► History

Not a great deal is known about the early history of the Union. The first President we can find details of was a Mr J Flaig, where are you now Mr Flaig?

In the early eighties the Union ran a bar in a portakabin at Wycombe, ran RAG and a few small societies and sat on a small number of college committees. It had one full time officer and a part time secretary. The grant for the College was around £30,000 per annum.

During this period the Union operated a small bar at the Chalfont Campus and was part of a management committee which oversaw the running of the Wycombe Bar which was at that time run by Student Services. Student services also organised the sports fixtures. The Union had representatives who sat of a variety of college committees including its Governing Body.

The 1990’s were the start of a period of rapid development for the Union. In 1990 the College stripped the Union of its bar at Chalfont. Mark Conner President of the Union began the campaign to get it back, a fight that took until 1998.

The Unions first General Manager, Bo Wild, left the Union in 1992 after a year to be replaced by Simon Williams in 1994. Working with the President Mark Connor the first Union development plan was put in place and endorsed by the College Governing Body.

The plan, "Building for our Future", set the agenda

• Be responsible for student clubs and societies;
• Control our financial affairs;
• Provide all college entertainments and bars;
• Support infrastructure for Course Reps;
• Improve democratic accountability.

Over the next five years the Union regained control of its financial affairs, reorganised its executive committee and scrapped its general meeting in favour of a student council.

They refurbished at a cost of £750,000 (borrowed from the college), the Wycombe Bar which was opened under Union management in 1996 with the Wellesbourne Bar opening in 1997. The Union took over the organisation of student sport in 1998 and finally regained control of the Chalfont Bar in 1998 refurbishing it at a cost of £200,000 in 1999.

The first member of staff employed to support student course representatives, Craig Stephens started in 1997.

In 1999 the first student activities coordinator, Louisa Stormont was employed to develop student sport and societies.

The Union opened the Advice Centre with two full time welfare advisors and secretarial support in 1999. Over the next two years we launched a job shop, took over the running of the Chalfont Shop, set up our Volunteering project and refurbished our Wycombe Bar, renegotiating some of our loans to the college along the way. Along with many Unions we had some bad times in 02 and 03 as we adjusted to the effects on our income of lower student spending on alcohol, but by 1995 we had reached a new financial settlement with the University and we able to begin to grow again.

The past three years have seen us redevelop University Catering at High Wycombe and at Uxbridge and rollout the Big Deal programme of free entertainments, sports, recreational activities and paid student reps to all students of the University, and launch a ground breaking Education campaign that seized the teaching and learning agenda in a radical programme of modernisation in line with the feedback we have received from students.

In 2010 we had the highest ever turnout at a Union election of over 1600 voters.  Today the Union is a confident and optimistic organisation with a vision that will guide it successfully into the future. We are currently piloting a proposal through the University that will radically transform the student experience at Bucks and will form the basis of our development over the next five years.

In 2010 the Union’s annual grant from the institution was £460,000, we employ 25 full time and 70 part time staff and have a turnover of around £2 million.

In 2011 we intend to register as a Charity

Past Presidents of Bucks Students' Union

2011-2012 Ash Coles

2010-2011  Tom Foy
2009-2010  Tom Foy
2008-2009  Yasmin Omar
2007-2008  Matthew Kitching
2006-2007  Matthew Kitching
2005-2006  Matthew Hurst
2004-2005  Matthew Hurst
2003-2004  Richard Hillyard (resigned) / Claire Argent
2002-2003  James Lloyd
2001-2002  James Lloyd
2000-2001  Simon Booth
1999-2000  Keely Green
1998-1999  Keith Murphy
1997-1998  Sarah Ferrige
1996-1997  Vanessa Castle
1995-1996  Giles Councell
1994-1995  Giles Councell
1993-1994 

Mark Lewis
1992-1993  Darren Saul
1991-1992  Mark Connor
1990-1991  Mark Connor
1989-1990  Helen Younger
1988-1989  Peter Campbell
1987-1988  Miss F Factor
1986-1987  Miss F Factor
1985-1986  L Martell
1984-1985  L Martell
1983-1984  L Martell
1982-1983  L Martell
1981-1982  Vacant
1980-1981  Mr J Spiteri
1979-1980  Mr S Basham
1978-1979  Mr J Flaig

Vice Presidents

2011-2012 Amy Gordon, Laz Wood

2010-2011 Christopher Clark, Sam Wadieh
2009-2010 Christopher Clark, Chris Miller
2008-2009 Ben Robinson, Chris Miller
2007-2008 Ross McLaughlin, Ben Robinson
2006–2007 Stuart Hall, Gareth Duggan
2005-2006 Laura Knight, Nonsi Mathe
2004-2005 Steve Perry, Tim Dixon
2003-2004 Claire Argent, Tim Dixon
2002-2003 Nigel Cooke, Richard Hillyard
2000-2001 James Malinowski, Sanjay Kambo, Nigel Cooke
2000-2001 James Malinowski, Moniene McCaffrey, Rory McAllister
1999-2000 Jemma Pearce, Steve Berryman, Ross McCullock
1998-1999 Dafydd Roberts, Andy Moore, Keely Green, Paul Maloney         
1997-1998 Jo Harris, Adam Evans, Mollie Pepper, Keith Murphy
1996-1997 Sarah Ferrige, Adam Evans, Jaine Bewers, Dave Dyson
1995-1996 Dan Harris, Glen Bloomfield, Ceri Holme, Alex Stroud
1994-1995 Dan Harris, Danny Tipping, Jamie Baverstock, Pam Treharne
1993-1994 Gavin Grenville-Wood, Danny Tipping, Jim Bralsford, Natasha Page, Mark Lewis, Pam Treharne
1992-1993 Gavin Grenville-Wood, Justina Merridew, Vicki Nixon
1991-1992 John Liddle, Jules Roberts

Bucks Students’ Union Staff Roll Call
In no particular order

Simon Williams

Maria Viiji

Catherine Duncan

Tom Foy

Tansy Ratcliffe-James

Kerry O'Neill

Taras Binns

Richard Ockenden

Edward Wildsmith

Emma Heath

Grace Yelverton

Susie Kelsey

Sally Austin

Mick Stephens
Craig Stevens
Lyn Dixon
Tristan Tipping
Mal Edgson
Matthew Kitching
Kris Black
Chris Smith
Rob Daniel
Mary James
Katie Smith
Marie Geiger
Lesley Bushell
Larraine Haddock
Miriam Costa
Pauline Smith
Wendy Lumley
Chris Stanton
Allen Kambasha
Doreen Patel
Simon McDowell
Amy McLaughlan
Holly Webster
Yvonne Worrall
Ross McLaughlin
Jennifer Yarrow
Louisa Stormont
Sean Gourley
Lisa Manning
Stacey Jo Robertson
Noel Cornford
Mick Davies
Darren Gumbley
Pete Court
Davina Prescot
Amanda McDowell
Mike Paxman
Andy Smith
Dan Dean
Paul Goodall
Keely Wild
Kay Corden
Julia Crooks
Terry Rymer
Kathy Thomson
Kirti Soni
Tony Lambert
Katie Snowden
Tony Davis
Jill Kittle
Kat Boucher
Melissa Buttegig
Jennifer Windsor
David Bruce
Adelaide Allen
Jamie Tomlin
Mark Ward
Alice Dewsnap
Kerry O’Neill
Sue Scott
Rachel Franklin
Lucy Farnes
Luke Divine
Craig Morrison
Lauren Caunter
Michelle Tremlin
Sam East
Esther Neptune
Sharon Anderson
Matt Tongue
Pat Carter
Tracy Batton
Kim Anderson
Yearling Ovideo
Charlotte Thomas
Kim Mhebbhi
Michelle White
Simon Bell
Mike Carter
Zoe Lyon
Jude White
Michaela Dean
Angela Murray
Pauline Smith
Charlotte Clarke
Paul Burrows
John Stack
Julia Ann Paddock
Shanie Hughes
Linda Bloor
Alex Dodds
Sarah Woodward
Jackie Davidson
Jan (1995/6
Terena Beale
Tara Kelly-mor
Pat Fellows,
Doug Goodland
Jackie
Gail
Margaret
Jake
Mark (ran Cafe Direct for Scolorest)
Phil (Publican from Chinnor who was CSM for a while)
Pat (Woman who we took over from Uni who did sport)
 

If there is anyone out there who can shed any light on the earlier years please email Mal Edgson on mal.edgson@bucks.ac.uk