Ellie Acornley for Welfare Officer

Improving the student experience by prioritising your mental wellbeing.

Honesty

I will never lie or mislead you, and I will only ever make promises that I know I can deliver on. It may not be an exciting point, but without honesty, integrity, and transparency, none of my promises mean anything and I have seen enough dishonesty, to know how valuable it is.

Open-Door

So many people struggle, and it is not fair that they go through this alone. My promise to you is that I will always be reachable. While I’m here, you will always be heard, you will always have a space where you can vent, and you will always have someone who cares.

Prioritising You

Feeling heard is just the start - prioritising your voice is how I’ll make a difference. I will learn from you and will fight for everything that you need.
We have such a diverse range of students, and I will never assume what is best, instead, I will listen to you and advocate for the best and most inclusive decisions for all.

Let’s put our voice back in the Student Union together!

Experience

I have a track record of setting up and affecting change in non-profit organisations, and my experience in the mental health field speaks for itself:

• Founder and Director of a company which supports student mental health.
• Former Deputy Director of Samaritans.
• Currently a Trustee for Voluntary Action Doncaster and a Volunteer Mentor for Mind.
• Extensive experience setting up support groups and overseeing events, including Leeds Community Minds workshops, Armthorpe LGBTQIA+ and SH*T SHARE.
• Level Six Course Rep for BSc (Hons) Counselling & Mental Health.

I want to bring all this experience and more to improving our union.

From speaking with students already, I have the foundations of my candidacy (though I will be constantly changing these based on your suggestions). Currently, I pledge to:

• Introduce an open-door policy.
• Ensure that period products remain freely available.
• Improve access to wellbeing services by the end of my time with the Student Union.
   

As someone who has struggled in the past, I am passionate about wellbeing, and currently, the university is not doing enough to prioritise it.

I have met with multiple students who struggled to navigate the wellbeing service, or worse felt that it put them off entirely. I’ve also seen the wellbeing team turn down free workshop opportunities because they weren’t sure if anyone would come. This is not acceptable. Especially when, 70,000 students start university each year with a mental health condition.

I will change this attitude, so that you can get all the chances and opportunities possible because I want you to leave university in a better place then where you started.

My open-door policy starts here. If you have questions, suggestions, or just need someone to talk to, I’m here for you.

I’m really looking forward to working with, and for, all of you.

e.acornley2427@student.leedsbeckett.ac.uk