Could you be our next Network President?
The time is drawing near. I've been President of Nature Network Sheffield since its creation in 2014 and, as an aging postgraduate with a thesis to write, my energy reserves are drying up. We need new blood, new ideas and our next lease of life!
Being President of the Nature Network is quite different to being a typical society President/Chair because the Network itself is a very different beast. You aren’t managing the everyday running of one whole society* – which means that in one respect the minimum effort required amounts to a lot less work. Instead, the role demands the commitment and ability to keep in touch with and support the work of many societies each with different aims and priorities. You are the person who brings everyone together and provides the springboard for them to be even better as a Network than they are on their own!
More than that, taking on the position of President of Nature Network Sheffield is an incredible (and pretty unique) opportunity if you are prepared to go beyond the basics of keeping it ticking along. The Network isn’t just a platform for ‘communication and collaboration between societies’ as we say in our manifesto – it’s a platform for innovation. If you want to see our student body really engage with local schools and the community then setting up a ‘back to nature’ programme could be the mark you make in that year. If you are interested in running an international trip then you could try that out. The Network is waiting for someone with drive, passion and vision. Could that be you?
The ‘basic duties' are listed below. Beyond that, the world is your - and next year's committee's - oyster!
Organise and chair monthly Network rep meetings
Liaise with and support each of our member societies (mostly through society reps). This includes managing the committee’s Facebook group and ensuring that communication is kept up between the society reps, the Publicity Officer and you.
Support the Publicity Officer if required during busy periods
Arrange with the SU Officers for the Network’s societies to be situated together at the Activities Fair and Refreshers’ Fair each semester
Liaise with SU staff to ensure that the Network is in touch with relevant SU initiatives
Coordinate our major annual ‘Peaks & City Takeover’ event**
Initiate and nurture links with equivalent student groups in neighbouring universities
Act as the University of Sheffield’s representative for the UK Student Conservation Volunteers (think Nature Network Sheffield at an inter-university level!). You would be welcome to go further and help to develop this initiative if you are interested.
So if you think you have the untapped talent that the Network needs, or that maybe you could step up, test your wings and give it your best shot, then drop an email to me at naturenetworksheff@gmail.com. Send me an overview of who you are, what you feel you can give to the Network and where you want to take the opportunity. I will share this with the rest of the committee and let you know the timing of the election date (which will run like a normal society AGM) once it is set.
Please feel free to email me to ask any questions and discuss the role more before you decide it's for you. You can also take advantage of the Peaks & City Takeover this weekend to get a feel for what we do and chat to me in person. I promise I don't bite :) Just make sure you express your interest by email by midnight, Friday 25th March.
We will be holding an official AGM (our first one!) and election before AGM fortnight. All members of the Network's societies (and anyone else who is interested!) will be welcome - we want you to vote for your next President! We will also be advertising the publicity officer(s) role in due course. For now, over and out...
PLEASE NOTE, THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE AGM HAVE CHANGED - SEE LATEST BLOG POST, 'NATURE NETWORK AGM'..
*Please note that we’re not officially a society within the Students’ Union - so you would have to ask about being able to attend training (if you felt you needed it) and how to get recognition through HEAR etc.
** Hopefully this will actually be organised and hosted by the University of Nottingham’s equivalent group next year. However, the Network President will be the point of contact for them to publicise in Sheffield and to coordinate our Sheffield contingent. It would also be good to keep up the tradition of a major annual event showcasing the Network within Sheffield in one form or another – that’d be up to your committee’s imagination!