At almost every level possible at University, Kim Hudspeth has been involved in sport. “I’ve had a lot of experience dealing with different clubs at college level, Uni level and at Roses as well. I spent a year playing college netball as well as bar sports, and I’ve played lacrosse for the University since I first came here,” she says.
Her experience also involves sitting on her college JCR as sports representative, so there’s no doubting her sporting CV. With lacrosse, where she’s involved in women’s and mixed team, she’s currently president but formerly treasurer, meaning she has undertaken a number of varying roles. She puts this variety as being key to her campaign, since she’ll be looking out for all sports, and is hoping to identify with every sport and society regardless of what they do.
For someone so sporty, there’s no doubt that Roses is of massive importance to Hudspeth: “last home Roses was great, if anything I’d just like getting more people down that aren’t involved in a team to spectate because it’s such a good weekend for everyone,” she says. “I’m also on the sports committee that the current VP Activities has set up, so I actually went to York to coordinate Roses this year, including sports and points.”
Hudspeth’s manifesto is almost exclusively sports based, so what can she offer non-sporting societies? She ties the answer to what she sees as being an issue facing students today. “The initial bonding with people is quite difficult for a lot of people, and a society is a good way for people to feel included and part of something.” She says encouraging people to get involved in a society and group they can identify with is her priority. She thinks that being easy to talk to and approachable would help to connect with societies, and address their unique issues.
Her manifesto also talks of inclusion, saying that working with JCR international officers means that she has an inside knowledge into knowing how to help. “We’d support international students by communicating because they know what they want, rather than trying to guess what they want in a club,” she says. The international officers for the JCRs are key she says.
Hudspeth also wants to employ close JCR ties to address welfare issues within sports and societies. She wants to sort any worries, from uncertainties to lacking the right opportunities. She would speak with welfare officers for colleges to find out the main issues. Her involvement in college bar sports, as well as time on the JCR, means Kim believes the colleges are a crucial point for engaging with students.
In an ideal world, Hudspeth would have an unlimited pots of funds for societies because she feels that this is a pressing issue right now. She believes some clubs are incredibly limited with their scope because of financial constraints, and whilst acknowledges that LUSU are in a similar position, giving funds to those who need it is a priority of hers.
Hudspeth’s experience will no doubt help her on her campaign trail, but like a lot of candidates who have run for VP Activities in the past, her manifesto is very sports oriented. But she plans to make amends to this, and did not exclude societies.
