SOAS Working Class Students' Network

The SU has put together a list of some amazing resources, particularly on Black mental health and well-being, and how non-Black people can show meaningful allyship and solidarity.

Black, Brown, white, unite and fight ✊🏻✊🏽✊🏿

Fight Anti-Blackness - SOAS SU resource pack Read our official statement as the SOAS Students’ Union here. Key contacts in the SOAS SU and at SOAS, University of London: Lucia Kula, SU Black Students Support Coordinator: [email protected] Susanna Momtazuddin, SU Advice Caseworker: [email protected] Youssra Elmagboul, SU Co-Pres...

Hey everyone, as many of us move to online working, it's finally time for me to do the same! Today I'm sharing resources and information about renting rights, including support from the Student Union and from other organisations.

Firstly, the work of our incredible accommodation officer, Oscar ([email protected]) and co-president for welfare and campaigns, Valeria ([email protected]), who have been working to facilitate a rent strike at our halls of residence. For more information and to join the strike against Sanctuary Students and other private student residences in London, you can access the links below:

- Cut the Rent and Rent Strike information: https://www.rent-strike.org/; https://www.facebook.com/SOASCutTheRent/
- Support for students renting from private halls providers in London: https://www.facebook.com/LiberateTheUniversity/; https://www.facebook.com/groups/LondonHallsRentStrike/
- Pledge to join the rent strike: tinyurl.com/SSrentstrike

For those of us who are privately renting, homeless, living in social housing or in temporary accommodation in London, the London Renters Union offers support and guidance on renting during the Coronavirus. This includes information on your rights, how to ask for rent reduction/suspension and support against evictions. Membership starts at £4 a month, or is free if you are unwaged.

- https://londonrentersunion.org/
- https://www.facebook.com/LondonRentersUnion

ACORN is another union made by and for working class communities, operating branches across the UK. They are currently campaigning for an end to 'no fault' evictions, a government legislated mortgage freeze and protection against eviction for lodgers, alongside organising local rent strikes and offering support to tenants.

- https://acorntheunion.org.uk/
- https://www.facebook.com/groups/tenantsupport/

For LGBTQ+ young people aged 16-25 living in abusive households or experiencing homelessness, the Albert Kennedy Trust can help to find emergency accommodation and provide access to specialist support.

- https://www.akt.org.uk/get-help

Expert advice can also be found at:

- Advice4Renters, who provide free or low-cost legal advice and representation from expert housing specialists: https://advice4renters.org.uk/
- Shelter offer a free helpline and online chat with housing advisers: https://england.shelter.org.uk/get_help
- Citizens Advice has a network of local bureaux and offer online services: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/
- Directory of legal advice and representation: http://www.hlpa.org.uk/cms/find-a-housing-lawyer/

Love and solidarity,
Katie xx
she/her
[email protected]

Great victory for WC students at Queen Mary! QM - Against Bursary Cuts

Queen Mary occupation ends after securing £0.5million concession Leaving Statement of the Queen Mary's occupiers. This statement was read at the end of the occupation on April 10 at 1pm.

Important survey on food services at SOAS! We need more variety of affordable products and student-friendly prices on campus!

SOAS Food Survey Web survey powered by SurveyMonkey.com. Create your own online survey now with SurveyMonkey's expert certified FREE templates.

Great read on how elitist education systems still are! We tend to see education as a human right but do not realise how difficult it is made for some people to succeed in their academic life, getting to be a 'fighter' without choosing to be one while having to follow definitions of 'success' created by others. Whatever the outcome is - especially when it is negative - the responsibility falls on working-class students, and even more at higher education institutions due to their hostile and exclusive culture and ethos.

“The most important thing I found out was that we are still educating different social classes for different functions in society. [...] If you’re a working class child, you’re starting the race halfway round the track behind the middle class child.”

‘Working-class children get less of everything in education - including respect’ Interview Diane Reay grew up on a council estate, the eldest of eight, and became a Cambridge professor. Now she wants to talk about inequality in education

Community Week of Action at SOAS next week!!!

Great news!

Following last weeks referendum on whether we should introduce a Working Class and Social Mobility Part Time Officer, the result of the referendum has voted in favour of the motion.

Here is a breakdown of the vote below:

➡️990 students vote
➡️495 students vote ‘yes’; 472 students vote ‘no’
➡️23 students abstained

Amazing news all the way from University of York Students' Union (YUSU)!

Well done for getting the conversation started and requesting such an essential position!

Support and solidarity!

BREAKING NEWS: Working Class and Social Mobility Officer Announced York votes yes to the new part time officer position that was proposed. 990 students vote Following last week’s referendum vote on whether the University of York should introduce a new…