“I believe LUSU needs a VP who can secure as much funding as possible”
Jack Taylor – Grizedale College
Jack Taylor believes that the skills he possesses which will give him the edge in the Vice President (Activities) election are founded in “campaigning, lobbying, accountability and communication”.
Firstly he believes that the position is about representing societies and sports, within the student body and the University as a whole. Secondly he feels it is about working on behalf of the groups to get as much money as possible out of the University. Finally he believes it is important to ensure that students get the most out of their experience at University, including involvement in societies and clubs.
As VP Activities has only been a combined position for the past year, Taylor feels that although the merger has gone well so far, there’s more work to be done. “Marc [Handley, current VP Activities] merged the positions well but someone new needs to come in and build on that.”
Accountability is very important to Taylor’s campaign. “I would launch a weekly newsletter stating all the financial decisions made by the Activities Office and its Councils, as well as all the groups I had met with, my timetable for the week and issues that had been bought forward to me.”
Although Taylor wishes to have a one on one relationship with as many of the societies as possible, he feels that attending the Wednesday sports matches is not the best way to do this, as they are “focusing on the game, not on meeting with LUSU.” Yet Taylor believes that there are communications issues to be addressed. “I spoke to the President of one society which had been around for eight years and had never been spoken to by LUSU. They have really failed this society and this needs to be rectified.” He feels that he would be the person to enact this change. “My communication skills are second to none and my experience in this area has been so extensive and effective that I was nominated and selected from over 33,000 people to carry the Olympic torch in 2012.”
Taylor believes that as a LUSU FTO Officer it is crucial to have “one leg in the present and one in the future.” He believes the University is currently in a period of renovation and that it is important for VP Activities to be involved in this. “I have experience of lobbying institutions and with £9000 fees coming in next year, I believe LUSU needs a VP who can secure as much funding as possible for Activities.”
