LSESU Activities & Development Officer

I'm Katie, your Activities & Development Officer. This means that I look after sports, societies, the Media Group, RAG and some of the events at LSE Students' Union. Feel free to get in contact at: [email protected]

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Co-curricular facilities: an open letter to LSE

This term, 58 leaders of sports clubs and arts societies wrote a joint letter to the LSE. Collectively they represent over 3000 students. Here is their ask:

As leaders of Athletics Union sports clubs and performance-based societies, we are appealing to you to include sports, rehearsal and performance facilities in the plans for the co-curricular space in 44 LIF. Collectively, we represent thousands of society and club members.

We recognise that for our co-curricular activities to continue to succeed and bring pride to LSE we need access to bespoke spaces that are fit for purpose.  In the spirit of collaboration, and for the wider benefits of students, we want to work together with the LSE to make sure the opportunity of 44 LIF is not wasted by pitting one group of students' needs against another. Both sport and performance can make a student’s time at LSE.

Sports clubs currently spend in excess of £100,000 of Union and members' money per year on hiring facilities for training and matches representing LSE. In addition to this we struggle to put on the development and beginner programmes we wish to because we can’t afford the cost of additional venue hire. With these costs it is the students with lower incomes who miss out (an increasing problem with changes to loans and the rising cost of living in London). Not only is the lack of adequate onsite facilities a financial barrier to participation, but it also presents barriers to the time-poor student. Results from the SU's recent annual survey highlighted lack of time as one of the most significant barriers to participation in societies and clubs. As well as this, data collected for the Active Lifestyle programme showed that travel to facilities, and the cost of that travel, were central to non-participation. The distance of external facilities from campus only exacerbates this problem. Onsite facilities including a multi-purpose sports hall for our competitive teams and our wider sports programme (active lifestyle, the gym, wellbeing programme) are therefore necessary to develop our sports offer at LSE and to include all students who want to take part.

Last year, our arts societies (including music and drama) had a combined membership of 1852 students, and many other societies hold annual shows. The only creative outlet for LSE students is through these respective societies. We are working with the Students' Union to build an inter-societal arts community this year, which will raise the profile of the arts at LSE and help build a reputation of the university as a hub of creative innovation. However, with the building work on site we have lost 3 rehearsal spaces from last year, which has put even more pressure on the limited spaces we do have access to. It has also meant that our single music practice room has become even harder to use with increased bookings of the Shaw Library.  Spaces in the new student centre are booked to capacity and, moreover, the venue is not suitable for the smaller rehearsals with 10-20 students that are common. The 6th floor studio is an amazing facility that really suits our needs, but with other societies competing for access to it during term time (totalling over 200), in addition to the SU gym and LSE events, we don’t have enough suitable rehearsal space. A new purpose-built black box rehearsal and performance space of a similar size, as well as more music practice rooms, would help ensure the future of arts activities at LSE. It would allow us to continue playing a vital role in the satisfaction of so many students here and in the vibrancy of campus life. 

Student-led activities are the lifeblood of the LSE student community. An investment in suitable facilities for both sport and societies will enable future students to fully participate in our diverse student communities and to showcase their talents to the rest of LSE and beyond.

Signed:

Katie Budd, LSESU Activities & Development Officer

Julia Ryland, LSESU Athletics Union, President

Maria Lavrentyeva, LSE SU Music Society, President

Paul Bernstein , LSE SU Music Society, Vice President and Head of Orchestra

Gordon Yam, LSE SU Music Society, Vice President

Janis Wong , LSE SU Music Society, Treasurer

Oscar Chan, LSE SU Music Society, Secretary

Marion Severt , LSE SU Music Society, Head of Jazz

Audrey Wozniak, LSE SU Music Society, Head of Chamber Music

Hugo Bromley , LSE SU Music Society, Head of Choir

Kushal Patel, LSE SU Music Society, Head of Live Music

San Puri, LSESU Athletics Union, Exec Member

Oli Strong, LSESU Athletics Union, Exec Member

Elin Harding, LSESU Athletics Union, Exec Member

Tessa Hutchinson, LSESU Athletics Union, Exec Member

Jenny Johanson, LSESU Athletics Union, Engagement Officer

Ella Sun, LSESU Drama Society, President

Blaithin Dockery, LSESU Drama Society, Vice-President

Alice Harrison, LSESU Drama Society, Secretary

Jack D’Arcy, LSESU Drama Society, Treasurer

Judith Durkin, LSESU Drama Society, Executive Producer

Anna Diamond, LSESU Drama Society, Executive Stage Manager

Elizabeth Meehan, LSESU Drama Society, Props and Costumes Manager

Mariana Baguenier, LSESU Drama Society, Publicity Officer

Claude Paret, LSESU Drama Society, Improv Manager

Hamish Barker, LSESU Drama Society, Social Secretary

Dani Tullett, LSESU Drama Society, Technical Officer

Natasha Rodrigues, LSESU Dance, Club Captain

Neo Kailing, LSESU Dance, Vice-Captain

Zoe Teyssier, LSESU Dance, Treasurer

Adele Belanger-McMurdo, LSESU Swing Dance Society, President

Sam Gravatt, LSESU Men’s Football, Club Captain

Nikhil Parmar, LSESU Men’s Football, Treasurer

Roisin Bennett-Odlum, LSESU Netball, Club Captain

Billie Selby, LSESU Netball, Team Captain

Esther Gross, LSESU Netball, Team Captain

George Bettsworth, LSESU Athletics, Running & Triathlon, Club Captain

Gela Karamidze, LSESU Men’s Basketball, Club Captain

Megan Beddoe, LSESU Women’s Basketball, Club Captain

Carole Hector, LSESU Yoga, Club Captain

Saajan Keshwala, LSESU Kabaddi, President

Kishan Chandrakumar, LSESU Kabaddi, Club Captain

Oleg Kurochka, LSESU Jiu Jitsu, Club Captain

Grisilda Duli, LSESU Muay Thai, Club Captain

Peter Ropar, LSESU Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Vice- Club Captain

Maria Furtado, LSESU Taekwondo, Treasurer

Jessica Davies, LSESU Women’s Rugby, Club Captain

Merren Wallace, LSESU Women’s Rugby, Treasurer

Rory Blackshaw, LSESU Lacrosse, President

Yana Berahavaya, LSESU Lacrosse, Club Captain

Nicola McCabe, LSESU Women’s Hockey, Club Captain

Krishna Aswani, LSESU Men’s Hockey, Club Captain

Freddie Jayarajah, LSESU Men’s Hockey, Treasurer

Harry Long, LSESU Rowing, President

Julia Lawson-Johns, LSESU Rowing, Treasurer

Fabrizio Pellizzetti, LSESU Capoeira, Treasurer

David Nguyen, LSESU Rock Climbing, Club Captain

Kartik Panwar, LSESU Floorball, Vice- Club Captain

If you are a committee member of an LSESU club or society, and would like to add your name, please email [email protected].

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Sports England Funding

This year I've been working on a number of different projects to improve sports and the recreational programme we offer here at LSE. With the new gym you may have seen some new fitness classes, as well as some strength and conditioning sessions for women. We also had some Wellbeing activities thanks to Anneessa - Community and Welfare Officer.

However, by far the biggest project has been the application to Sports England. This application took weeks to research and just as long to write, however I'm incredibly happy to announce that we have just heard back the results. 

For the next 3 years LSESU will have £250,000 from Sports England as well as match funding of £100,000 from LSE to put on an incredible recreational sports programme which includes one of sports festivals, drop in fitness sessions, beginner courses in a variety of sports as well as inter-mural leagues held in Central London. This funding allows us to completely redevelop sport here at LSE for the next 3 years, as well as providing the foundations for sport in the future. 

Huge thank you to all the students that completed the survey we sent out, this has shaped the application and hopefully it fully reflects what students want! 

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Summer Ball

On the 13th June we are holding our first ever Summer Ball. As some of you may have noticed, this is before all the exams are finished. 

I'd like to apologise to those who have decided not to attend because they still have exams. All decisions made by myself and the other Sabbs are made with students as a top priority. There was a huge amount of thought that went into selecting a date for this event. 

Based on previous experiences in organising graduate events, as well as our own experiences as students we were very aware that a lot of students look to leave campus, London and even the UK pretty soon after their exams, we were therefore looking for a date that wasn't too late in Summer Term, but also a date that would allow those who still have exams to potentially attend, this was the logic for choosing Friday 13th June. 

This is the first time we have held a Summer Ball and we fully expect to learn a lot about what works and what doesn't. We will be holding a number of reviewing meetings after the event and therefore if anyone has any feedback about any part of the event, I encourage you to email me ([email protected])

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Week 2 LT Activities Committee

Attending 

Nona Buckley-Irvine

Sabrina Jayaseelan 

Amy Trynka 

Samantha Si 

Hannah Richmond 

Apologies 

Harold Craston 

Approved Societies

Oxfam Society 

East African Society 

Parent and Carer Societ 

Approved Budget Applications 

Drama - £200 towards the Annual Musical 

Terra - £640 towards a Maori cultural event and film screening 

AIESEC - £510 towards their Leadership Development Summit 

Economic History - £98 towards their Cambridge Lecture Trip 

Chess - £664.50 to compete in the BUCA Chess Championships

Itchy Feet - £750 towards their Global Village event which will bring together a number of different societies for a day of cultural activities 

Hindu Society - £125 towards their sports competition 

Singapore Society - £250 towards their Chinese New Year Dinner. 

The Activities Committee will meet LT Week 4 

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New Society Applications and the Activities Committee

What is the Activities Committee? 

The activities committee is a group of students elected by heads of clubs and societies to consider proposals for new societies and for the activities committee budget. 

Who sits on the Activities Committee?

The activities committee is chaired by myself, the Activities and Development officer, the Society coordinator sits in the meetings but has no vote. It is then made up of 6 other club and society members. 

1 Media Society member 

AU President

2 Society Members

2 AU members 

When do we meet? 

The Activities Committee meets every 2 weeks and we need a minimum of 4 voting members attending in order to cast any votes. 

This term we will be meeting on weeks 2,4,6, 8 and 10. 

However because we have a minimum attendance number in order to vote, if someone is ill or cannot make it, the meeting may have to be rescheduled. 

Submitting a new society application

All applications can be submitted here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/xv613l01m1pwsj8/648%20AUEventsCalendar.zip 

The only requirement is 20 students, including 3 committee members. You just need their email addresses and LSE ID numbers.

BEFORE YOU SUBMIT

While there isn't a definite criteria for what can and cannot be a society, there are a number of recommendations, it is really important you read them!

1) Is your society like any other society? 

If the answer is yes be prepared to justify why your society is different. Remember not all of us share your knowledge, make sure you put it in an easy to understand format. 

If there are similar societies, explain the benefits of your new society. Also consider speaking to the similar societies before applying, you never know you might be able to develop an existing society to include the area that you're particularly interested in. If that's not an option you can definitely get some great advice on running a society. 

2) Is your new society potentially controversial? 

If there is any potential controversy, again be prepared to explain your safeguards and why the benefits of your new society would outweigh any potential negatives.

At LSE we are known for getting ourselves into trouble. The Students Union wants to support you and facilitate discussion, but we also want to see you have considered any potential issues and are addressing them in your application. 

3) Explain how your society relates to LSE

This is especially relevant if you are setting up a society affiliated with a company, publication or charity. While we may have heard of the charity or have read their mission statement we want to know what you plan to do to engage LSE students. 

4) Will you be financially sustainable? 

If you plan to hold a huge number of events, conferences and debates, think about how you will finance these. A good conference can cost as much as £30,000. You're unlikely to cover the costs with ticket sales so have a think about potential sponsors, fund raising events and even the activities committee budget. 

5) What will your society do? 

This sounds like a stupid question but seriously think about it. When you're at Freshers Fair surrounded by some well established societies with all sorts of promotional material surrounding their stall, what are you going to do to get sign ups? Are you helping students build their CVs? Are you bringing like-minded people together to enjoy cultural exchanges, food or entertainment? Whatever you're doing have a plan, if your application doesn't have a clear plan it's less likely to be approved. 

After the committee 

If your application is successful you will hear back from Iain Pullar, the Societies Development Coordinator, the email will include information about your next steps.

If you're unsuccessful you will get an email from me, Activities and Development Officer, explaining why you were unsuccessful and some feedback about your application. Remember you can always apply more than once. 

If you have any questions email: [email protected]

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End of term round-up

This aims to let everyone know what I've been up to since I started as well as looking forward what to expect from me in Lent Term. This term has been a relatively procedural term for me which has resulted in me focusing on the provisional or ‘activities’ side of my job:

Societies

We have had almost 40 applications for new societies with over 25 of these being approved by the Activities Committee; there have also been 71 applications for the activities committee budget which total almost £50,000. This is a sign that our societies are working hard to develop themselves and improve the services for their members.  Some of these applications include the development of the photography society dark room and equipment, money that will enable the Judo club to expand its membership base and what it offers, support for LSESU Pride Week, as well as allowing societies such as the Chinese and Malaysian societies to take part in the Nottingham Games. These examples are just a small taster of what’s been going on this term.

On top of the activities committee applications we have also streamlined the sponsorship process. This means clubs and societies have a template that allows them to get in contact with companies and the SU to process these applications quicker, for the benefit of all our members.

Sport

We have also approved the creation of 3 new sports clubs: Judo, Pool and Go-Karting. These clubs are still in the development stages but membership is growing and there are many competitions on the horizon for these members to participate in. It also provides a fantastic case to ask our main sponsor KPMG to provide more support to our clubs.

We have been working hard to develop the Sports Ambassador Programme with aims to both support and develop elite sportsmen and women during their time at LSE. The programme has had 4 new additions over the course of this term. There are now 14 elite and developing athletes at LSE and we hope that this will continue to grow and receive support from the school in the future.

Media

The student media groups have been working incredibly hard over the term to deliver to students. Pulse has had a rise in the number of listeners as well as playing at a number of events including first Crush. The Beaver has hit its 800th edition as well as improving its online access, it has also seen a new editor Dennis Mooney step up as well as incredible praise for the content, with particular praise to Private B, the satire section which has attracted a lot of new attention (unfortunately not always positive).  Loose TV has been continually developing it’s service, covering important events such as Freshers’ Fair and Michaelmas term elections. They have also launched a new web series ‘The Language Barrier’ of which the first episode has now aired; we look forward to seeing more from then in the future. Clare Market Review have release two editions this term, the first as a taster for new students, the second which was recently distributed around campus.

RAG

This term RAG has had some amazing achievements, they managed raise over £16,000 which was a result of their incredible planning at Freshers, the numerous events they have been putting on over the course of the term, and the proactive work of their committee in organising collaborations with many different societies. I look forward to the next term when their main event ‘RAG week’ is held and they will hopefully take their fundraising total to the next level

One LSE

Over the course of the year I am and will continue to work incredibly hard to raise the profile of sports at LSE, making sure students, staff and alumni are aware of how important sport is to our members and how they can support the talent at LSE. We have been encouraging all members to submit their success stories so we can promote the amazing talent we have here at LSE, but we are also looking to increase the levels of participation in social sport at LSE. We have just held our first ever Christmas Cup, a day of free social sport, for which all involved clubs and the AU exec should be commended for. Over 150 people got involved in the cup, with football having to make some emergency bookings for more pitches because of unanticipated interest. This is an incredible achievement and we look forward to hosting another cup next term. We are also in the process of putting together a calendar of events in the new building which will include Give it a Go sessions for all members of LSE, these will allow you to get involved in more sport and society activities on campus.

Next term I will be working with captains and the AU exec to have a day of action on Houghton Street. Many members of the LSE community are completely unaware of how good we are at sports and it’s time they were made aware of the talent we have at our university.

I will also be working hard with our Sports Development Coordinator to gather research on what standard practise for sports provision is at other universities and how we can better support our teams. 

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Food fest in the quad - looks delicious #food #cakes #lsesu #lse #thestu

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LSESU WELCOME BALL

LSESU are hosting a fabulous Welcome Ball on Thursday 10th at Café de Paris. It's the first formal event of the year and is your opportunity to dust of your dresses and practise your bow tying skills!

This exclusive event's tickets are available online http://bit.ly/17bzdlg for £16 and include a canapé selection and a free drink on entry.

We've also got student drink prices and amazing entertainment.

 All profits go to RAG!

Get in touch with Hannah Richmond on [email protected] for more information

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PIZZA PARTY

  As part of the Freshers Calendar we are organising a PIZZA PARTY! 

This is aimed at students who are living at home or in private accommodation and who might not have the chance to meet other students as easily. However, if you've arrived in London, halls are a bit bare and you're not sure what to do today come to the Quad 1-3pm today. 

As you're walking down Houghton Street, look out for the Pizza Party signs, and take a turn into the East Building, come down stairs and there will be PIZZA 

Make sure you join the facebook event so we know how much deliciousness to order. 

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Could not be happier with my results. A* History, A* Religious Studies, A in French and A in English.

Now off to the London School of Economics (and Political Science) in September. Bring it orrrnn.

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Getting a preliminary reading list for michelmas

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Don't let preliminary reading lists stress you out! 

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RAISING AND GIVING AT LSESU 

At LSESU RAG is the main charity group, which plays a huge part in money raising, but also socialising on campus. 

The photos to show you all the amazing events RAG runs throughout the year as well as NONA your RAG PRESIDENT

Meet Nona your RAG president! 

Nona is INCREDIBLY dedicated to the money raising cause as well as ensuring that all students have an amazing time doing it! She has also answered a couple of questions so you can find out MORE about RAG at LSESU

What is RAG?

RAG stands for Raising and Giving - we are the fundraising arm of the students union! Essentially this means that we put on cool events throughout the year to raise money... These include parties, hitchhikes, and skydives to name but a few!

Which charities are you supporting this year?

We haven't yet chosen our charities - we select ten in September and then get LSE students to choose their top three.

While we don't have any strict criteria, as a general rule we only support charities where 90% (or more) of their money goes directly to the cause. This is because we want to maximise our impact.

Who can get involved?

Anyone and everyone can get involved! Whether you are a fresher, a finalist, a masters student or even an academic we try to include everyone.

What sort of fundraising events do you hold throughout the year?

Throughout the year we have our social events like Freshers Ball and Battle of the Halls.

For postgrads, last year we held our first Postgraduate Christmas Party complete with a samba band.

The highlight of the year is RAG week in Lent term where we put on even more parties and collaborate with other societies to bring you open mic nights, sports tournaments, and an opportunity to gunge a BNOC.

Asides from our social events we have our super cool Challenge events - in Michaelmas RAG Gets Lost sees students hitchhike back to London from a secret destination in England. We also hold a skydive for those daring enough to jump out a plane. For intrepid travellers, they can hitchhike to a European country - in the past we've gone to Prague, Berlin, abs Barcelona. The big challenge we host is climbing Mount Kilimanjaro - watch this space for more information!

How can I get involved in Rag?

Sign up with us during Freshers Week - it's free! Every Wednesday afternoon we'll be having RAG Wednesdays where members of Team RAG volunteer on different projects and then meet up in the evening for a social. RAG is one of the best ways to have fun at LSE and do something out if the ordinary, so we hope to see you at Freshers ready for an awesome year ahead!

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LSESU has an incredible number of societies, over 180, which means you'll always find something that appeals to you. The societies are the best way to meet people and also provide an opportunity to get involved in LSE, the local community and also global issues which can be discussed with important speakers and other students. 

The societies at LSESU are not limited to business, finance and careers societies, there are an amazing number of music, national and cultural, religious and faith, political and campaigning, media and finally charity based societies which allow you to get creative and do the things you enjoy. 

How to get involved 

Check out the LSESU website for information here. Once you've had a look online you can search for the societies on Facebook, this will give you an idea of the sort of events and socials these societies hold.

Freshers Fair

Freshers fair is going to be on the 3rd and 4th October, when you're there, check out the societies and sign up right there and then. 

Keep up to date 

Make sure you check out the LSESU orientation page here and join the LSESU OFFICIAL FACEBOOK PAGE here for undergrads and here if you're a Postgrad

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Sabb Questions

What do you think is the most important event/meeting you are planning this term?

I have been working with the SU staff and Oliver Cook (GB Rowing and LSE Student) to launch the LSE Sports Ambassador scheme. This is a major step towards recognising and supporting the immense sporting talent that we are fortunate to have at the LSE. It will provide £15000 to aid our sports people with things such as attending tournaments, getting physio and develop their skills through courses.

Alongside this the SU Travel Fund will also be launched to give financial help to students who wish to attend pre-approved trips or events.

I must also point out that this term will see a lot of student-led initiatives come to fruition. Although I wish I could have played a bigger part in them all, it is the students who made them all a reality.

  What are you most looking forward to about elections?

I'm really looking forward to being on the 'other side' of the elections. Although I loved the week of campaigning and pushing the limits of my comfort zone, it will be nice to take a back seat (unless I decide to re-run) and help the candidates by answering questions and giving them advice on what to expect. There are a lot of exceptional students who would be an amazing Sabbatical Officer so if you are considering any of the positions please don't hesitate to contact one of us.

  If you were a superhero, what superhero would you be?

Batman. So much so that Duncan and I made a 10ft, 2 man transformer of the 1989 Batmobile.

  Send your questions to [email protected]

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Answers to Sabb Questions - Matt De Jesus

What did you miss the most about LSESU over the holidays?

I definitely missed you guys, the students. LSE is so lucky to have such an international and diverse student community. I always learn something new whenever I meet any of you and it's amazing to hear about and help with society and club projects and events. 

Without you the Activities and Development Officer role would be very boring indeed. 

What was your biggest achievement last term?

I would have to say the Community Festival. We had more stalls, more societies, more runners and more fundraising than ever before. It was great to see the whole LSE community coming together for the event and to see the LSE Director showing his support by running with the students. We are still fundraising for the September run in South Africa through the JustGiving web page. There is also going to be a school-wide FIFA tournament in Week 7 to raise money for the initiative. Look out for stalls on Houghton street in the coming weeks where you can sign up your teams of 2.

   What are you most looking forward to this term?

There are so many great things to look forward this term that I can't pick just one. We have Re-Orientation, RAG week (where I will probably get gunged), AU and End of Year Ball, Auschwitz delegation, Give it a Go, Timeless, Ablaze, and of course the 2013 SU elections.

We are also kicking off the Ambassadors for Sport programme. This will give the much needed support to our students who compete at, or are working towards, the highest sporting level.

Send questions to [email protected] 

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Sports Strategy, why we need one.

Sport is important to LSE students last year there were 3300 fully paid memberships of Athletics Union clubs coming from over 2700 individuals. This is an enormously large, and loud, section of the student population who have an incredibly prominent position on campus. Unfortunately this prominent position is not matched by funding and support from the school...at the moment.

Charlie, my predecessor, did a lot of research into the sorts of relationships that existed between universities and SU run sports and lobbied the school to get sports put into the new school strategic plan. The inclusions which Charlie lobbied for have just recently been included. This shows the university's commitment to extra curricular activities in general, and sport in particular. Now is the time to finalise and shape what this strategy represents for students. 

Our teams already do a pretty good job against competition who receive far more support than themselves. Now is the time for school to invest in sport in order to bring provision up to that of the best urban universities. 

This year I really want to show how important sport is to students at LSE, inside and outside of the AU. This is one of my core priorities for the year, and is something which will lead to a real change in the lives of students at LSE.