I have been working on our Commercial Review, which is a development plan for each of our venues - making sure they deliver what Imperial students want.
Our strategy, called Back to Basics, is focused on getting the basics right for our members and so we have been looking at our bars and shops to make improvements for you and to future-proof our activities that bring in income to the Union. The primary aim of our venues to provide our students with an excellent and cost-effective experience. They are run by the Union for students, they create work opportunities and your elected student leaders have a role in deciding how they are run. Any profits they make are funnelled to improving them and funding student focused activities, that’s what makes our bars unique. Alongside the curly fries, of course.
This review includes a detailed list of projects to improve our services and was approved by our Board of Trustees in February. We are already acting on some of the proposals within it. One area I’m particularly proud of – and something I put in my manifesto last year - is the needs and development of our student casual staff. We are also starting on the Safety & Security Review for the venues, which will include significant student consultation to ensure we are doing all we can to ensure you feel safe whilst using our venues. I am leading on this in partnership with Nathalie Podder, your Deputy President for Welfare.
The outcomes of the Review will impact on you, so I want to keep you up to date with the planning, and results, as we implement the changes. If you have any questions, or would like to learn more about these projects then please contact me at dpfs@imperial.ac.uk .