Hockey Club (Women's): Welfare, Development & LGBTQ+ Officer

Here at UCWHC, we have a legacy of brightening up the gloomiest Wednesdays, easing up the hardest weeks, and turning four hockey teams into a family—as your welfare sec, I would love to uphold this! In my whole two years at the club, I have gotten to know all its amazing members and learnt from our seniors how to handle challenging situations with competence and confidence. I will use my international background to empathise with any newcomer who has moved away from home or who may not be fluent in English, facilitating their transition into uni life in ways I have found helpful.  Moreover, I will ensure I am approachable with my presence at the socials, and available at other times of the week with drop-in sessions as Eilie has done this year. As welfare sec I intend to:

• Foster a nurturing environment where individuals feel safe to voice concerns of any magnitude.
• Ensure transparent communication and prompt resolution of issues.
• Provide more opportunities for all teams to build genuine relationships beyond Wednesday nights.

Though this role is in nature reactive, I believe there is a key preventive component to it that strongly relies on setting the right tone for the club at the start of the year and embodying key values such as respect, inclusivity, safety and accountability throughout. This club has been a major highlight of my uni experience, and I would be proud to be considered for welfare sec for our upcoming season!

Hi, I’m Alex and I would love the opportunity to be your Welfare sec next season. Hockey is one of the most supportive communities I have ever been a part of, and I would hope to continue culturing this next year.

As welfare secretary, I would hope to be an approachable face who could make every member of the club, whether fresher or senior, feel comfortable enough to express their concerns. UCLWHC should be a safe space for everyone no matter their background or how they identify, and it is of paramount importance that any worries or concerns can be communicated back to the committee and dealt with discreetly. I am equipped with good knowledge of mental health needs and have undergone safeguarding training, so I hope that anyone finding hockey daunting at the start would feel that they are in capable hands.

Ideas:

• Introduce an anonymous reporting form to ensure that all members feel that they can raise a concern without the fear of repercussions and club politics.
• Increase the emphasis on hockey families and include a further social, such as a family Come Dine With Me to help the families bond even further.
• Have a designated senior as an emergency contact each week and ensure that at least one other person in the club has the location of every member to ensure safety when travelling to Scala.
• Celebrate the LGBTQ+ community within the club more and make it an even more inclusive space by better signposting as to how any LGBTQ+ member can reach out if struggling.