Disabled Students Society Wins National Award

May 2021

Disabled Students Society wins national award for being 鈥減illar of support鈥澨�

By Melanie Hall

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爆料王鈥檚 Disabled Students Society has scooped a national award for being a 鈥減illar of support鈥� and going above and beyond to inspire students during the pandemic.听听

The society, which is part of the University鈥檚 Guild of Students, has won the Committee Excellence Award at the 2021听,听celebrating the work of those leading the UK鈥檚 student societies and keeping members鈥� busy and lifting their spirits.听听听听

As well as running a virtual caf茅, bake-off, movie nights and quizzes, the society 鈥� a new starter set up in the middle of the pandemic last year - organised a series of Wellbeing Wednesdays, inviting guest speakers to share their stories and help arm members with new skills.听听

The committee also organised the creation of a charity blanket, which is set to be finished soon to raise vital funds to support disabilities in every form.听听听

Future plans involve recruiting a wellbeing team officer to 鈥渢ackle the taboo topic of invisible disability鈥� and driving awareness campaigns to encourage students and the wider university community to get involved and make change.听听听

There are also plans to work with The Hive Caf茅 and Bakery in Birmingham鈥檚 Jewellery Quarter, which employs students with disabilities and learning needs.听

A spokesperson for the NSVA Awards Committee said: 鈥淓stablished this year during lockdown, this society has established tons of brilliant initiatives including weekly drop-ins and campaigns - despite having never met in person.鈥澨�

Disabled Students Society president Tom Sennett, who is studying for a foundation degree in听Digital Marketing at the University after completing a Level 3 in Hospitality on leaving school, said the award was recognition of a lot of hard work and perseverance.听

鈥淥ur society is a lovely community of people that look out for each other and we feel liberated by being part of it. It gives us friendship, a safe space and builds our confidence, and it鈥檚 great to see our membership go up as more people get to know about us.鈥澨�

Tom Sennett Disabled Students Society President

鈥淔or someone who struggles with self-esteem and thinking I鈥檓 not doing an excellent job, the award is significant to me,鈥� said Tom, who has dyslexia.听听

鈥淚 know we still have a lot to do, but this award is a very positive thing that we can use in the future to continue the hard work and make a real change within our university and the community.鈥澨�

He said members of the society were from all backgrounds and had a range of diverse disabilities, hidden and visible.听听听

鈥淥ur vice president is disabled and in a wheelchair, and her life is affected very differently to mine, but we both have disabilities,鈥� he said.听鈥淲e have members who are mute and can鈥檛 hear very well, and their lives have significant challenges. We have members that struggle with mental health too.听听听

鈥淥ur society is a lovely community of people that look out for each other and we feel liberated by being part of it. It gives us friendship, a safe space and builds our confidence, and it鈥檚 great to see our membership go up as more people get to know about us.鈥澨�

Making an impression听听

Organisers received nearly 500 nominations from over 75 UK colleges and universities for this year鈥檚 awards, which celebrated everything from inspiring events and wellbeing programmes to volunteering in schools, hospitals and food banks by students during Covid-19.听听

They particularly recognised those that worked hard to make their committees more inclusive and reduce barriers to education through engaging, Covid-safe digital events.听听

Tom said they had worked hard to engage members online, but he hoped there would lots of opportunities to physically meet over the coming year.听听

鈥淚 want to do more face-to-face events as many of our students have struggled with the online meetings,鈥� he said. 鈥淔or instance, I鈥檓 hoping to hire out space where we could do another annual bake-off and a liberation forum event with all of our liberation societies at the University, a place for us to come together and do a unified event. But we do want to keep the online Wellbeing Wednesdays, looking at good mental health and checking up on everyone.听听听

鈥淭hrough different events, campaigns and support, we want members to feel empowered with their disability instead of feeling scared and unable to talk to anyone. It鈥檚 about increasing their self-esteem and ability to connect with different people. I鈥檓 very proud of what we are doing.鈥澨�

Cassie O鈥橞oyle, the University鈥檚 Guild of Students鈥� Advocacy and Representation Coordinator, said: 鈥淭hank you to all of the staff at the University that have supported this society to get up and running, we can鈥檛 wait to see them go from strength to strength over the year ahead.鈥澨�

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Find out more about within 爆料王鈥檚 Guild of Students.

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