“Isolation and loneliness are among the big issues”
Aisling is the Society & Citizenship Officer for the University of Sussex Students’ Union, and has also recently become a member of the newly founded Brighton and Hove chapter of Citizens UK.
Setting up a community and renters union in Brighton and Hove is one of my greatest achievements as the Union’s Society and Citizenship Officer. ACORN supports tenants, including students, who are experiencing issues with their landlords. We’ve won nearly £70,000 in compensation and deposit returns for students as well as stopping illegal evictions and ensuring accommodation maintenance is carried out.
I joined Citizens UK because I wanted to be part of a network of people who are working to create a better world. My Citizens UK training has given me the tools I need to properly tackle problems at their root. Learning about community organising has transformed the way I think about mobilising people and helping our communities to tackle issues collectively.
Community organising is the most effective way to build power in our communities. It uses the personal relationships and common ground that people already have to address issues that matter to communities. It also takes the anger and frustration that people may feel about something and channels this into collective action.
We want to understand the issues facing people in the Brighton and Hove area. That’s why we’re undertaking a listening campaign with all the membership organisations of Brighton and Hove Citizens to really understand which areas people feel strongly about. We’re hosting two listening events on the University of Sussex campus on Monday 25 March and Wednesday 27 March and I’d encourage people to come along and share their thoughts. These conversations will contribute to our first Brighton and Hove Citizens assembly on the 29 April.
Isolation and loneliness in the city are among the big issues that our Citizens UK network could address. Many people I speak to say they feel there is a lack of community in our city. Lots of work has already been done to build relationships between students and local residents, but this is still something that needs work. Students bring so much to this city and we need to celebrate that. We’ve also got to look at things like the lack of affordable and social housing, the high cost of living in Brighton and Hove, and how we can lobby employers to pay a living wage.
I’m a ‘First Generation Scholar’ and never really thought about going to university until I was in sixth form. I was lucky enough to have the most amazing history teachers throughout school who inspired me with their love of the subject. I also owe a lot to Professor Lucy Robinson, who really encouraged me to come to Sussex, and who still inspires me.
People see history as being some irrelevant, stuffy subject but the opposite is true. History really matters. It can be exciting, dangerous and daring. I think oral history is particularly important as it gives ownership of the narrative back to the people who experienced it. I’m hoping to start an MA in Cultural History, Memory and Identity later this year — and then hopefully a PhD after that.
I would really encourage anyone who wants to make a change at Sussex to run to be a full or part-time officer for the Students’ Union. Getting elected and re-elected for the Students’ Union is one of the highlights of my time at Sussex. I am forever grateful to all the people who helped me to campaign and the people who voted for me. I am also lucky to have made so many amazing friends at Sussex through my involvement with the Students’ Union.
The University of Sussex and Students’ Union are members of the Brighton and Hove chapter of Citizens. For more information visit the Citizens UK website.
Brighton and Hove Citizens listening events will take place in the Meeting House on Monday 25 March (12 midday to 1pm) and Wednesday 27 March (3.30pm to 4.30pm). All staff and students are welcome to attend.
Brighton and Hove Citizens Assembly will take place on 29 April at BHASVIC, 205 Dyke Road, Hove, BN3 6EG.
Interview by Jacqui Bealing
This profile is part of our This Sussex Life series.
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