Wannell feel better?

The Welfare Officer post was one of the most closely contested, with Sami Wannell emerging as the winner. A long-time campaigner his focus and policies differed from the other candidates on a number of issues.

He wants not only to start working on his campaign promises once he gets into office in the autumn but also “all the things that are mandated by Union policy…which have been neglected in the past.” Having served on Union Council he is already familiar with the inner workings of the Union.

Getting the national blood services back on campus was one of his main points, something he said was popular amongst students. However, Warwick was taken off the list of campus the national blood service visits and the Union has a policy which says they disagree with the Blood Service’s discrimination of gay men. Wannell saids he wants to work with national charities to “engage constructively “with the Blood Service on changing their “outdated policy” but let them run blood drives on campus.

The kitchen tours “reinforced” his policies and he found that in all the kitchens he went to, only two people knew where the Advice and Welfare Centre was. Wannell plans to really push publicity for the current services offered by the SU. He also wants to make students more aware of the existing housing accreditation systems in the local area to help them find good-quality housing.

One idea he picked up during campaign was ensuring that there is a gender neutral toilet in the new building. Another was better lighting for the path to Westwood, something Wannell said, “has been promised for years” but never actually happened.

Another idea is re-installing a Safe Central in the new Union where students could get free condoms and covers for their bottles to protect them from being spiked.

Bringing a mobile GUM clinic and raising awareness on campus about STIs is another key policy. Wannell plans to work with the Terrence Higgins Trust to arrange for a GUM clinic to come once a month to administer free check ups and treatment. One advantage of bringing this GUM clinic is that any positive results are not put on medical records as they are in the Health Centre.

The new Welfare Officer highlighted his ties with local and national NGOs and charities during Hustings. When asked how this is beneficial to Warwick students he quickly responded by saying, “we are more powerful if we work with already established national charities” as they have experience and resources beyond what the Union has.

“I think we cant just focus on trying to fix things on a local level…if there is a problem…attack it at a national level as well as help the people that it effects at a local level,” he explained.

Wannell feels that most of his objectives are “simple and achievable…not unrealistic” and plans to deliver.