Your advocate for clubs and societies
A bit about me
Hi, I'm Finn and I'm in my final year of studying Product Design Engineering. I am currently a co-captain of the trampoline club where I have been an active member since my first year. I was also the secretary of the club last year where I learned a lot about working with the SU and Queen's Sport staff. In November of 2024 with the trampoline club committee, we were able to host the trampoline intervarsity event in the PEC and we were able to develop a great working relationship with the PEC and SU staff to be able to pull achieve it successfully. I am also on another trampoline committee to organise the Irish Student Trampoline Open which aims to raise money for a chosen charity each year - this years' charity being Jigsaw which aims to support mental health in youth. If I am elected, my main goals will be to fight on behalf of club and society members, expand the use of the facilities available, and help encourage students to enjoy their time at university by finding new clubs and societies to join.
Fight for clubs and societies
Having been on a club committee for the past 2 years, I have learned a lot about what clubs need to be able to function. Through this experience and from attending club development groups with committee members from a wide range of different clubs, I have also seen where areas can be improved. I aim to be an approachable point of contact for any club and society members to help whether that be something as small as a question about the clubs and societies handbook or something bigger such as help organising any events. Another large issue many clubs and societies face is the limited amount of funding provided that is necessary to stay active and operational. Many clubs and societies also have aspirations of being able to develop and that would require additional funding. I will work hard with the rest of the team at the SU to provide as many funding opportunities to each club and society as possible.
Improve use of Queen's Sport and SU facilities
The SU building and the PEC have some amazing rooms and facilities for students to use that are suitable for a range of activities from small social gatherings to large and extravagant events. I aim to be able to help clubs and societies plan events and activities of any scale that would make great use of these spaces available. I also hope to b able to foster collaboration and interactions between different clubs and societies through inter-club events that would cultivate a sense of community and internal support for each other. This year, 14 clubs at Queen’s are hosting their sports intervarsity competition with my own club of trampolining being one of them. With the recent upgrade to the bleachers in the main hall of the PEC, I want to encourage and help more clubs be able to host their own competition events. I also want to push for the development and improvement of other areas such as restoring the diving boards in the PEC that have been out of use for a long time as this Is a fun activity that many can enjoy whether they have any experience or as something new to try.
Encourage students finding clubs and societies to join
Queen’s is proud to have over 200 clubs and societies for students to join and they make up a significant part of the university experience for many students. They are a great way for people to make friends and allow them to destress from academic pressures. This is why I want to help clubs and societies to be able to promote themselves at freshers’ fair and similar events to be attract as many new members as possible that will help them grow and develop and provide an enjoyable experience for all students during their time at university.