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A final farewell from your 2024/25 Wellbeing Officer - Gracie Otley
I can’t really believe the time has come for me to say goodbye as your Wellbeing Officer. Words cannot express how truly incredible this year has been.
On this day last year, I was getting ready to begin my officer journey, not knowing what to expect. A year later, I am sitting writing this article reflecting on it all with the biggest smile.
Thank you from believing in me from the very beginning. I never imagined I could ever do something like this role. If you had told me when I first begun university this would be my future, I simply would have laughed and said no not me. Never me.
To know that over 1600 voted and believed in my capability is heartwarming and something I have been grateful for every day since.
There are so many to name but here are some of my key highlights from this year:
Launching the Student Self-Care Movement
Writing my manifesto for this role, I was always set on delivering two key themes: personal development and belonging.
Creating this year long project with a team of extremely hardworking staff at The Union, we managed to bring this campaign to life- exploring the 5 areas of personal development as well as sharing your inspiring stories through social media.
Whether you simply wrote a gratitude note, got involved in an event or observed online- thank you for your time and your energy. I hope this campaign inspired you to become your best self and that no matter where you are in your journey, you should be so proud.
I am sure this won’t be the end of this movement. For me, it’s just the beginning of creating something greater. Never ever give up on becoming your best selves and thank you so much for getting involved.
Representing students nationally
The next huge highlight that comes to mind has been representing your voices to our MPs at the Houses of Parliament in campaigning for amendments to the Renters Rights Bill.
As a regional officer for NUS, I begun this work with the rest of the team back in October on National Lobbying Day. Our combined efforts led to the accomplishment of 2 amendments to the bill.
Representing students on a national level didn’t stop there. Alongside the Greater Manchester Student Partnership, I had the opportunity to speak at the World Academic Summit, where we shared the importance of regional collaboration in creating the best experience for students.
As well as this, I was a keynote speaker at the Festival of Higher Education, sharing the day-to-day pressures students face and even wrote an article for Wonkhe with my perspective on how to increase student participation in institutions.
Being an active representative in meetings
In my role, I have attended a vast range of meetings this year from university meetings to regional meetings as part of the Greater Manchester Student Partnership.
At the university, I have been a key representative at some of the highest meetings in its structure including Education Committee and Mental Health & Wellbeing Strategy group, sharing consistent reports and ensuring the student perspective is always heard in different conversations.
As a result, at the beginning of the year we were able to work closely with the university in assisting to create initiatives to help students through some of the toughest weeks of the university lifecycle.
I have also been an active member of the GMSP board and have attended many meetings, such as Transport for Greater Manchester and meeting with the mayor, initiating plans for improving the student experience across the city.
There are so many more to name. From awards, to keeping you all updated in my day in the life’s, and I mean, how could I ever forget presenting the Future Me launch week with Jamie Laing?!
But you know what the best thing has been? Leaving every single day fulfilled, in a job that I love and with experiences I will cherish forever. Thank you for trusting me to represent you and for coming on this journey with me.
Little me, that girl that left her hometown nearly 3 years ago to start her university journey would NEVER have believed she was capable of doing something like this.
My journey with The Union is not over yet. I will be returning to my final year of study in September to finish what I came here to start and back to where this whole chapter begun - my position as Chair of my society, Lifestyle & Wellness. Come and join us next year!
Once again, thank you. Always believe in yourselves because when you put your mind to something the achievements are limitless. Most importantly, remember why you started this journey. There’s a younger version of you cheering on the sidelines through every era of life.
Good luck everyone and I am sure I’ll see you very soon!
Your 2024/2025 Wellbeing Officer - Gracie Otley x
