Jack Stokes

A Fair Deal for Our Future Campaign –

This national campaign fights to put more money in students' pockets by demanding:

• Fair Pay – End age-based pay discrimination and ensure equal pay for apprentices.
• Fair Funding – Secure financial support like bursaries and affordable transport.
• Fair Education – Guarantee quality education that works for students.

We launched Money Monday to rally support, gathering 300+ petition signatures in one day—beating SUs nationwide to win the challenge.

We hosted a Curiculum & Assessment review workshop with 60 students to look at what the future of education should look like, colleges from across the region attended. 

Zen Den Project-

lobbied the college to re-start the project and ensured a suitable design was approved to create more social spaces for students, this space is designed for students to connect with nature and de-stress. As Project Manager Jack oversaw the implementation of the project from start to finish and managed contactors to to ensure an effective delivery.

Funding the Future Campaign-

Under the leadership of Jack, the Students' Union has achieved a remarkable transformation in its financial resources, empowering it to better advocate for and support students.

• Initial Increase: The SU Operational Block Grant rose from £15,800 to £24,800—a significant £9,000 increase—providing a greatly expanded campaigning budget to fight for students’ rights.
• Continued Growth: The following year, the grant increased further to £26,800.
• Strategic Investment: Jack also secured an additional £7,000 to fund the development of a new SU website, bringing the total budget to £33,800.

This represents a total budget increase of over 50% since Jack took office, ensuring the SU is better equipped to drive impactful campaigns and deliver meaningful support for the student body.

Know Your Status Campaign-

Introduced HIV testing and Sexual Health Advice across all major campuses through partnership with the What?Centre providing regular drop-ins.

Turn Up Campaign-

Lobbied the college to introduce Opt-in Voter Registration to automatically register students when they enrol, simplifying the process, making it more accessible. Dudley College is one of the first Colleges to implement this and only 1/3 of Universities have it.  Asked for registration links to be added to Induction surveys and democratic education to be included in PIP Sessions. 

My Present, Our Future Campaign- 

Puting together a Local and National Student Manifesto, telling politicians want students need from the next Government. Hosted a Big Conversation on Education and launched a What Students Think page on the Duldey SU Website. Jack also spoke on behalf of Further Education in the Houses of Parliament, Westminster.

Politics Made Better Campaign-

Hosted the first Student Parliament since Covid which is an oppotunity for students to have a say in the direction of the Union, vote on motions and hold Leadership Members accountable. Did a major push on Leadership Elections introducing enhanced support and running a 'Vote for a Coke' and a "Be a FANTA-stic voter" election drives. Oversaw the biggest election in SU history supporting 18 candidates across 6 different exec roles, continuing enhanced support resulting in over 1,000 induvidual students voting and over 6,000 votes cast. 

Israel-Palestine Conflict-

Lobbied for increased support for all students affected by this Humanitarian Crisis and demanded College took a pro-active approach to tackling Hate Crime.

Trans+ Together Campaign- 

• National Impact – Influenced the student response to the Government’s Transgender Guidance and helped shape an FE-inclusive campaign.

• College Advocacy – Successfully lobbied for:

  • Name changes on ID badges and Teams.

  • The option for staff and students to display pronouns on Teams and email.

• Public Action – Released a statement condemning the ban on puberty blockers for Trans and non-binary youth, calling for collective action and solidarity.

• Direct Support – Launched a Gender Expression Fund to support the Trans+ community.

Students Deserve Better Campaign-

Worked with the National Union of Students (NUS) to campaign for key rights for students such as including students in the renters rights bill and abolishing guarantors, as part of the campaign we attended the NUS National Lobby Day where Jack lobbied Dudley MP Sonia Kumar and discussed key issues for students such as transport, votes at 16 and BTEC Cuts. The campaign resulted in 2 student-friendly amendments being passed with the renters rights bill. 

Our Green Future Campaign-

• Issued a Declaration of a Climate & Ecological Emergency, giving the SU clear direction and re-focusing our approach on this issue.
• Wrote and enforced an Ethical, Environmental & Procurement Policy that bans the purchase of balloons, divests from Amazon, reduces single-use plastic and decreases energy consumption within the SU. 

Key Actions

SU Leadership and Participation Reform-

Created brand new Leadership roles (twice) that targeted the specific needs of students, centralised and consolidated the Liberation Networks and Introduced the SU Crew initiative as a volunteering space for students who want to be involved with the SU but don’t necessarily want to take on a Leadership role and re-branded the Big Student Get Together (Student Council) to Student Parliament. Introduced scheduled office time and training days for Leaership Members and organisaed the first ever Leadership Residential to train and bond the team.

Constitutional Reform-

Re-wrote the constitution bringing the Artcles, Schedules and Appendix's back together and streamlined governance structures/ procedures to remove bureaucracy by abolishing the need to have a Board of Trustees, intricduced further constitutonal leadership reform and stregthened accountability structures by implementing Presidential Accountability Panels. 

Strategic Oversight-

Developed the Students' Union 3 year Strategic Plan, which focuses on the priorities of the Union for its development and implemented a policy and priority focused approach. Wrote the first Operational Development Plan to ensure we met the goals of the Strategic Plan. 

National Policy-

Submitted a policy to the National Union of Students (NUS) National Conference around accessibility for Further Education (FE) in National Campaigns and NUS spaces, Jack spoke in front of over 700 Delegates and the Policy successfully passed, guaranteeing a minimum Delegate entitlment for FE Unions of 2. Also submitted priorities to the newly formed NUS England around investment in FE and about tackling Hate Crime/ and the rise of the far-right. 

National Elections-

Ran a strong campaign to become the National Union of Students (NUS) Vice President for Further Education to represent and fight for College students and Apprentices across the UK. Jack only fell short by 1 vote. 

NUS Democracy Reform-

Worked with the National Union of Students and other Students' Unions in the UK to make the democracy of the national student movement work for students leading to the creation of NUS England and reform how NUS enage with Unions and how they are accountable to students.

SU Website & Digital Platform-

Launched a new user-friendly website for the SU which has increased functionality that will benefit Dudley students after using a wix website for over 10 years. We partnered with MSL to develop the new system. We organised a small Launch Event to mark the incredible milestone in the SU Development and Strategic Plan. Upgraded the techmnology in the SU BASE by having a hgh-tech digital tounch- screen hooked up to replace the old projector system. 

Branding Tools-

Introduced and designed new SU Marketing tools including 2 pop-up-shops and 10 pop-up-banners- this is vital for the SU to engage and provide services to all students who find it difficult getting to Broadway.

Social Media Presence-

Increased content creation across SU socials to boost digital engagement and raise the SU's brand recognition. Invested in brand-new high tech DJI microphones to support with content creation. 

Get Involved Campaign-

Launched this campaign to get students involved in SU activities and oppotunities all starting with the Student induction talks, speaking to 3,000 students across 1 week, the SU's key branding message was all about getting involved, we had a major spike in engagement and had over 100 students register an interest in the SU within the first month of the academic year. 

Digital Student Noticeboard-

successfully lobbied and worked with the college to introduce a master team where every student is auto-enrolled onto so everyone has an equal oppotunity to access the same information at the same time, ensuring effective communication.

Leadership & Management Qualification-

Started a Level 5 Leadership and Management Qualification with the Chartered Managment Intitute to develop leadership skills and learnb how to better manage an organisation.

Lead & Change-

Atended a 3 day training event at the University of Birmingham SU, networking and leaning how to build student power.

Small & Specilist Lead & Change-

This training was specifically for College SU's and was hosted at Dudley SU 2 years in a row. 

• Vice President & Chair- Areej Amir

• Assistant President of Union Development- Usman Shahid

• Assistant President of Education- Neve Fraser

• Assistant President of Sustainibility- Ross Pennington-Greatbatch

• Assistant President of Media & Outreach- Estina Munzwa

• Inspired Campus leader- Kaynat Ahmad

• CAT Campus leader- Kyle-James Handley

• Dudley Sixth Campus Leader- Favour A-Matthew

• Broadway Campus Leader- Duncan Barnett

• BAME Liberation Leader- Muhammad Shahid

• Vice President- Usman Shahid

• Assistant President of Union Development- Miriam Guadalupe

• Assistant President of Education & Vice Chair- Atifa Saftari

• Assistant President of Sustainibility- Madina Morton

• Assistant President of Media & Outreach- Goodness Kanu

• Assistant President of Communities- Elizabeth Gado Johnson 

• Assistant President of Liberation- Anthonia Abakporo

• Student Governor & Chair- Deborah Ibojo

• Inspired Campus leader- Kaynat Ahmad

• Dudley Sixth Campus Leader- Aishat Olabode

• Evolve Campus Leader- Dominic Loveridge

• LGBTQ+ Liberation Leader- Remi Miles