Matt's Goals

In August 2017, I went on a two-day residential workshop with the rest of the Officer Trustees, Imperial College Union's senior managers, and members of its Board of Trustees. There, each Officer Trustee used our manifestos, experience and the views of our peers to generate our own individual goals for the year, as well as a set of shared goals we would work towards as a team.

The next Deputy President (Finance & Services) is Claudia Caravello.
Claudia will take up her role on 1 August 2018. Read her manifesto here.

My goals for 2017/18

Goal #1: External income

Most of Imperial College Union's income comes from its members - the students. It either comes to us through the tills in the bars, shops and online sales, or it comes through Club, Society and Project membership and ticket sales. Additionally, we receive approximately £1.6m annually from College to support our services.

The other source of money is what we call 'external income' - money from people who aren't students, or College. For example, this could be through local schools or companies hiring space in the Union Building; companies advertising to our members through Felix, our TV screens or social media; sales to our alumni; or interest on our cash and investments. Our Strategy 2017-20 identified external income as a high-priority growth area and I campaigned on a pledge of growing this income stream during my year in office. 

Progress we've made:
  • August - October
    • I chaired the Sponsorship Working Group, reviewing how well we are doing at supporting student groups to attract sponsorship income
    • Met fund managers to consider options for increasing the return we receive on our cash balances and small investment holdings
  • November - December
    • Met more investors, with the input of our Ethics & Environment Officer 
    • Ongoing recruitment process for a full-time Sales & Sponsorship Manager, who would be tasked with increasing income from companies, graduate recruiters, and potential sponsors for Union-wide events such as the SACAs or Summer Ball
  • January
    • Putting together an Investment Strategy Paper to be taken to the Board of Trustees
  • Next steps
    • Get Board approval for Investment Strategy and implement decision
    • Finalise Sales & Sponsorship Manager recruitment, which has been a difficult process due to the job market
    • Work with new Head of Commercial Services on relaunching our online shop to attract more sales to our alumni
Status: Good Progress

Goal #2: Coaches to sports grounds

Getting to Heston or Harlington can be difficult and minibuses aren't up to the job of moving that many people that quickly. I campaigned on a platform of having either Imperial College Union or Sport Imperial launch a coach service on Wednesday afternoons, making life a lot easier for the hundreds of students taking part in sport each week.

Progress we've made:
  • August - November
    • Researching the usage levels of the current provision
    • Working with ACC, Sport Imperial and ICSMSU to explore the problem
  • December - January
    • Trial service run on a Monday evening 
    • Data gathering continues
  • Next steps
    • Completing the review of usage from the first term and the trial in partnership with ACC and Sport Imperial
    • Coordinating the potential service with pitch bookings from next year
Status: Good Progress

My reports to Union Council

Each Officer Trustee is expected to send an update of their work and achievements to Union Council, the representative body made up of Imperial's student leaders. 

The next Deputy President (Finance & Services) is Claudia Caravello.
Claudia will take up her role on 1 August 2018. Read her manifesto here.