It’s no secret that the last year has been a dynamic and challenging one for AberSU. We have spent the last year re-focusing on membership and delivering for students and we are proud of our achievements so far.
Big Changes
We can safely say that we are transforming in to an exciting, new AberSU:
· We have shifted our focus to the fundamentals of what a students’ union should be – providing and supporting its membership; our students. Which meant working in partnership with the University to provide commercial services for students within our building.
· We are now a fully membership focused charity, and following a restructure, all our staff time and activity is overall based in three main areas; opportunities, support, and student voice.
· A lot of research and workshops have informed the development of an exciting new strategy for AberSU to take us to 2020.
NUS Wales Awards
We were thrilled to return from the annual NUS Wales awards held in Llandudno on the 14th of March with 2 awards, a runner up prize and a special mention:
· AberSU is now officially the ‘NUS Wales Higher Education Students’ Union of the year’
· We were also jointly awarded the ‘student opportunities award’ to share with Bangor.
· Our current officer team also reached the shortlist for ‘officer team of the year’ at the NUS Wales Awards.
· Finance Assistant Rebecca Thompson also had a special mention for the ‘Staff member of the year’ category.
Staff and officer recognition
As well as the NUS Wales Awards, our staff and officers have been busy since September and have been rewarded for their hard work & dedication:
· Welsh Affairs Officer and UMCA President, Rhun Dafydd has been elected to sit on the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol board.
· President, Lauren Marks has been elected to WNEC.
· Our Chief Executive, Trish McGrath was awarded one of four ACEVO Fellowships (Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations) at the start of the year.
· Eri Mountbatten, AberSU Advisor was also awarded NASMA Student Money Advisor of the Year award.
We look forward to many more exciting new developments and becoming the best membership Students’ Union we can be.