Avery Greatorex Year-to-date Report (01/07/2025-13/04/2025)

It has been an eventful year so far with many national policy decisions requiring action and lobbying from the SU Reps. We have also spent much time helping the communities’ team and developing our community groups.

Here is a list of everything I have achieved and participated in so far this year:

July

• Lead and Change (Birmingham)
  • An event hosted by the National Union of Students (NUS) Charity providing workshops and training for new and returning reps from across the country.
  • This year faced an occupation which meant that it did not go as planned. Using the moment as an opportunity to bring people together I hosted an impromptu session of trans rights and best practice – which was the most attended session of the whole event.

August

• Citizens UK Training (Birmingham)
  • Training offered to reps and staff at Students’ Union to become better community organisers.
• WonkHE Training Day (Lancaster)
  • WonkHE (a national education news outlet) hosted a day for Northwest representatives to better understand the current situation in Higher Education.
• NUS Democratic Procedures Committee (DPC) Meeting (Manchester)
  • After getting elected to the NUS DPC I attended my first meeting where we discussed how the conferences would look for the year ahead.
  • As a Liberation member of the DPC my priority was to ensure that the conferences were accessible.
• NUS Regional Campaign Day (Liverpool)
  • A day hosted by the NUS to bring Northwest representatives together to campaign. The priority campaigns at this events were Trans Liberation, Regional Transport and addressing the pricing model of Circuit Laundry.

September

• Speaking about trans rights at local conference (Preston)
  • I was invited to a small local conference by the local Stand Up to Racism group to talk about the current situation for transgender people.
• Joining Vigil with Nepalese students (Preston)
  • Me and Chak joined Nepalese students in a vigil to remember the brave fight of people in Nepal during the 2025 Gen Z protests.
• Trans Pride (Liverpool)
  • I attended the Liverpool Trans Pride march and spoke at the ending gathering, focusing on the political landscape at the time.

October

• Fair Deal Week of Action (Preston)
  • I joined the NUS campaign to provide a better deal for students and apprentices. Our union came 13^th nationally in most signups!

November

• All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Students (London)
  • I joined the APPG for Students hosted by the NUS to talk about the proposed government reforms to the Higher Education system.
  • I spoke about the experience of commuter and working-class students.
• Citizens UK Weaving Trust (Preston)
  • I joined community leaders from student and faith groups to create a more cohesive regional community in Lancashire.
• Remembrance Day (Burnley)
  • I represented the Students’ Union at the Remembrance Day event on Burnley Campus – coming from a family with a military history, this was an honour.
• NUS England Conference (Coventry)
  • As a member of the NUS DPC I attended the NUS England conference to facilitate spaces, raise concerns to the NUS leadership but also to participate as a representative of our Students’ Union.
  • I was due to lead the Trans Day of Remembrance event at conference but due to illness I could not on the day.
• Trans Day of Remembrance (Preston)
  • I was invited by Preston Pride leaders to speak at the local Trans Day of Remembrance event, hosted at the Market Tavern.
• LGBTQ+ Students Get Together (Preston)
  • A community event organised by the Students’ Union to bring members of the LGBTQ+ community together.

December

• World AIDs Day Fundraising (Preston)
  • I hosted a small stall in the Students’ Union building to fundraise for World AIDs Day.
  • We raised £12.

January

• Writing to MPs Regarding Statutory Duty of Care
  • Students’ Union Representatives wrote a joint letter to the three MPs representing our three campuses to lobby the government to introduce a legal obligation for universities to be responsible for the care of students.

February

• LGBTQ+ History Month
  • Worked with the communities team to create a plan of events for LGBTQ+ History Month.
• Postgraduate Students Wine and Cheese Night (Preston)
  • Not usually my kind of thing but genuinely enjoyable, I attended as a student.
• LGBTQ+ Breakfast (Preston)
  • Free breakfast for LGBTQ+ students to build community – not well attended, lessons learned.
• Carla-Maria Vigil (Preston)
  • A very difficult day for our university community but an important opportunity to bring people together to process what had happened and signpost to wellbeing resources.
• March Against Britain First
  • I joined activists in Manchester in a march to counter the controversial Britain First group.
• NUS Regional Campaign Day (Liverpool)
  • Another NUS Regional Campaign Day with representatives across the county.
  • The key campaigns were Circuit Laundry and the Plan 2 Student Loan Freeze.
• LGBTQ+ Student Get Together (Preston)
  • Another get together to bring the LGBTQ+ student community together.
• LGBTQ+ Harris Museum Trip (Preston)
  • To celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month’s theme of Science and Innovation, the LGBTQ+ community had a small trip to the Harris Museum.

March

• Vigil for Migrants Lost in the Channel (Manchester)
  • I joined activists in Manchester to remember the lives of those lost attempting to cross the English Channel in hope of a better life.
• NUS Plan 2 Loan Campaign Day (London)
  • Me and Chak went down to London to wear some shark costumes during the Spring Budget.
  • This was to point out that changing the terms of someone’s loan when they’ve already taken it is loan sharking.
• Holifest (Preston)
  • A brilliant evening full of good music, good food and a lot of colours.
• International Women’s Day Leadership Panel (Preston)
  • I was invited to watch a panel assembled by the University of Lancashire consisting of inspirational female leaders in the region. Really insightful event.
• APPG for Students (London)
  • Another APPG this time about the funding model for Higher Education.
  • I spoke about my experience as someone from a family with disabilities, explaining that I didn’t realistically have a choice but to go into Higher Education and take a loan.
• NUS Election Hustings (Online)
  • I attended a hustings with other candidates for the role of NUS Vice-President of Liberation and Equality, trying to convey to voters why they should vote for me.
• NUS Vice-President of Liberation and Equality Election Win
  • I WON!!
  • I AM YOUR NEXT VICE-PRESIDENT OF LIBERATION AND EQUALITY AT THE NUS
• Lancashire Students’ Union Election Result Night
  • A proud evening where I passed the metaphorical torch to the new students’ union representatives – you are in good hands.

April

• Finished Campaign to Ban Conversion Therapy for transgender people
  • After two and a half years of campaigning we have sent 1500 postcards to 262 members of parliament demanding an end to conversion therapies for transgender people.
• Register to vote drive
  • Created social media content to encourage students to register to vote in the local elections, including international students from British Overseas Territories and Commonwealth Nations.