Ana Boikova

Activities & Engagement Officer

 

Hi I'm Ana. 
 As the Activities & Engagement Officer, I take lead on all things Activities within the Union, focusing on the dynamic spheres of sports, societies, and volunteering initiatives.

From the lively Welcome Fair that kicks off the academic year to the spirited rivalry of Varsity and the grand celebrations of our end-of-year balls, my role is to meticulously curate and enhance the co-curricular and social experiences that our students cherish and desire. I strive to foster an inclusive and vibrant environment where every student can discover their passions, connect with peers, and make lasting memories.

I represent you by chairing the Activities Zone and sitting on the Union Executive

Read my manifesto here. 

What matters to me?

Check out my priorities below about some of the work I’ve been doing and things I’m passionate about!

My Priorities

Sports are central to student life, helping students grow, become more resilient, and achieve their full potential.
  • I have also been working on promoting some of the sports postgraduate summer programmes to relevant students to make sure that community has the opportunity to participate in sporting activities.
  • I have started some discussions on how we can make our mass participation evets even bigger next year to provide opportunities for a variety of students to get involved.
Students make the most of their university experience by self-discovery, learning from each other, developing skills, and having fun.
  • Over the past month I have started the internal work around participation at our events for next year to target the groups that are less likely to get involved in extra-curricular activities. Although this was something I have been heavily focussing on this year, I want to make sure that next year we get an ever higher engagement so wanted to start the conversations and planning a lot earlier.
  • Throughout the whole year, and particularly in Term 2 and 3, I have been heavily engaged in the ELO planning and piloting of the project. The project has been a huge success with many of the sessions selling out and being full. After attending some of the events and speaking to students we have received a lot of positive feedback with many saying that they have been able to develop a lot of transferrable skills and learn from students from other disciplines. As part of this and a wider project I have also started a lot of the conversations around how students can get some sort of accreditation or acknowledgement of the skills acquired and thus a consultation will be done.
  • Throughout this year I have had a lot of students approaching me regarding affiliations and asking if it is possible to have an application window in Term 3 so that they are able to set up new societies before the start of the new academic year. I have decided to take this feedback as a discussion at one of the activity zones, which had a lot of support. This has now happened and was very successful with 29 applications, and will stay as a final application window throughout the academic year.
  • I have been in many conversations and meetings this second part of Term 3 regarding the progress on the SU building. I can say that this has been progressing with the new potential site being chosen and work around that starting to be done by UCL.
  • Throughout most of Term 3 I have been working on awards ceremonies and afterparties with the relevant teams to make sure that students have the best time but also get the recognition they deserve for all their hard work this year.
    - During a lot of the discussions regarding UCL200 that is starting next year we have been working on making sure that a lot of the activities are student-centric and student led. We are also ramping up some of our already existing activities to provide the opportunity of as many students to engage as possible.
  • Over the 2 days of awards and in the weeks leading up to it I have received a lot of feedback from students and officers. These have now been passed over to the relevant organisers to make sure next years' awards are better and the things that worked this year are carried over.
  • We have started conversations around skills development programming that will allow students to easily understand what key skills they need improvement in. We had a look at the first pilot of the pillars tool on the UCL My Careers, that we will be trialling with students officers and reps. This new platform that we are working closely with UCL at piloting will provide students with an opportunity to find all relevant skills development programmes and opportunities based on the results from their skills test.
Students have access to a thriving arts programme that broadens their horizons while supporting their wellbeing and developing their skills.

I was part of the studio allocation committee for Term 1 for next year, making sure that the Arts season is diverse and relevant to students. After that we also had a discussion around the bidding process and how to make it more accessible to more students and groups so that they are able to put on shows a lot easier. This will be something we will be working going forward.

Sabbatical Officer Reports

Our Sabbatical Officers create a report every two weeks to inform our members. They believe that keeping everyone in the loop can foster a lively, supportive atmosphere where students feel encouraged to participate and share their ideas. These updates are a great way for them to share what's been happening, from their current projects to collaborations with different student groups, academic departments, and community organisations. 

In each report, you can expect to find insights into the challenges they are tackling, the solutions they are implementing, and the positive impacts these efforts have on student life. From supporting engaging events and workshops to launching new programs that promote well-being and academic success, their initiatives are designed to enhance the overall campus experience.


Voting Record

As democratic leaders, all Sabbatical Officers must maintain transparency in their work. Below is a record of the voting on policies introduced during the academic year 2024-2025 and how Ana has voted. Please note that Sabbatical Officers do not participate in all Zones and, therefore, do not vote on every policy.

Policy Zone Votes Zone Vote
Change to the Structure of the Sports Rep System AZ For
Ban fossil fuel companies from sponsoring clubs and societies AZ Abstain
Active Bystander & Consent Training AZ For
The Union should internally regulate all media societies via the IPSO code AZ For
Union Executive Votes Type of Vote Vote
The Union should lobby UCL to expand Project Period into a university-wide initiative Ratification For
International Student Officer to have Membership of All Zones & Union Executive Ratification For
The Union should create a "Commuters' officer" role Amendment to Governing Document For
Change to the Structure of the Sports Rep System Amendment to Governing Document For
Active Bystander and Consent Training Ratification For
The Union should internally regulate all media societies via the IP Ratification For
Ban fossil fuel companies from sponsoring clubs and societies Ratification For
Lobby for UCL-Wide Review of Academic Curriculums for Inclusivity and Gender Equity Ratification For
Support the Fossils Free Careers Campaign Ratification Abstain
Improved transport links for UCL East students Ratification For
Explaining the History of Phineas Bar Policy  For
Rename LGBQ+ Officer to LGBTQ+ Officer  Amendment to Governing Document For
All activities zone reps to be elected in March Elections, leaving some positions to be elected for Term 1  Amendment to Governing Document For
Bye-Laws Tidy Up  Amendment to Governing Document For
Use of Amazon Vouchers and Products  Ratification For
Union to Lobby UCL for Transparent, Survivor-Centred Improvements to the "Report and Support" System through Formal Student Consultation  Ratification For
Union to Lobby UCL for Accountability, Transparency, and Ongoing Protection in Staff Misconduct Policies   Ratification For
Supporting Students in Sex Work  Ratification For
The Union should commit to formalizing the implementation of the Sustainability Council and addressing the climate emergency across the Union’s work  Ratification For
The Union Should Cut Ties With Environmentally And Socially Harmful Banks  Ratification For

These voting records were last updated on 4 June 2025.

Meetings & Committees I attend:

  • Chair of Activities Zone.
  • Union Executive.
  • Board of Trustees and committees.
  • Students' Union Leadership Team.
  • UCL Student Partnership Committee.
  • UCL Research, Innovation and Global Engagement Committee.
  • UCL200 Strategic Delivery Group.
  • Regular meetings with UCL staff working on careers and global engagement issues.
  • British Universities and Colleges Sports meetings.
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