President Farnham

Phoebe's Spring Term Update

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:59:09 +0100

Hello everyone! I hope you had a restful break and are ready to come back and smash those assignments!

It’s definitely been a busy few months. The ‘Fork Yeah!’ Student Foodbank is fully open and thriving. Since we opened in November, we’ve helped over 180 students by handing out food and hygiene products. We had a visit from the Duke of Edinburgh and the Lord Luitenant of Surrey, who were both thoroughly impressed with the progress and reach of Fork Yeah! We now have a fridge and provide students with fruit and vegetables, and dairy products. If you would like to help out the food bank, feel free to donate any food items you don’t want or reach out to become one of our volunteers!

As it starts getting warmer out, I’m planning to run some community activities out in the Quad! These could be badminton tournaments, sports days, art sessions, and more! Especially as it gets closer to final deadlines, it’s important to take plenty of breaks for yourself, socialise and have fun. Let us know if there’s anything you want us to organise!

The other presidents and I are also looking to improve international student support. We want to hear directly from our international students about what is going well for you and what might not be going so well. From here, we want to start making changes and improvements that make studying here and being away from home just that little bit easier. If you’d like to be involved, reach out to any of the presidents.

Good luck with all your deadlines as we come to the end of the year. Always remember that you can reach out to the Union if you need any support during this time. Keep it up!

Phoebe Daniels (President Farnham 2025/26)

Phoebe's Autumn Term Update

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 13:18:38 Z

Hi everyone, it’s Phoebe, Students' Union President Farnham!

Since the start of the year, I have been working on cost-of-living support initiatives with the aim of helping students make their money stretch and provide wellbeing support. I have done this by starting UCASU’s first student foodbank! The food bank offers food and hygiene products and aims to host a non-judgemental and safe space for students to access support, learn more about money and destigmatise access to support. Open twice a week to all students, no questions asked.

In the summer, I first started by researching how the cost of living affects students and identifying which areas I could help in. I decided to focus on food support. From there, the idea of a student food bank started. I began researching local food banks, other university food banks and what is needed to start your own foodbank. This research became invaluable to creating the food bank we have today.

After research, I took action. I reached out to university staff for support and guidance and spoke to students to make sure their opinion was voiced throughout the decision-making process. I hosted an event at Glasshouse to raise money for furniture and stock for the food bank. We raised an amazing £380! I focused on making sure to get a range of food to accommodate any dietary requirements or cultural preferences. I wanted to make sure the food provided was nutritional and enough for students to create healthy, balanced meals. I also focused on collected resources and making my own to give students opportunities to gain support beyond what the food bank offers.

I spent a lot of time securing a room, furniture and stock, but once that was done I focused on opening. I wanted in make sure it was ideal for students and decided to open end of November for a trial period, so students could give feedback and be part of the changes going forward. The trial period was a great success – we received so much helpful feedback which is going to inform how we run in the new year. We were also able to provide over 60 students with food parcels to support them during the Christmas period.

Going into the new year, I’m so excited to change and grow the foodbank. My priority is being able to support students, provide advice and resources, all while acting with dignity and care. I thank everyone who has supported the food bank, donated, and made it all possible.

In addition to the foodbank, I have also been working with the Disabled Student's Society to make sure access to education and materials is equal and available for all students who study at UCA. This has included working to solves problems with lift maintenance, access to the library, and support with accessing further support and wellbeing. This is an ongoing issue that I will continue to work on into the new year. If any students feel effected by this or would like to help, please reach out and we can have a chat!

In the new year, I am also planning to create more initiative for students to build communities, through art and sport on campus. This could be through new social activities or artistic opportunities on campus. I would love student support and feedback on this to make it all possible, so if you’d like to work with me on this, come pop into the Students' Union office for a chat!

Happy Holidays and have an amazing break, you all deserve it!

Phoebe Daniels (President Farnham 2025/26)

Meet Phoebe, President Farnham 2025/26!

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 10:21:59 +0100

Meet Phoebe Daniels, your newly elected Students' Union President representing you at the University for the Creative Arts Farnham! Phoebe has recently finished studing Fine Art at UCA Farnham, graduating recently in July 2025!

We asked Phoebe a few questions about being elected as our Farnham Students' Union President, their journey to becoming president, their vision for the future, and even a few fun facts you probably didn’t know. So, grab your coffee, settle in, and get ready to get to know the person who’s working hard to make our university experience unforgettable.

What made you want to run for election as a president at UCA Students’ Union?

I just really wanted to help the students. I struggled a lot as a student, for different reasons, some of which could be easily fixed. It didn’t seem like change was happening for the students, so I thought ‘why don’t I do it?’. I wanted to run for election so I can actually make those changes and hopefully make it easier for the students who come after me. There’s a sentiment that students are meant to struggle while at university, especially financially, and I don’t think it should be like that at all. I wanted to be able to make changes at UCA that alleviate some of those struggles.

As you’ve been voted in based on your manifesto – what campaigns will you have this year, and what will you be aiming to achieve during your time as president?

My big campaign for the year is to begin working with the university and the local community to create a student food bank to help support students through the cost-of-living crisis. Access to good and healthy food is so important for personal and academic development and introducing a cheap and easy way for students to access that is my main goal. During my time as president, I am aiming to improve communications between the university and the students, so students are always fully informed, especially about topics concerning them and their student experience. In addition to this, I hope to add more colour to the campus by creating more artistic opportunities for students to showcase their talents.

How can UCA students get involved with your campaigns?

Come find me in the SU office in Farnham and have a chat! Our goal as presidents is to make positive changes for students, so I'd love to know your opinions and ideas on different topics. Getting more student involvement in campaigns is so important to make sure it is right for students, so I’d love your help. I really hope to work with as many students as possible in the next year and any involvement with my campaigns would be so appreciated and encouraged.

What advice would you give to our new intake of students to ensure they get the best from their university experience?

Honestly, just take every opportunity you can. I know it sounds cliche and nothing is ever that easy, but I found myself getting so much more from the student experience when I stopped holding myself back. I’m not the best at meeting new people or putting myself out there, but once I realised that the only one missing out was me, it changed my outlook. Try new things, meet new people, do something you never would’ve done before. This is your chance to make mistakes and see what you’re capable of, and you never know, you might just really surprise yourself.

Finally, what are you looking forward to most about the coming academic year?

I am most looking forward to working with the current and new students to find out what is important to them and make their ideas a reality. I’m really eager to help students and really try and make a difference. It’s important to me that students’ voices are represented and uplifted and I’m looking forward to making that possible and giving the students a platform to express themselves.