Xiaohongshu
Over the past year, I’ve gone above and beyond in my role as Sports Rep, consistently advocating for better student experiences and taking initiative both within and beyond my official remit – making me a strong candidate for Activities Rep of the Year.
I’ve worked closely with Union staff to keep facilities a top priority, voicing student concerns at every opportunity and ensuring long-term solutions are being discussed. At the same time, I’ve taken proactive steps within my own club (UCL Women’s Hockey) to make sure facilities won’t be a barrier next year by pre-booking training pitches well in advance and implementing better internal organisation, because needing such big pitches, it’s always been a struggle for committee and I’m attempting to change that.
Representing UCL at the BUCS Regional Meeting was a standout moment, where I was able to exchange ideas with other universities and bring those insights back to our community. This was truly great in nurturing my ideas for alumni relations, since many of them talked about newsletters, a mentoring system and numerous ‘university days’ things I’ve suggested would be great to establish.
Beyond sport, I’ve contributed to wider areas of student life, such as attending the volunteering working group, where I made emphasis on our partnership with Hockey Inner City and we all tried to ensure the sustainability of our outreach work. Attending the majority of the Activities Zones and having been an active contributor to the engaging conversations/debates has really proven my interest in ensuring student democracy, I really enjoyed hearing from other reps and areas of the union which aren't sports based and realising how many of our concerns overlap.
Whether it’s pushing for system-wide changes or solving practical issues on the ground, I’ve been committed to creating lasting improvements and representing student voices with integrity and loads of energy. I had never thought that being a Sports Rep would become such a core part of my day-to-day life and I've valued incredibly all the conversations I've had with different members from the Student Union.
One of the things I’ll miss most about leaving uni is this role since it’s meant so much to me in so many ways.
This person's contribution to artsUCL this academic year has gone above and beyond that of anyone else I know. This year has been a transformative year for artsUCL, especially for performing arts, and her tireless work as the president of Stage Crew Society has been essential to enable this.
Her individual impact on artsUCL activities is insurmountable. Under her leadership, Stage Crew Society has facilitated a massively expanded programme of shows in the Bloomsbury Studio, while she has personally ensured that time, crew and resources are balanced carefully between the two theatre spaces. She has also overseen a transformation of the Bloomsbury Theatre production environment, working to implement the recommendations of the collaboration guide. New methods of crewing and monitoring the progress of productions have enabled higher-quality shows than we have ever seen before. I'm sure many would agree that this would have been impossible to achieve without a dedicated and supportive Stage Crew president.
She has exceptional relationships with her peers in artsUCL. From having preliminary meetings with every director and producer, to being the first port of call for anyone with concerns about a show, she is always a calming presence for the committees and production teams of the many societies she works with. A key example of this was her measured and diplomatic response to a controversial article published. She also enjoys a close working relationship with artsUCL staff, with whom she meets regularly to discuss and rectify any issues that occur.
The breadth and depth of the role of Stage Crew President has enabled her to carry out a wide range of activity in the artsUCL community. While chiefly working to facilitate productions, she has also collaborated with other societies to put on workshops, and has organised regular socials for Stage Crew members. She has an influential role within the community as a member of the Theatre Allocation Committee, working within the Union's democratic structures to provide opportunities in artsUCL for the next academic year.
She has been a key figure in artsUCL this academic year, helping the performing arts to push the boundaries of possibility in ways that only she could facilitate. I cannot think of anyone more deserving of recognition for their tireless efforts in service of our community.
I’m nominating this person for Sports Centenary Colours for their 4 years of dedication to RUMS Tennis Club. They went from being LUSL Team Captain in their 2nd year of university, to BUCS Men's 2s Team Captain in their 3rd year and is now ending their term as RUMS Tennis President. Their leadership over the years has led to many success stories and promotions for RUMS Tennis, notably winning the LUSL league as LUSL Captain and helping them to win the league this year too. They contributed to the LUSL Cup run, resulting in RUMS Tennis beating UCL Tennis in the final and making them one of 3 UCL teams across all sports to win that day. They also helped organise the friendly varsity with GKT this year and helped bring a 4-1 victory to UCL. They have played every BUCS match for the Men's 1 this season and is the team's biggest cheerleader too. They are overall an integral member of team.
This production of Twelfth Night brought an exciting new twist to Shakespeare’s classic comedy, blending jazz with a noir vibe for a totally unique take. Imagine Orsino and Olivia’s courts as rival bar owners in a jazzy underground speakeasy, with all the action taking place in their respective bars. It was dramatic, mysterious, and filled to the brim with great jazz music that brought the story to life in a fresh and exciting way.
One of the standout elements was to cross-cast Orsino and Olivia. This wasn’t just a fun artistic choice; it gave a whole new dimension to the central love triangle, exploring gender, sexuality, and identity in ways that felt both modern and relevant.
The character of Feste, the fool, was also reimagined as a jazz band—‘Feste and the Fools.’ This was a brilliant way to integrate the jazz theme into the story, bringing extra energy, excitement, and incredible live music into the show. The music itself was a highlight, with the band playing romantic, jazzy tunes that elevated the atmosphere and made the whole production feel even more immersive.
The show took place in Mully’s Bar, which was completely transformed into a speakeasy that felt like stepping into the world of the play. To make the experience even more immersive, audience members were greeted at the door with a stamp of ‘The Elephant,’ the name of the bar in the show, and checked in like they were actually entering a real bar, not just a theater space.
Collaboration was key to the success of this production. The team worked closely with Stage Crew and Jazz Society to bring everything together. Stage Crew did an amazing job with lighting and sound, creatively lighting the space and making it feel dynamic and alive. Meanwhile, Jazz Society provided the live band, which brought the whole jazzy vibe to life, with keys, drums, saxophone, trumpet, and bass playing throughout the show.
The production team behind Twelfth Night was also incredibly diverse, with a strong presence of global majority members and women. This show was a great opportunity for new people to get involved in theater, and many freshers joined the team, getting hands-on experience and learning the ropes of production. The cast, too, included many newcomers, which gave them the chance to be part of something exciting right from the start of their time at UCL.
Despite working with a modest budget of just £350, the team managed to pull off something truly impressive. The marketing, set design, and props were all done on a shoestring but had a massive impact. The show sold out all three performances and even made over £1000, which is a huge success for a production of this scale.
The level of organisation, creativity, and teamwork that went into making this show happen was outstanding. Not only did it create an incredible experience for the audience, but it also provided valuable learning opportunities for everyone involved.
In less than a year, UCL Quiz Society has transformed the UCL student’s quizzing experience, establishing itself as an innovative, inclusive, and thriving community.
At the heart of Quiz Society’s growth and engagement is its commitment to accessibility and inclusivity. With 71 members and an Instagram following of 255 (including UCL students, other Quiz Societies, and even a legendary screenwriter) the society has built a strong and engaged community. This success stems from a dynamic social media presence and a welcoming atmosphere at every event, ensuring that quizzing feels approachable and fun for all.
The society has been dedicated to making quizzing inclusive and diverse at UCL. Quizzing has historically been poor for representation, but we’ve tried to improve the university experience for all students regardless of background. Our question writers make a conscious effort to maintain gender balance and highlight underrepresented groups, ensuring that everyone sees themselves reflected in our questions. Beyond the quiz sheets, inclusivity extends to our events themselves. While many take place in pubs, we are mindful of language and atmosphere to ensure non-drinkers feel just as welcome as everyone else.
One of our most impactful innovations has been the introduction of a solo sign-up form for quizzes. Recognising that attending alone can be daunting, we created a system where individuals could be matched with a team. The response was overwhelmingly positive, as every participant but one returned as part of a self-formed team, proving the success of this initiative in fostering friendships and community. I think this has had a really positive impact on the campus community, because these new connections can be really meaningful.
Beyond this, we are committed to continuous improvement. Our newly launched diversity and inclusivity questionnaire has allowed members to share feedback on what we’re doing well and where we can grow. The results so far are incredibly encouraging, and we’re actively implementing suggestions to ensure our future is even more welcoming and accessible. As I said before, quizzing has suffered from a lack of diversity and inclusivity, so we are really keen to show our dedication going forward as a society to combatting that.
Looking ahead, UCL Quiz Society has a strong foundation, an engaged membership, and a committee dedicated to keeping quizzing welcoming and fun. For its impressive first-year achievements, and clear vision for inclusivity and growth, UCL Quiz Society is deserving of the Best New Society award.
This year has marked a transformative period for UCL Amateur Boxing Club, both competitively and organisationally. At the start of the season, we were facing a complete rebuild—almost all of our competitive boxers had graduated, leaving us with no squad and no training space after being displaced from our long-term gym. Despite these challenges, we’ve managed to build back stronger.
We developed a structured pathway from beginner to competitive boxer that is now one of the most effective in UCL sport. Our beginner sessions follow a clear curriculum and always include competitive squad members who support training and scout new talent. From this, we’ve rebuilt a strong squad from scratch—many of whom had never boxed before—and went on to bring home a gold, two silvers and a bronze at BUCS. Our club has since become well known and respected across the university boxing scene, regularly hosting visiting boxers from other universities like Oxford who join our sessions for high-quality sparring and preparation.
Off the field, we’ve made huge improvements in visibility, communication and presence. Historically known for lacking in social media and events, we’ve completely turned this around. This year we’ve consistently posted training updates, bout insights, beginner session highlights and a well-received series on boxing history, spotlighting famous victories and tributes. We also hosted two major socials which we organised independently and brought in other societies to collaborate, building stronger community ties.
Another major step forward has been launching our own club tracksuit for the first time. The tracksuit has been popular among members and supporters alike and has helped raise our visibility across campus.
Most importantly, this year we laid the groundwork for something long-term: we established a partnership with Box Clever gym, and have begun the process of turning UCL Boxing into a registered amateur boxing club. This move—mirroring what King’s College London has done successfully—will allow future committees to host our own England Boxing-approved shows, marking a major step in independence, recognition and sustainability for the club.
From rebuilding our squad and achieving national results, to reinventing our image and setting the stage for a new era, this year has truly been one of the most impressive and exciting periods in the club’s history.
This person has been consistently committed to the Union throughout his four years at UCL. He first got involved with Union politics as the Hall Rep making himself known as a vocal representative at Hall Rep Forums with UCL Accommodation. He continued this work after being elected as Accommodation and Housing Officer in 2022, putting himself forward for further opportunities to advance student interests in housing through his advocacy work as the Welfare and Community Zone Rep to the Union Executive, member of the Trustee Board Finance Committee and Governance Committee, and 2023 NUS Conference delegate. These experiences have equipped him with a unique understanding of the Union's structures and its place in the national student movement. After joining The Cheese Grater, he continued to represent student interests as Societies Rep for Student Media, 2024 NUS Conference delegate, and Third-Year Rep for the Philosophy Department. Through these elected positions, he has enacted a number of policies to promote fairness and transparency at UCL, including a policy calling on the Union to bring its outsourced staff in-house and another calling for greater transparency of Union processes to enable media scrutiny of its work.
Elsewhere, he was also a two-term president of the Balls! Juggling and Circus Society, which was awarded a Silver Society Development Award in 2024. His term saw exponential growth in the society's membership and reach, having turned the Society around from a small hobbyist club into a performing arts group capable of hosting a variety show for its 20th anniversary in 2023.
As a journalist and editor at The Cheese Grater, he has vowed to hold the Union's elected officers to account with a steadfast commitment to public interest journalism. In particular, his work on the paper's special issue on the Leadership Race no doubt encouraged a record number of students to vote for their next student leaders. His editorship saw unprecedented output, which was named Best Publication in London at this year's Student Publication Association (SPA) regional awards and secured a record 11 nominations at the national SPA awards.
His commitment to the Union encompasses representation, clubs and societies, and student media. His unique ability to traverse these structures and insider knowledge of the Union structures has allowed him to excel in each of these roles and leave a positive and lasting impact. His legacy has seen a more informed and engaged student body at UCL and a fairer and more transparent Students' Union. He is therefore most deserving of Honorary Life Membership.