Dear David Richardson,

Recently, it has come to the attention of those who have signed this petition that the University of East Anglia Students'Union is continuing to face financial uncertainty. We find it completely unacceptable that funding, of any variety, is not being effectively considered during these truly unprecedented times. 

Earlier in the year, the state of the SU's financial uncertainty began to become apparent to the student body. The minutes from the January Meeting of the Financial Committee run by the SU outlined the decisions having to be made in case University funding does not reach a sufficient level where services can continue to be maintained. It is vital at this point to outline the indispensable services that the SU run on a daily basis to help the academic position, physical and mental well being and general support that university students need on a daily basis. Whether this be the vital legal advice that they give students on a range of issues including housing and academic appeals; whether it be providing forums for discussion and democracy; or whether it be the world-class entertainment run throughout the Student Bar and the LCR - it cannot be underestimated how vital all the services that the Students' Union run are absolutely pivotal to the experience that any student receives whilst studying at UEA. The diversity of the societies and clubs provides such a breath of community that cuts across all academic boundaries.

In order to understand the true value of the services that UEA SU continue to run, the following are comments from students:

Katie - "SU advice has been super useful to me and a lot of my friends! From anything from renting to queries about student work to advice about academic disputes" 

Charlie - "The SU has been an incredible facilitator for me to organise and be involved with clubs and societies; without which a whole bunch of people wouldn't have discovered/rediscovered activities that they love!"

Neith - "Anytime I've walked into the SU office I have never once been dismissed. Even if who I need isn't there, anyone who is able will try and help you whether it's their specific job or not"

Anonymous - "I cannot stress enough about the work academic representation the SU has done. It's improved so much and while not perfect, has really made a difference in a lot of courses. I can definitely see the difference it had from when I was in my first year to now heading into my fourth and final year. Not to mention the amount of jobs the SU is able to provide the students"

I could provide you with endless lives that have changed by the services that the SU have provided. In a way, this just highlights a handful of cases from student, out of thousands, whose lives have been affected and enriched by the services the SU run.

The financial contribution that the university makes to the Student Union continues to be vastly inferior and insufficient in comparison to other universities. In 2019, the University of Bristol SU was granted with close to £1.8 million to supply services that the students need. Alongside this, the building that they are provided with was given free of charge. In comparison, the UEA(SU) is provided with £1.4m for this academic year, of which the SU pays approximately £700,000 to rent Union House. If these figures are correct, that would leave the SU approximately £700,000 to run the hundreds, if not thousands, of vital services and events that it runs for both the student body and the community that surrounds our university. 

It must also be remembered the truly unprecedented times in which we find ourselves. In a recent interview with student newspaper Concrete, a representative officer from the Student Union mentioned that "Covid-19 has meant we have not been able to trade via; the LCR, Waterfront or Union as lock-down has closed these services, whilst the shop remains open, its takings are down about 80%." In addition, funding gaps have also had to be filled whilst waiting for government support, through the furlough scheme, to arrive.

It is absolutely unbelievable that the SU has had to even consider whether action may have to be taken to forfeit clubs' and societies' finances to creditors or to help fuel the increasing financial gap that they are seeing in its budget. To take money from the heart of societies and clubs' who have worked tirelessly over the years would not only be a heart-breaking decision for the SU to make but would threaten the very well-being of the communities that survive through these networks.

We completely understand the financial pressure that is put on the University itself during these uncertain times but to lose the SU and what it has to offer would be to lose the heart of the student body.

We, the signatories of this petition, demand that you reconsider the financial support that the University provides to the SU, during the immediate crisis and further ahead into the coming academic years.

To lose the SU, or any of one of the exceptional services that they run, would be to lose the heart of UEA's community.

Yours,

The UEA Student Body