United Nations Association: Welfare Officer

MUN is supposed to be fun (and everything else our UCLUNA does), but sometimes the effort needed to do it well can compete with coursework demands, personal beliefs, or even your latest effort to “clean out” unfinished tasks from the past few weeks. (Not even to mention misunderstandings or simply being overwhelmed!) In my years of MUN experience, I have faced all this and more, and yet am still (mostly) happy and healthy.

How will I pay forward my resilience? Well, dear colleague:

• By being someone to talk to: If we have met, you know I LOVE talking to people (usually), sometimes for hours, and often on deep topics. While not everything or everyone needs/wants long conversations, do know I will be there for you when you need one. (This also extends to the help I already freely give in group chats.) As an Asian American, I can also share my “jumping between cultures” or speak Mandarin if needed.
• By promptly reaching out for help on our behalf when we need it: Many are understandably wary of reaching out to higher authorities. While maintaining appropriate discretion, I meanwhile have reported situations like a pigeon whom I saw run over by a lorry (to UCL Security) and the fare gates being left open at night at an Elizabeth Line station (they are closed more often now, and antisocial behaviour seems to have decreased). Sometimes we just need someone to talk to (see above), but if it’s more than that, I won’t let things get worse.

Roy - turning chatty-ness into helpfulness.

Hi! I’m Sophie, a final year Politics and International Relations student. I’m always proud to be part of this society which allowed me to join conferences, gained valuable experience, and created amazing friendships with other people in MUN. I have been Welfare Officer for a year and a half, and I would like to continue serving in this position in the 2026-2027 school year as a Masters Student in Management. I have a lot of experience both delegating and chairing in university level conferences, from all difficulties, and from General Assembly to Crisis. Therefore, I understand the varied worries or queries that society members may have, no matter for first timers or the most experienced. As the Welfare Officer, I will continue to:

• Ensure that others in the society can learn a lot from our events and training, make valuable connections and great memories.
• Be the first point of contact for any queries or worries for all members within the society, which can be on multiple social media platforms.
• Communicate with different society members and provide advice for any issues or questions.
• Arrange welfare sessions before conferences for last minute questions and getting to know other members.

I have a lot of experience at handling admin and scheduling events, so I can arrange support and extra training sessions if needed, which can help members improve if they are less confident. I will strive to enforce and increase the wellbeing and support given to all members in the society.