The Candidates: Equality & Wellbeing

Voting is now closed – thank you everyone for getting involved! We will announce the results soon.

Running for Full-time Equality & Wellbeing Officer

Khushi

My name is Khushi, an international student who truly understands the pressure of fitting in the society. Navigating a new country, culture, and environment taught me how isolating it feels when you aren’t treated equally. I believe every student deserves fairness and dignity regardless of religion, caste, or country, and I am ready to fight for it.
I bring lived experience of isolation and the fight to belong. I have real, actionable plans, not empty promises. I will raise voice for every marginalised student with fairness, passion, and genuine accountability. I am not a distant representative but a student just like you, facing the same pressures, fighting the same battles.
If I get elected, I will secure real funding and dedicated spaces for liberation networks, ensuring marginalised voices are heard in every Guild decision. I will deliver inclusive wellbeing initiatives, sexual health awareness, and neurodiversity support that make a tangible difference to student life. With lived experience and a clear action plan, I am committed to building a UCB where every student feels valued, supported, and truly at home.

1. Provide dedicated spaces and increase budgets for Women’s, LGBTQ+, TRANS, Disability, anti-sexism, and anti-racism Students’ networks to run their own campaigns and events.
   
2. Create a Neurodiversity Support Network offering peer connections and academic guidance for students with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other neurodiverse conditions. Organise Wellbeing Weeks each semester with free stress management, mindfulness, and wellness activities timed around assessments. Organise Sexual Health Awareness workshops by collaborating with UMBRELLA and BPASS that are inclusive, judgement-free, and respectful of all backgrounds and identities. 
   
3. Organise “Home Away From Home” socials. Launch a “UCB Is My Home” campaign celebrating the diversity of the student body through photography, storytelling, and social media.

Lauren Crossan

As a mature disabled student, I truly understand the daily challenges many of us face at university — whether that’s managing physical access needs, navigating stress and anxiety, or balancing studies with health conditions and life responsibilities. University should be a place where everyone feels welcome, supported, and able to THRIVE — not just survive through your studies.
My campaign is about making our campus more accessible, inclusive, and compassionate for all students. I will work to increase Therapy Animal visits across campus, giving students regular opportunities to de-stress and recharge during busy academic periods. Sometimes a small moment of calm can make a huge difference.
I am committed to making university a place where students thrive, not just survive.

1. Increase Therapy Animal visits to support stress relief and wellbeing

2. Advocate Inclusivity and Diversity. I will Prioritise wellbeing, belonging, and support for all students.

3. Expand Mindfulness Activities (e.g., colouring, craft workshops) for low-pressure mental health support – I want to work towards a more accessible, stress-free, and inclusive campus for everyone at UCB.

Sujan Thing

INamaste and hello, I’m SUJAN , a final-year Business Management student and an international student from Nepal. As a trilingual communicator (English, Hindi, Nepali) and a promoted Supervisor during my placement year, I understand leadership, responsibility, and the importance of being heard. I believe every student — home or international — deserves to feel safe, respected, and valued.
As your Equality & Wellbeing Representative, I will bridge the gap between students and leadership. I will promote accessible mental health support, inclusive spaces, and wellbeing initiatives that respect all cultures and identities. As a football lover and someone active in sports, I will organise tournaments, fitness activities, and inclusive sporting events to strengthen our community. I will also organise cultural programmes and celebration events that promote diversity, inclusion, and mutual respect across campus.
Equality is not optional — it’s essential. I won’t just represent you; I will stand with you, protect your rights, create safe spaces, improve awareness of support services, and ensure every voice matters.

1. Equality for All

2. Wellbeing That Works

3. Unity Through Sport & Culture

Running for Part-time Equality & Wellbeing Officer

Abhinash Shah

I’m Abhinash Shah. I believe university should be a place where students grow, feel safe, and are supported. Many students struggle silently with stress, homesickness, or financial pressure. I want to create a campus where no student feels invisible. That is why I am standing for PTO Equalities & Wellbeing Officer.
I bring courage, empathy, and determination to act. I am approachable and willing to raise important student concerns. I will work with students and university leaders to create practical solutions. Leadership means listening first and acting with integrity.
Vote for me if you want real representation and meaningful change. I will focus on mental health awareness and safe wellbeing spaces, support international and underrepresented students, promote financial wellbeing and cost-of-living awareness, and ensure every voice matters in university decisions.

1. Financial wellbeing, cost-of-living awareness, and amplifying student voices in university decisions

2. Inclusion and stronger support for international and underrepresented students

3. Mental health awareness and safe wellbeing spaces

Bhagat Khadka

Hello everyone, my name is Bhagat Khadka, and I am a student at University College Birmingham studying BSc (Hons) Health and Social Care.
I am passionate about student wellbeing, equality, and creating a supportive environment where everyone feels comfortable, included, and valued. University life can sometimes be stressful, and I want to make sure students know they are supported and have access to the right resources to stay healthy both mentally and physically.
As a Health and Social Care student, I understand the importance of mental health, wellbeing, and support systems. I am a friendly, approachable, and responsible person who enjoys helping others and listening to different perspectives. Through my studies and placement experience, I have developed communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. I will use these skills to represent students, promote healthy lifestyles, support wellbeing initiatives, and make sure student voices are heard.
Students should vote for me because I want every student to feel that they belong at University College Birmingham. I will work to promote equality, support student wellbeing, and ensure that all voices are heard. I am committed to helping create a welcoming and supportive community where students can succeed academically and personally.

1. Improving student mental health support and wellbeing services

2. Promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion for all students

3. Creating a safe, supportive, and welcoming campus environment

Ekeme

I am Ekeme, I am a first year mental health nursing student. I am from Nigeria and I aim to impact and be impacted. I would bring confidence and security to people regardless of their race, sexuality or religion. I would aim to create a safe atmosphere for realistically as many student as possible by listening to the needs of students. My interest in therapy will allow me be a better officer and allows me provide for the emotional and mental needs of students . I would bring understanding from a mental health point of view, a feeling of acceptance and belonging to students.
Students should vote for me because I understand what equality, diversity and inclusion means and how it can affect mental health and confidence and as a mental health nursing student with compassion, communication and empathy as my core strengths, I would be able to attend to needs and put them forward for change to be effected. 

1. international students grants

2. Changing rooms

3. Multicultural events

Sara Mathurasingh

My name is Sara and I believe that all students should feel included and represented at UCB regardless of their age, gender, sexuality, disability, race, and ethnic background. Everyone has a right to education and a space to express themselves. I acknowledge that every student’s experience is different, and I am determined to ensure that every student including international and home students, is accommodated on campus with the right resources, materials, and services provided at UCB.
Through my experience as a course rep, and my charity work volunteering at British Heart Foundation, I have met different kinds of people and learnt so much about them, which I believe advances my skills in diversity and representation.
A student should vote for me because of my strong determination and endless fight to reach a standard whereby all UCB students feel included and represented. Representation is not just about the visual aspect, but also the mental and emotional. Students must feel like they belong, and that they have a voice.

• I aim to advocate for more cultural events, more culturally inclusive food options, support for international students adjusting to UK life, increased religious spaces for students of various faiths/religions and recognition of religious observances by all staff during class schedules.

• I aim to create more inclusive teaching and curriculum for students with diverse learning needs. I will do this by advocating flexible learning options for neurodiverse students and with learning disabilities, as well as students with physical disabilities, and for mature or working students.

• I aim to strengthen the liberation networks and educate students on supporting anti-racism, anti-sexism, LGBTQ+, disability and parents and carers network.