The Opportunities for All Award Longlist NSVAs 2022
Recognising those that are engaging more students, encouraging wider participation and helping to dismantle barriers. This award is about equity, equality, inclusion, diversity and liberation work. Student groups and volunteers work to break down structural inequalities and to make their activities inclusive and we want to recognise this.
E-Sports Society
How has the person, event, group or initiative impactful?
E-Sports Society organized a Women in E-Sports conference in October 2021, which was sponsored by Zowie, Women in Games, HyperX, Sweet Cabin, and London E-Sports. The event focused not only on the barriers to participation women face, but the positives - spotlighting female role models, scholarship opportunities, and more (hosting 16 external speakers covering a range of topics). Overall, this helped teach women interested in competitive E-Sports understand the support available, and the practical steps they need to take to achieve it.
What is special about this nominee?
The E-Sports Society at RSU has a track record of achieving change at Roehampton University. The E-Sports Society has worked for years to build and grow their community, and has had a real impact on campus life, and getting E-Sports taken seriously as a competitive Sport. This has led to Roehampton University creating the largest dedicated gaming space of any University with 20 high end gaming PCs, enabling opportunities for students to access equipment, and even has a Esports scholarship to the tune of £1,500 per year alongside a Women in Esports scholarship.
PantoSoc (bristol pantomime society)
How has the person, event, group or initiative impactful?
Innovative approach to consent during audience participation (so everyone feels comfortable attending and you only get “picked” on if you are willing. Lots of work done to ensure shows are accessible to all audience members-working with accessibility networks and neurodivergency soc. We’ve raised hundreds of pounds for charities during shows. Raise awareness for the community, starring local musicians’ work in intervals, local businesses and artists work as raffle prizes for the charity raffle etc.
What is special about this nominee?
Everyone who auditions gets a part, regardless of experience or skill. This drives every single show and social we do. It’s all about having fun. Our consistently 4 and 5* shows show that you don’t need to be exclusive to make something incredible. Upskilling members, endless opportunities to do behind the scenes work, and stopping the exclusivity of the theatre world. You can choose how much time you can commit to the society and we work around it. People who have never done drama go on to study it at masters or do it for a career! Everyone leaves with new confidence and ease in themself.
NTU Pride - (Student-Led LQBTQ+ Society)
How has the person, event, group or initiative impactful?
NTU Pride has spearheaded an Inclusive Sports Project which supports students who may not access sport due to gender identify, body dysmorphia, scars and acne, physical disability, or mental health. Pride worked collaboratively with other student-led groups including NTU Dance, NTU Dodgeball, NTU Trampolining. They led workshops with staff and students, which specifically look at the challenges faced by students and how they can help make their sport more inclusive. Members have expressed that without this project they would not have had the confidence to engage in sporting activities at NTU.
What is special about this nominee?
We believe NTU Pride should win a national award for this project because we believe it demonstrates why societies play such an important role within higher education and the university community. Societies are a space for students to explore their identities, try new things, get things wrong but learn and be a part of a community that supports one another and celebrates each other’s differences. NTU Pride has over 255 members, this alone is an achievement, the highest it has ever been, this project has opened up new opportunities and brought two different communities together.
Game Development Society - Game Jam
How has the person, event, group or initiative impactful?
As a society, we held an online game jam held over an entire term, where students could compete in making a game individually or as a team. This was impactful in that it gave the opportunity for all students to take part – no matter if they were limited by not being physically at the university, having a disability that means they’d struggle in high-pressure short events like short-term game jams, or other time-commitments. We had 8 teams of 1-4 people take part, who uploaded all their work to our society GitHub page.
What is special about this nominee?
What made this unique and innovative compared to similar events is that many game jams only cover a period of 2-3 days, and many are in-person only. However, we ran ours over a very extended period of time in order to give everyone who wanted the opportunity to take part, without being limited by time-zones, disabilities which may mean they may struggle to access in-person events, or other time-commitments.
Iris LGBTQ+ Society
Iris LGBTQ+ Society is a social group for LGBTQ+ students at Bournemouth University with a focus on creating a chilled and friendly safe space while using tools such as board and video games to facilitate meeting new people without any pressure.
How has the person, event, group or initiative impactful?
They have used their voice and solidarity this academic year to collaborate with the LGBT+ & Trans & Non-Binary Liberation Campaign Officers to raise awareness, bring like-minded students together and to enact change at BU. Throughout LGBT History Month they ran events including Queer Crafting an OOPS that’s transphobic lecture a Queer Clothing Swap & facilitated HIV testing in the Student Union. Events were attended by students who both identify & do not identify as LGBTQ+. They have educated students using lived experiences & facilitated space for students to become open minded & inclusive
What is special about this nominee?
They are open to all students and the way in which they run their society focusing on playing video and board games helps to ensure that all members feel at ease & can spark conversation meeting new people. There is no pressure at all! They have also used their solidarity & student voice to enact change by passing a SU policy to rename the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Plus Officer and Group, and the Trans and Non-Binary Officer and Group to be more inclusive.
Queen Mary Theatre Company
How has the person, event, group or initiative impactful?
QMTC’S long-held tradition of highlighting voices from BAME backgrounds was made a larger priority this year by the committee. BAME fest was given an additional 3 weeks extra for rehearsal this year as 3 shows are scheduled to be programmed, bringing the total rehearsal process time to become 7 weeks. To enhance their member’s knowledge of practising theatre on a professional level, QMTC collaborated with PEACH magazine to invite Natasha Brown, an accomplished theatre practitioner from a BAME background. They also invited the pappy show to run a workshop.
What is special about this nominee?
Their monthly variety night, Slappin da bass is an opportunity for all students to showcase their talents in a safe and supportive environment. They have ensured that members who need accessible seating are able to request a place in the front row. They have provided a full festival dedicated to BAME students and stories have given BAME students who are interested in theatre the chance to act, direct, do tech, stage manage as well as write their own shows.
Durham University People of Colour Association
How has the person, event, group or initiative impactful?
DPOCA have successfully created and delivered workshops to better educate the student population around race and racism, how to become active in being inclusive to everyone and how to be anti-racist and create a safe environment for students. They run a brilliant welfare scheme and have welfare officers on hand with multiple points of contact. They ensure that all feel welcome and safe and have someone to talk to that is external from college welfare, which some students may prefer and feel more comfortable with.
What is special about this nominee?
DPOCA runs antiracism workshops which are delivered to students and staff per their request. These workshops provide training on unconscious bias and understanding white privilege. Not only do these workshops educate and spread awareness, but they simultaneously make Durham a safer space for its POC students. Having events and talks also help with student wellbeing, giving POC students a voice where they otherwise may not have one.
DSN in London
'DSN in London' is a sub-group of the Disability Support Network (DSN), a group that supports and advocates for students with disabilities. DSN in London was formed this academic year after disabled students on the University’s satellite campus in London felt they did not have a platform.
How has the person, event, group or initiative impactful?
DSN in London is the epitome of grassroots student activism, after they realised they did not have a platform where they could come together as a community to raise their concerns, advocate for change, and support peers with similar experiences. They reached out to DSN, who worked with them to set-up a dedicated committee to represent disabled students on the London campus. Although only in their first year, DSN in London has established a quiet room for neurodiverse students and launched a 4-part careers workshop to support disabled students with job applications and life after uni.
What is special about this nominee?
Engagement on our London campus is hard to facilitate; 95% of students are PGT and only here for one year. It falls to students to facilitate most of the activity and representation. For a marginalised group to make such progress in a single academic year in London has never been achieved before. The committee of 10 comprises a workshop coordinator, who leads presentations on disability awareness, an events officer for the community, and a dedicated advocacy lead who has facilitated changes to university policy to make it more inclusive for disabled students in London.
The Ethnic Minorities Network
Student led association to help BAME students
How has the person, event, group or initiative impactful?
The EMN has been campaigning to reduce stigmas in BAME communities through their Breaking BAME Barriers campaign. Events such as talking about the fetishisation of ethnic minorities in porn and the expectations this places in relationships, as well as discussions on stigmas with ethnic minorities who are disabled, the campaign looks at opening discussions on how to eliminate these stigmas and invites people to talk about their own experiences.
Furthermore, the EMN has been hosting celebratory events such as the Bollywood night, international nights, Holi and diwali celebrations.
What is special about this nominee?
The ethnic minority network are unique, being one of the only student led associations to represent BAME students in a university. Working closely with Loughborough University and the Staff BAME network, as well as working on the Race Equity charter, they no only educate and celebrate the BAME community, they also represent and advocate to ultimately improve the current and future of the student experience at Loughborough University.
OUT
OUT is Loughborough’s only dedicated LGBT+ night out for students, hosted at the Students’ Union, and run by the LGBT+ Association. Launched in 2018, it is open to all students, from members of the LGBT+ community to allies. OUT is entirely organised by a committee of 16 students.
How has the person, event, group or initiative impactful?
Prior to the pandemic, OUT attracted an average attendance of 100 students a month. This academic year, through the hard work of the student committee, attendance has averaged close to 500. The night is popular with students from across the demographic, who consider it a very safe venue and event for them to express themselves amongst their peers. The organising committee are careful to make the event as inclusive as possible, including providing briefings to Security on how to have conversations about photo ID with Trans and non-binary students, and hiring DJs who themselves are LGBT+.
What is special about this nominee?
From ticket sales to venue hire, the event remains entirely run by a committee of 16 student volunteers. They are responsible for managing multiple stakeholder relations including internal venue staff, external DJs, and headline acts. Such is the eminence of OUT that May’s event was attended by Ellie Diamond, a contestant in the second series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. OUT represents the best of collaborative work by students, coming together to create a safe space for all. This year has been a landmark year for OUT, when it has seen an explosion in its popularity – testimony to those involved.