Candidate for the position of Edinburgh University Sports Union - Honorary Secretary

Image for Angus MacLeod

Angus MacLeod

Election Address 

  • I’ve been in the Badminton Club for 3 years now, volunteering as Social Secretary last year and Secretary currently, and President next year; throughout this, I’ve demonstrated that I perform well both independently and as part of a team 

  • Having used my strong organisational and communication skills to guide the club through the ever-changing restrictions this year, I now hope to use them to help continue the SU’s great work in providing sport to its 60+ member clubs  

  • I’ve served on committee in both normal and COVID-restricted years, so I’m well-prepared for whatever sport at Edinburgh looks like in September 

  • I’ve enjoyed some amazing times with the badminton club, and as part of the Executive Committee I want to make sure that current and future students at Edinburgh get the opportunity to have those experiences with the sports they love too 

 

Manifesto 

I appreciate the role of Honorary Secretary is already well-defined, and I hope to fulfil all responsibilities while also using a position on the Executive Committee to explore new ideas and optimise the provision of sport here at Edinburgh: 

  • Having served on the Badminton Club committee for two years now, I would use my experience to assist the Executive Committee in both its day-to-day running and ongoing development. I have become adept at arranging and minuting meetings, and at working independently as well as with other committee officials. These attributes would be extremely useful for my participation in the various committees within the SU. 

  • Through arranging daily badminton sessions alongside the club President last semester, I have developed strong organisational and time management skills, and have proven my IT abilities by administrating SignupGenius on behalf of the club. Even in a year free of COVID restrictions, these are vital for maintaining the SU’s records and communications. 

  • Having been involved only with EUBC so far, I would like this opportunity to work with the other 63 sports clubs here at Edinburgh, and the committees that connect them together: The Honorary Secretary sits on the Executive, Finance, Blues & Colours, and Awards Committees, and I plan to bring both enthusiasm and insight to every meeting. 

  • MS Teams has been brilliant this year for facilitating quick communications both between clubs and with the SU. I believe it would still be valuable once COVID restrictions relax, to continue encouraging collaboration between clubs. As Honorary Secretary I would look to increase accessibility to this platform, for all clubs and for their individual members. 

  • A similar online platform could be developed to streamline the SU file system, potentially replacing the routine emails to distribute meetings documents. This would allow them to be updated frequently and available constantly, making it easier for all committee members to engage fully in meetings. 

  •  I have briefly discussed with the incumbent Secretary his intentions to explore and expand the sustainability efforts of Sport at Edinburgh this year, which were obstructed by the current COVID situation. Such plans should be implemented once travel to fixtures returns, to make sure that the SU plays its role in working towards environmental stability. 

  • The annual Awards nomination process could be streamlined so that it becomes easier for the hard work and efforts of clubs and their members to be recognised and celebrated.