OK....wow....that was in...interesting couple of days. It's true what Chris says, NUS is a lot more political than SUBU!!
Right, I'll start at the beginning, and when I get to the end, I'll stop.
Chris Nash (SUBU non-portfolio officer) and I both went to the NUS/NUSSL/AMSU Collaberation and Joint Partnerships Conference in Coventry yesterday and today (23rd/24th Feb 09).
It started in an exec meeting where we were asked if anyone wanted to go to the conference with Alan James (SUBU General Manager). Chris (as usual :-P ) raised his hand to go, and Fred (SUBU president) asked if anyone else wanted to go. I raised my hand, as I wanted to get a better idea of NUS conferences, and the NUS as a whole. Then Alan pulled out, due to elections [VOTE VOTE VOTE, I CANT SAY WHO TO VOTE FOR, BUT VOTE - BALLOTS OPEN THIS FRIDAY, 27TH OF FEBRUARY AT 12.00 - VOTE VOTE VOTE, LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD, IT'S YOUR UNION, IT'S YOUR VOICE, VOTE VOTE VOTE] opening on Friday, so it ended up that, rather than being Chris OR myself, it was to be Chris AND myself attending the conference.
We got the 07:30 Cross Country train from Bournemouth, direct to Coventry, and got to Coventry Station at about 10:20, with registration opening for conference at 10:30. We then got a taxi from the station to the hotel, because my iPhone told me that the hotel was in Birmingham, and that it was a three and a half hour walk. Needless to say the taxi driver knew where we were going - the Britannia Hotel, Coventry [awesome hotel, rooms started at £100 per night, mine was £115!!! But the NUS paid about £55 for it, thats where the cash from the NUS Extra cards go I guess].
We checked in, went up to the conference and met with the managers and presidents from Unions from as far away as Glasgow! Anyway, I'll gloss over this bit, not only because you probably won't care, but I can't remember peoples names - it was my first time meeting them, and I'm never likely to meet them again, so it's not worth using the parts of my brain that I need to remember PIN numbers, and the phone number for that amazing Take Away - What was it called again? Oh no, Damn you Sarah!!!! OK, this has got a bit wierd....back to the conference...
Up until afternoon break we had presentations from Managers of Unions, from the NUS, and one woman who seemed to have worked for everybody except Santa Claus, all on different forms that collaberations and partnerships can take, the pro's and con's, etc.
After the afternoon tea break, I went into a workshop talking about running joint events, hosted by the University of Sussex Students' Union (USSU). They talked about their joint Fresher's Ball with the University of Brighton (UBSU), and everything they went through to make it work.
In the evening it was a meal where we could network with other unions and get ideas about what was happening around the country. Chris found out that the president of Teeside University was the quizmaster when he used to go to Teeside's pub quiz when he was a student there, but I'm sure he can give more detail than that.
Unfortunitely I think I must have caught a cold from one of the other delegates, It was so bad that I couldn't go to day two of the conference - sorry all.
We got the 2:25 Cross Country train from Coventry and arrived back in Bournemouth at about 5:20 this evening.
Right, that's everything I think,
Oh, on Monday the Executive committee suggested the addition of cold desserts in Dylans. Thought I'd better throw that in there.
Right, I'm going to bed, I'm still feeling this cold, and it's horrible.
Good night everyone, Thanks for reading
[Sorry this one was a bit of a monster!]
Love from me
XoXoXoX
