups for each award was incredibly difficult and picking the winners even more so.  

Thank you to all those who submitted nominations and thank you to the incredible work by exec teams and individuals to run society activity this academic year. 

 

Best Collaboration

Bailrigg FM, LA1TV and SCAN at Roses  

A small and mighty group, the combined student media team at Roses worked diligently to ensure that students at Lancaster had constant coverage of the events taking place. The team communicated and planned the event coverage months in advance and supported one another to create quality content – SCAN provided live updates of the events as they took place, whilst Bailrigg FM and LA1TV broadcast many of the events live.  

Ballroom Charity Showcase 

This year’s annual Charity Showcase, hosted by the Ballroom Dance society and featuring LUDanS, Salsa, Ballet, Magic and Circus, Music, and more. The event included Lancaster’s own Strictly Come Dancing, a mini musical with live accompaniment, and raffle prizes galore - over £500 was raised for Morecambe Food Bank. 

Charity Bingo – Lancaster Marrow, Sikh Soc, and Hindu Society 

These three societies collaborated in the aim to raise awareness about stem cell donation in BAME communities and to raise money for the charity Anthony Nolan. They raised £331.12 and signed up 3 potential donors to the stem cell register, as well as educating people on myths associated with donating stem cells. This was a really informative event with plenty of fun and learning! 

 

Best Student Media Feature 

SCAN Freshers Issue 

This print issue debuted at Freshers fair and was a hugely successful edition, with every single copy being taken within a matter of weeks! 100% of the content was aimed at freshers, helping them acclimatise to university life, and Lancaster. It featured games, exclusive discounts, and as much advice as they could squeeze in. The team wanted to ensure no fresher felt excluded or confused about university culture.  

 

Beth Train-Brown, 'Red Wash for Underwater Hockey: The Coolest Sport You’ve Never Heard Of' 
 
Not only was this the first coverage of Underwater Hockey to truly engage with the sport in both description, terminology, and accurate point scoring BUT it was also the first to be reported live underwater. While organising the logistics of various reporting gigs over the Roses weekend, Beth decided there was no point reporting on the sidelines of the UWH match. Instead, she borrowed a snorkel from Lancaster and a mask from York then dived in next to the players and followed the match from underwater, popping up between rounds to pass notes onto her co-reporter, Lucy Whalen. Both Beth and Lucy took turns diving underwater to provide the university's first match report collected underwater during a live match. Then, Beth wrote up the report, researching history and play specifics of the sport, with UWH President Peter Lamont correcting them as she went. The final feature Beth produced is a Roses first for underwater hockey match reporting and for any sport feature in the publication. 

 

Miranda Stevenson, 'Learning Ukrainian in One-Week: Lancaster Student Challenge Fundraiser' 

It's difficult to combine interview quotations with readable story but Miranda does a fantastic job here, which makes it all the more impressive considering that she has little experience in journalism. This feature is a real heart-warming story of a student who aimed to learn Ukrainian in just 75 hours, raising money for victims of the war and supporting tutors living in the country. Miranda does a fantastic job writing this feature in a way that moves the reader and showcases the compassion in our university community.  

 

Campaign of the Year 

Lancaster University Labour Club 

The Club led a long campaign on the University Ward which focused on promoting a student voice in the City Council. They led a positive and constructive campaign, focused on student's issues, creating a distinct manifesto from Lancaster City Labour's and working with the SU to promote the election and new voter ID requirements.  

As a political campaign, Erin and Lewis worked hard under political pressure to build a new movement for students to be heard in local government, fostering a healthy environment for the discussion of ideas on campus. Erin is now going on to represent Lancaster University and Students in the City Council! 

 

The Islamic Society – Window to the World 

Working with the Children and Young Peoples Partnership, the Islamic Society have been teaching school children from North Lancashire / South Cumbria about Islam and how that faith is followed at University.  
Isoc have produced interactive presentations for pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2, which has given pupils a fundamental insight into Islamic beliefs and traditions, as well as key information about Islamic majority countries.  
Pupils have had the opportunity to ask questions about the religion and the cultural aspects of Islamic countries and the different practices which has helped them understand the wider world in which we live.  

 
So far Isoc volunteers have delivered this to over 1000 children throughout the academic year with more dates in the diary for June. Isoc have been pioneers in this project and are seen as a measure of good practice for others to follow and we are very proud to be associated with such a motivated group. 
 
 

Equality and Diversity Award 

LU Brazilian Jiu Jitsu 

BJJ have championed diversity this year with a hugely diverse and global membership & executive team. There is a form of unity between all the members and everyone is seen as family. The society has participated in the wider community by providing women's self-defence classes, these were taken up by the Women Plus Forum and the Dance society. This work with the wider community has also helped to support and engage women in the sport and foster a truly inclusive environment within the club. Furthermore, this illustrated the society's utmost value in providing people with the necessary skills to defend themselves, while also having fun and working as a team, which is what the society is really about! 

 

Pole Fitness Society 

One of the most inclusive societies on campus, members are among so many fellow queer, women+, non-binary, POC, and disabled students who all have a shared passion for this sport.  Exec and instructors of the society go above and beyond to ensure that all body types, all abilities and backgrounds are able to get involved. All public events such as their Fresher’s Fest activities are made to be as inclusive as possible so that all students from all backgrounds and dress feel welcome! They recommend pole leggings, sports hijabs, and everything in between. Lastly, they're so wildly welcoming to all genders and sexualities that members feel comfortable to be their true selves.  

 

Lancaster University Living History Society 

LULHS has been a massively welcoming space for everyone from day one, with members from all backgrounds. In particular, it forms a strong community of neurodivergent and/or queer people. Respect for everyone’s specific needs is an important part of the society's culture eg: checking people are ok with loud noises, sanding or other sensory aspects of our craft and combat, as well as sharing pronouns online and in person. Their diversity really brings them together as a group – allowing members to learn more about each other and themselves through discussions of their similarities and differences. Commitment to diversity is a commitment to who they are as the members of LULHS. 

 

 

Event of the Year 

Criminology Ball 

The Criminology Society held their first ever Criminology Ball in March 2023 and the feedback received from both staff and students was exceptional. The exec team began planning in November 2022 and gained funding from Lancaster Law School to enable the event to go ahead. Barker House Farm was secured, and all decor was locally sourced and completed by small businesses. The photography and live music were also locally sourced through the University societies, with LU Music Society and LU Photography Society both working the event. 12 lecturers and staff members from Lancaster Law School attended the event and thoroughly enjoyed themselves, with many commenting that our President, Grace, should take up event planning as a career and wondering how the society will top it next year. All attendees were served a three-course meal, catered by the University events team, had unlimited access to the photographer and the subsequent photos after the event, and were each able to request one song for the after-dinner playlist. The event was a HUGE success, and the exec team are incredibly proud of their efforts. 

 

Defying Dementia Student Society New Year's Resolution Run 

With the help of the Sports Centre, and the Running and Athletics Club, Defying Dementia Student Society raised an impressive £195 for Defying Dementia during their New Year's Resolution Run. This event was put on as a replacement for their annual Santa Dash when unforeseen circumstances meant that they were unable to hold the event in December. Instead of giving up, both societies worked tirelessly to organise a new version of the event in January which encouraged getting active in the new year. Members of the society volunteered their time on the day to ensure that the event ran smoothly with both student and members of the public participating in the 3km run around campus. 

 

The Linguistics and English Language Society's Murder Mystery Night 

The Halloween Murder Mystery Night took a lot of planning and careful thought from the exec and was a momentous success. Every attendee was given a detective's booklet filled with tasks & clues for them to fill out. Halloween-style and detective fancy dress was encouraged on the night, and many did show up dressed ready to investigate the crime scene! The turnout was brilliant, selling over 60 tickets. While there were some linguistics-themed clues, the event was appropriate for LAEL Society members and non-members, with everyone getting involved regardless of their prior knowledge of forensic linguistics!  

 

Lasting Impact Award 

Alice Grennan – LEC Soc Netball 

Alice founded LEC Netball in the summer of 2021 to establish a space to better the mental health of students and offer a space outside the lecture theatre for students to meet despite the COVID-19 Pandemic. Over 2 years later the club has flourished into having over 180 members in its short life span so far and 3 successful teams. Through LEC Netball, Alice has had a lasting impact by breaking down the traditional gender barriers within Netball, establishing the first official Mixed Netball club on campus. Alice has worked tirelessly to make the welfare and mental health of its members a priority by creating an incredibly warm and positive space for everyone involved, this has been reflected in the growth and popularity of this community in such a short time and will surely be felt for many years to come. 

 

Lancaster University Netball Umpiring Society 

This year the Netball Umpiring Society have implemented changes that will set high and admirable standards for all netball campus umpires. They were able to increase the amount umpires get paid and have staggered payments based on qualification to incentivise people to get qualified. They have financially aided people in getting their qualifications and supported them throughout the process, had excellent communication with team captains and always helped with any issues from teams or umpires. They have also expanded the exec for 2023/24 to include an Umpiring Development Officer to further help enhance the abilities and confidence of all umpires, a publicity officer has also been added in the hopes of widening netball umpiring engagement across campus. The umpire development pathway support that they have added and continue to add will be extremely beneficial for years to come to make all campus leagues as competitive, controlled and organised as possible. 

 

Ffion Jones (President of Defying Dementia) 

Ffion has dedicated an unprecedented amount of time and effort to the Defying Dementia and Student Society over the past 4 years. She has been the events manager, social secretary, treasurer, media and communications officer, health and safety officer and president during this time. She has also volunteered at the defying dementia shop and the community hub throughout this time as well. She has pioneered new fundraising events and created a summer internship for an individual to work in the defying dementia lab fully funded by the lab. She has also created a yearly travel fund of £250 to contribute to the cost of society members travelling to and from dementia related volunteering allowing more student to gain work experience and the charity to increase volunteers. During her time as an exec member, she has helped raise the most money ever raised by the society, with an overall total being at £5,458.28 and counting. As she leaves Lancaster this year, her exec would like to show their appreciation and how much she will be missed.  

 

Leaps and Bounds Award 

Lancaster Motorsports Society 
 
Lancaster Motorsport changed massively during this academic year. Beginning with a complete rebrand in time for Freshers fair last October, they introduced fresh new logos and an overhaul of social media pages which then tripled in followers. The society successfully entered Lancaster into British University Karting Championship (the highest level of UK karting competition students) for the first time in its history with 2 teams in the first year. They also worked with York Motorsport to have karting approved into Roses as an exhibition for the first time ever in 2023. They gave members access to karting through an internal karting championship with over 50 different members competing. The introduction of society’s first ever merchandise collection in 2nd term created a larger community feel than ever which continued the growth of the society. The society also worked with LA1TV to create a society trailer and short film at one of their races. 33 unique events were hosted across Lancaster town/campus, their local circuit, and at race circuits across the UK. Last year 1 team represented Lancaster at the BUKC24hrs, this year 3 teams (24 drivers!) will represent the university.  

 

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Society 

The Brazilian Jiu Jitsu society have overcome a lot of adversity this year, and prevailed. While the group has only been running for 2 years, they took part in the first Mixed Martial Arts event at Roses this year. The team dominated at the event, winning 3 out of the 4 weight classes! An amazing result for a growing team at their first Roses. They are a great example of how a new group can so quickly achieve greatness. Well done! 

 

LU K-Pop Society 

Maintaining and building on membership from last year, with 100 members, LU K-pop Society continues to improve itself. Offering new events for members this year like decorating activities, pizza and boba parties and crafts, the society has continued to show innovation and the ability to host events which are new and different, especially for a society whose main source material is simply a musical genre. It is this that makes LUKPOP a society that is constantly taking leaps and bounds, and one which continues to grow and learn each year. 

 

Media Group of the Year 

Bailrigg FM 

Bailrigg FM has expanded and improved massively over the course of this academic year. The station is always full of people working, socialising, or enjoying themselves. Their numerous teams, including news, engineering, and music, make sure that everybody has plenty of ways to get involved with the station in a way which caters to their interests. They air more than 20 hours of original content each week thanks to brilliant presenters, most of whom had no broadcast experience prior to joining the station. The group cultivates and encourages individuality and creativity in all their activities – from extensive coverage of the Roses Tournament, to interviews with high-profile artists at Highest Point music festival. 

LA1TV 

In 2019 and during the pandemic, LA1 was down to a handful of members and struggling to survive as a society. Now, they are thriving and revitalising what it means to be a media group. They have done some phenomenal work this year and have been so open and encouraging of any new members who approach them. Their work at Roses perhaps best demonstrates this – the team were up at sunrise to setup Thursday-Sunday and went above and beyond in their coverage of events. From fixing pixelated feeds to putting cameras back up in the pool, they kept at it! 

 

SCAN 

SCAN have worked so incredibly hard this year, from before term even started, planning their most successful issue yet – the freshers issue. Between extremely well received print issues, their online content has been consistent and high quality, with heaps of inclusive and original content, focussing on what will be the most important, and relevant to students - from original interviews with woodcarvers to live Roses coverage. Their image has been revamped with new and striking social media content, as well as promotional material such as banners, fliers, mugs, and even personalised role hoodies. SCAN also won a national award at the student publication awards this year for Highly Commended best sport section, their first SPA award to date. Always keen to break a big story, and never shying away from any blockades in our way, SCAN work hard all year to produce content across 8 sections, so there is something for everyone.  

 

 

Roses Standout Performance 

Pole Fitness – with special mention to Beth Train-Brown 

For the first time in many years, LUPF won against York in pole fitness, while away from home and with a competitor group comprised mostly of beginners! No small feat, and with such incredible performances. Special mention goes to Beth Train-Brown for her performance, which won the Judge’s Choice Award. Beth (she/they) has competed at all of Pole Fitness’s events this year – and performed at several showcases, including the Winter Showcase. However, at Roses 2023, she competed solo for the first time in the Intermediate category. This was Beth's first solo win and judges’ commentary included avid praise for their unflinching portrayal of pride and identity. 

 
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu 

Lancaster University Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competed for the first time this year, having won 3 out of 4 weight categories, and having conceded only to one York participant, this is a very impressive outcome for the first-year composition. 
It was refreshing to see a group comprised of mainly first years and new to the sport competing. There was no expectation for the society to succeed given that 8/10 exec members were new, and the society had never competed before. However, it was admirable and inspiring to see the group create a legacy for LUBJJ and the wider martial arts community at Roses.  

 

Shaun Liddle – LU Darts 

Shaun organised the whole qualification process for Roses which saw over 100 people take part across 3 different qualifications. He ordered the shirts that people wore, as well as being the lead organiser of darts travel. He then Captained the Men's 1s team to victory, winning the captains decider as well as hitting a 180 en route, the first one since 2016. He has been an exceptional president this year for the darts society! 

 

Small Society of the Year 

Acapella 

With around 25 active members in Acapella, the group truly feels like a family, bonding over music. They have plans to continue growing the society and developing their repertoire for bigger performances planned in the future, at the university and in Lancaster. As well as open rehearsals and Roselution rehearsals weekly, they regularly have music themed socials, for example; karaoke, which has enabled many of their members to boost their confidence. Songs and activities are carefully picked to consider the group members in attendance, their preferences, and strong suits. As a smaller society, they can understand every member’s best quality and play to them as they rehearse and celebrate parts of the year.  

 

Defying Dementia Student Society

The Defying Dementia Student Society has a total of 22 members, but this does not affect the enormous impact that it has on the community and its members. Every year they continue to raise a phenomenal amount of money for the local charity, Defying Dementia. This year they have raised £1,289.16 which will all go towards developing a treatment for dementia. They have done this by holding several events including a New Year’s resolution run, a mystery book sale, readathon and quizzes. The society has also fully funded an internship for a student to work at the research lab over the summer. The society has made strong links with the charity and researchers to ensure that awareness about the charity and society is spread and encourage people to join the fundraising efforts. This society may be small, but everyone knows who they are, and they make a real difference to the people involved.  

 

Sexpression: Lancaster 

Sexpression: Lancaster has made great strides this year after recovering from the setbacks of lockdown. They developed and delivered their first on-campus relationship and sex education (RSE) teaching, doubled the amount of in-school teaching sessions they delivered compared to the previous year, taught at and developed new relationships with disadvantaged schools in Cumbria who lack access to sexual health clinics, and had some great collaborations with colleges (quizzes, workshops, mindful Monday event), all in the effort to teach young people about consent, healthy relationships, and how to take care of their sexual health. They also raised funds which will allow the charity next year to further increase the branch's ability to travel to disadvantaged areas to teach RSE; distribute more free contraception, period products, and information to the student body and Lancaster community as a whole; and increase the quality of teaching by acquiring new equipment and resources.  
 
Overall, the members have shown an impressive commitment to the group and its mission to make RSE accessible and has great plans to widen and improve their community impact in the coming academic year. 

 
 
Society of the Year 

Casual Football Society 

After being voted as the best sports society in 2023, the Casual Football society has expanded and become more popular this year. It cultivates a sense of community, where individuals come together, fostering social bonds and unity. It promotes inclusivity by welcoming people of all backgrounds, transcending barriers of age, gender, and ethnicity. Casual football encourages teamwork, communication, and fair play, instilling important values in its participants. It also contributes to physical fitness, promoting a healthy lifestyle. Beyond the field, casual football serves as a platform for cultural exchange, bridging gaps and fostering understanding. Its ability to create lasting connections and positive societal impact make it a strong contender for the accolade of "Best Society." The society's expansion into utilising more social events than in the debut year last year has also helped open the society to more members and support members of the Lancaster University Community find new friends and have a bit of fun in a recreational space.  
 

Pokémon Society  
Pokémon Society has dramatically increased its membership over the past year, having grown from about a dozen active members to over 50. The society has continued to improve and brought in new events to attract members such as the 'Bounce and Eat' trampolining social, a scavenger hunt across campus, and crossover events with other societies. Pokésoc's Instagram was created in the past year and has become the face of all the group's events and activities - shared to over 175 students every week! The society has also continued to host its unofficial Roses match with York Pokésoc again this year (7th year running!) and takes part in inter-university tournaments involving Pokémon societies throughout the North of England. Lastly, the society continues to remain closely committed to continuing events which are important to past/veteran members such as the Annual Woodley Memorial Cup held in Lent term in remembrance of one of the original executive members and founders, as well as hosting the society's 11th birthday party online, and continuing to involve former students in running online tournaments and leagues. 
 

Pole Fitness Society 

Pole fitness has continuously fostered a welcoming environment for old and new members, making sure everyone feels included and comfortable in a sport that takes many out of their comfort zone. It's an environment in which everyone supported each other through thick and thin, culminating in Roses which pole made red this year for the first time in 6 years. For a society that was on the brink of collapse just two years ago when they couldn’t recruit enough exec, Pole Fitness society has never been better. They had nearly 80 paid members this year, ran six classes a week (including beginner, beginner+, improver, intermediate, and dance classes), had enough money to purchase a new stage pole, and smashed their two biggest competitions. LUPF always strives to make everyone comfortable, and to welcome anyone from any level of fitness to a place where they can better themselves and have fun with people that will inevitably form lifelong friendships. 

 
 

Student Media Contributor of the Year 

Maisie Otterburn 

Maisie has been absolutely *on it* with the articles this year. They’ve platformed hidden voices, conducted unique interviews, and covered events that no one else is talking about. Their “Inclusive, Fearless” coverage of wheelchair rugby was powerful and inspirational. Their coverage of young songwriter Zoe Wees was professional and well-written. Their Dry January round-up was fascinating. Great work Maisie! 

 

Maria Hill (she/they)  
Stepping up Associate Editor of SCAN, standing on the senior exec team two years in a row, Maria has been endlessly helpful to keeping SCAN up and running. Always there to motivate the morale of an editorial team or offer fantastic opportunities to writers who would otherwise not have been involved, Maria has made herself proud. She was also part of the small team to attend the SPA National Conference this year and networked with many different publications, constantly on the hunt for new ways to innovate Lancaster’s student media. Not to mention, there are few people in the society with more warmth and joy in them than Maria (and her avid photography).  

 

Riley Williams 

Riley is the Engineering Manager at Bailrigg FM and the Assistant Station Manager at LA1TV. Riley spends just about every minute of her free time (and probably most of her waking hours) working to improve student media. Riley has made herself truly indispensable in improving Bailrigg. Her technical skills have kept the station on-air through all manner of glitches and digital hiccups and she has been the driving force behind most of the changes at the station this year. She has been in back-and-forth communication with LUSU to advocate for the station, is currently working hard to get their third studio back on air after years of it being used as a storeroom, and has just released the new and improved Bailrigg FM website! Succinctly, Bailrigg FM this year could not have functioned, much less improved so much, without the Stakhanovite effort of Riley Williams. 

Sustainability Award 

Edible Campus 
 
Edible Campus has constructed a welcoming, diverse, and vibrant community of students who love the outdoors, and are passionate about sustainable food production. Members learn about gardening and maintenance, as well as food preservation to reduce food waste. The society has made leaps and bounds in sustainability, achieving a composting system as well as enterprise such as occasionally selling produce at the campus market. In recent times, the society has been broadening its horizons with a focus on biodiversity (through schemes such as no-sow, and wildflower sowing), as well as forming bonds with other institutions, such as the RHS, local schools and other groups in order to cultivate a love for nature and a passion for sustainable food production in a changing world.  
 

Engineers Without Borders 

EWB are committed to bringing sustainability and global responsibility to the heart of engineering and innovation. 
They give their members opportunities to develop themselves professionally through workshops and placement events, all of which are sustainably focused. For example, guest speakers from the renewable industries. EWB have focused this year on a project to safely dismantle and recycle disposable vapes. A considerable proportion of the university community partakes in vaping, but many used vapes are found lying on the floor. To reduce this waste, EWB are figuring out a way to use the plastic casings for use in 3D Printers while ensuring the battery remains intact for professional recycling. Another focus of this project is to persuade students to ditch the disposables, and if they still want to carry on vaping, choose a more sustainable option instead such as refillables. EWB have also focused on outreach to local primary schools, teaching them about the benefits of renewable energy, the right to clean water, and how to live sustainably in their own lives. 

 

Triumph Over Adversity Award 

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu 

From the beginning of the year there have been a lot of obstacles in running the society. Firstly, the former president and vice-president quit abruptly leaving a society without an official running exec, comprised only of a secretary and two female social secretaries in a male dominated society. Furthermore, no handover was written, and no additional support or information other than the documents already created was given. No guidance on how to run a society, giving two options either rise to the occasion or let the society be a failure. The largest impediment was losing a bank account which left the society vulnerable. The problems left by the old exec were solved, and having established better relationships, a bigger bond between the members, exec and instructors was created, as well as a more cohesive method when creating the memberships. In addition to this, the number of members and regulars in the society grew exponentially. Against all odds, the society kept succeeding, having its first intraclub competition, participating in Roses for the first time and opening doors for other martial arts to be able to participate too. 

 

Ffion Jones 

Ffion has dedicated an amazing amount of time to Defying Dementia Student Society and the Defying Dementia charity itself. During her time at university, she has been a member, events manager, social secretary, media and communications officer, health and safety officer, treasurer, and President, with the latter being held for two years. She has helped raise thousands of pounds for the charity, volunteered in the shop and in the community hub as well as created a 6-week internship with the defying dementia researchers. Throughout this, Ffion has suffered from several health issues, using crutches to walk. She has fought through several setbacks and even helped others in the society with financial and emotional issues. She is an inspiration to all her exec and has held the society together. She even held five exec positions at once for a term and a half to keep the society running. If she had not taken on these roles the society would not have been able to continue on and raise so much money.  

 

VP Award for Individual Achievement 

Alice Grennan 

Through her tireless dedication to the sphere of societies at Lancaster University, especially LEC Netball, Alice has provided hundreds of students with countless positive experiences due to her passionate commitment to student life at Lancaster University. Alice is the founder and Club Captain of LEC Netball, the only fully mixed netball club on campus and one of few mixed netball clubs in the North of the country. Through this Alice has pioneered a new positive welfare-focused space within the University that has broken the traditional gender barriers creating an opportunity for all to get involved. LEC Netball was founded by Alice in the Summer term of 2021 as a space for students to meet others to benefit their mental health amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, LEC Netball has grown exponentially, with over 180 members across its 3-year lifetime, 3 extraordinarily successful teams, and a charity netball event that raised over £900 with 300 attendees. None of this could have been done without Alice at the forefront.  

 

Ffion Jones 

Ffion has dedicated an unprecedented amount of time and effort to the Defying Dementia and Student Society over the past 4 years. She has been the events manager, social secretary, treasurer, media and communications officer, health and safety officer and president during this time. She has also volunteered at the defying dementia shop and the community hub throughout this time as well. She has pioneered new fundraising events and created a summer internship for an individual to work in the defying dementia lab fully funded by the lab. She has also created a yearly travel fund of £150 to contribute to the cost of society members travelling to and from dementia related volunteering allowing more student to gain work experience and the charity to increase volunteers. During her time as an exec member, she has helped raise the most money ever raised by the society, with an overall total being at £5,458.28 and counting.  

 

Riley Williams 

As Engineering Manager at Bailrigg FM and Assistant Station Manager at LA1TV, Riley has devoted her free time to working to improve student media. Riley has made herself truly indispensable in improving Bailrigg – her technical skills have kept the station on-air through all manner of glitches and digital hiccups and she has been the driving force behind most of the changes at the station this year. She has been in back-and-forth communication with LUSU to advocate for the station, is currently working hard to get their third studio back on air after years of it being used as a storeroom and has just released the new and improved Bailrigg FM website. Bailrigg FM this year could not have functioned, much less improved so much, without thee Riley Williams.