Student Insight: Starters For Your Campaign Manifesto

We know that sometimes you run for The Guild Elections because you know you’ve got what it takes to be a great Officer – you’re hard working, you’re ambitious, and you care about students! Sometimes however, the hard part is knowing where to start.

To help you spark some ideas for your manifesto, we’ve compiled some insights to help you get started in planning your manifesto themes. Feel free to use or not use these prompts – they are there to give you a starting point (if you want it) on what students are already telling us matter to them.

You as a student also will have a range of personal experiences to draw from, and only you know the areas that you feel driven to work on. A manifesto that covers the key areas a voter might care about won’t get you far if voters don’t believe you care about them! It’s often better to pick the issues you are passionate about.

Speak Week 2025

In Semester one, We spoke to students about what they think about life at UCB – and we have condensed this feedback down to key themes to help get you thinking.

Transport

  • we know UCB students aren’t all within walking distance of campus, and students told us that Transport was on their minds – we pulled common themes like “the cost of commuting” and “safety on public transport”, with students specifying wanting to see more financial support to offset commute costs, and cheaper or free public transport for students.

Finance

  • The Cost of Living crisis is not over, and we know students are particularly impacted. In Speak Week, a lot of themes surrounding finances came up. Students suggested things like “improvement to the way financial support is made available”, and “making financial support more available and easier to access for students experiencing hardship”.
    They also raised “financial support services for students needing to be faster acting when students face time sensitive difficulties” and “financial incentive to study that makes pursuing an education feel more worthwhile.”
  • We also saw a number of themes around the financial experiences of international students; they told us that the fees international students have to pay are too high, that international students commonly miss out on professional development experiences because they don’t have access to paid placement opportunities, and that they feel that there should be a scheme available to international students comparable to KickStart.

Employment

  • UCB students shared a feeling of uncertainty about their onward employment. Students mentioned concern that they would not be considered for jobs in comparison to peers with degrees from better known universities, and wanted more was to get an advantage in their careers.
  • For example, our Mental Health Nursing students shared they’d like to see guaranteed relevant roles after they complete their studies, which may be something other courses’ cohorts would like to see prioritised too. Students also wanted to see UCB provide a range of paid placements within it’s own organisation, and improvement to employability support, so that students get a practical opportunity to build skills and earn alongside their studies.

Community

  • Students when coming to UCB are often venturing away from home for the first time. Whether they are commuting to UCB to attend the college or sixth form with no guarantee that their secondary school peers will be there with them, or have moved from outside of Birmingham to study, we know loneliness and a sense of community and belonging can have a huge impact on students’ mental health. This is especially the case for International students, who not only have moved to a different city, but often to an entirely different culture to the one they feel at home.
  • students told us they wanted to see The Guild build on and increase events centred around food/cuisine, and more opportunities to participate in sports and get active.

Housing

  • when we asked students about housing one main point was made – keeping a roof over your head is expensive, and students stressed to us that they cared about affordable housing. With the Renter’s Rights Act 2025 coming into effect from May 1st, there is sentiment within the UK Government to improve the experience of renters (the areas of focus in the bill being of which many students are especially impacted) however the cost of housing remains a worry for students.

General reflections

  • Students, now more than ever, are stretched thin trying to manage their time across multiple commitments – this is often referred to as being “time poor.” When students are juggling work, studies, social lives, personal and family responsibilities, and the life admin time needed to keep yourself fed, clean and healthy – structure and stability is often a must. While we would hope your UCB timetable should be consistent and easy to fit your life around, students are telling us this often isn’t the case.
    Whether it’s getting your timetable enough in advance to arrange your work schedule, or the peace of mind that the time demands of your studies don’t change week to week and throw off your plans – structure is important part of a comfortable and well managed week. Many students also find that the freedom to attend lectures remotely as a backup plan to attending in person when life happens is an accommodation that isn’t considered.
  • One reflection students had that we found insightful was about city living. With UCB being in the centre of the UK’s Second City, many students work, study, and live all within a walking distance. With entertainment, employment, community and life experiences all existing locally to campus, the wider UCB community can make better use of the opportunities and relationships in our shared neighbourhoods for the benefit of students.

Student Council

Our Student Council is one of the direct routes a student can take to influence The Guild – here are a few Key themes discussed Council meetings from the previous few years, including themes that have been passed as motions.

  • The Cost of Living Crisis, and how it disproportionately impacts students
    The price of daily life like groceries, rent, keeping warm in the winter, and the commute from A to B are things many people in the UK are worrying about affording. This then impacts students even further, as between the stress of balancing keeping well, studying and earning, as well as maintenance loans that have not aligned with the Cost of Living for many students for years – this leads to many students spinning too many plates to support themselves, and unable to take opportunities to help them to succeed.
  • The Climate Crisis, and the UCB’s responsibility as global citizens to a sustainable future
    UCB as an institution has a large community made up of staff, students, and business & community partners – all of which play a connected role in the net climate impact the UCB community has on the environment. Council voted for the Guild’s Officers to undertake campaigning under People & Planet’s Fossil Free campaign to lobby UCB to divest from fossil fuels.
  • Access to Sports and fitness activity
    we know that in a digital age, being able to participate in sport, exercise and movement is not just important for physical health, but for the mental and social wellbeing of students.
  • A Fair Wage for Workers
    Students leaders at student council voted to enshrine a commitment to workers being paid a wage that is possible to meet all their needs with. As an accredited Real Living Wage Employer, The Guild has taken this topic into it’s own employment practices as an organisation – but the Government’s definition of Living Wage does not match the calculation of The Real Living wage foundation, and not all workers minimum wages figures are the same, with disparity based on age and for apprentices.
  • Cost of Learning
    whether it’s the equipment required to build a professional kit, uniform and safety equipment for practical teaching, or other learning tools like digital devices, sometimes there’s fees attached to learning outside of the tuition fees paid to study – and these costs sometimes can get in the way of students’ opportunities to succeed if they can’t afford them.
  • Placements
    There is growing anxiety amongst students that holding a degree is not enough to set them apart in today’s competitive job market, and many students eager to gain real experience in industry aren’t able to access work experience or placement opportunities.
  • Gender Neutral Facilities
    In light of the legislative changes made by the Equality & Human Rights Commission around the provision of single sex spaces, many trans and non-binary students feel this uncertainty has created additional challenges to accessing public life without barriers their non LBGTQ+ peers do not face and often will never have cause to question.
    Council took the stance that The Guild should advocate for queer and trans inclusive facility provisions that ensure every person in the UCB community is able to go about their time on campus in dignity and safety, knowing there is facilities accessible to their needs.

Ask The Candidates

We’re taking it to the students directly! in the lead up to elections, were asking students to tell us what matters to them, as well as give them opportunities to submit questions, which will inform our Hustings event (more info to come!) This section will update as more replies come in, so make sure to check back for new inspo if you’re stuck!

  • Price of Food on Campus
  • Safer Nights Out
  • Fun Activities and Events for students
  • Better financial support for international students