Interview with Sophie O'Neill - VP Activities

Part of our Elected Officers Series

What is your name and what did you study/are you studying at UCLan?

My name is Sophie and I studied Aerospace Engineering when I was a student at UCLan.

What is your role in the Student Union?

I am the Vice-President of Activities, looking after Sports, Societies, Volunteering and Media. My passion is around helping students to find the confidence to try new things and get involved as well as the mental health and wellbeing advantages to getting involved.

Why did you choose to get involved in Student Government?

After a rocky relationship with my mental health I learnt how important it is to get involved with clubs and societies while at university. It is where I found my friends and my passion for planning activities as Chair of the Rock Music Society. Without that support network I don’t believe I would have been as successful with my degree and I want to help all students find the support they need to do what ever they set their mind to and get the most out of their time here.

What are your main goals for the 2020/21 academic year?

Day to Day I will focus on making sure all student lead committees have the support they need to get the most out of running their groups, but I also have a few of my own priorities.

The first is building community across Hall of Residence, Sports and across campus in general. With Covid-19, it is now more important than ever that we have a line of communication with those staying in Halls to make sure they feel connected and supported. With Sports, I want to build a more vibrant atmosphere so that we can celebrate our wins together and have fun at the arena supporting our times. The Officer Team this year all agree that SU presence needs to be boosted across campus too.

I am also working the Inspiring Projects Team to introduce a RAG (Raising and Giving) Committee to increase fundraising culture at UCLan and utilize my role with Pulse Media to ensure everything that goes on is communicated better.

Who is your disabled role model?

Molly Burke is a Canadian YouTuber who’s honest and nurturing conversations around living with sight loss inspire me with every video. I first found Molly’s channel when her video about a Braille Typewriter popped on my recommended page and had to find out more. I find different languages and communication techniques fascinating, let alone the mechanics! Since then I haven’t been able to stop as she explores topics that I might be too shy to ask about and gives insight into her day to day life. Not only have I learnt more about the community but the way she communicates inspired my leadership technique.

How are you going to use your position to support disabled students?

We cannot deny that there are barriers to activities for our disabled students. I want to work closely this year with the society and Meg, VP Welfare, to hear about every little thing that’s getting in the way and take these issues to the relevant union or university staff. Our students are tired of shouting so let me give everyone the platform to speak for themselves and confront the problems head on.

I thought the forum we had with Sports staff went really well and I look forward to setting up regular sessions with university heads to make sure issues are eliminated as quickly as possible.

If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing at UCLan, what would it be and why?

I would love to wave a magic wand so that all groups leaders have the confidence and knowledge to adapt their sports for any and all reasonable adjustments as well as give our disabled students to confidence and empowerment to work with them without having to do all the work themselves. This wish is not completely impossible so will also be one of my goals for the year.

By the end of the year, one thing you want to have achieved is…

As it is my second year in the role there are a few aspects that I’ve reflected on. For example, I want to be involved in a lot more awareness campaigns and help to host events. I also was to see an increase in engagement and participation and work with groups to make them all accessible.

What message would you want to give new students at UCLan for 2020?

Welcome, welcome, welcome! There are so many brilliant opportunities that really will make your student experience. Be fearless and do whatever your heart desires. The officers, reps and staff are all here to make sure you get what you what out of your time at university so stay in touch. We’re going to have a lot of fun together and I can’t wait to meet you.