Say Hello…..and Goodbye
The new year will bring with it the time to say hello to some new faces on the Student Council and a chance to say goodbye, and thank you, to others whose tenure will have ended.
From January 1, 2024, nine new members have joined the Student Council. They are Isla Black for Scotland, Daire Mallon for Northern Ireland, Oliver Lodmore for the North West, Rebecca Ault for Yorkshire and the Humber, Joseph Brown for the East Midlands, Kian Peek for Eastern, Noah Clark for London, Nathan Antino for the South East, and Billy O’Dee, our first Military Student Member Representative. We would like to extend a warm welcome to you all.
Six were elected by the student members in their regions / nations on December 11, 2023, while Billy Dee was the only Military candidate. They can serve on the Student Council for a maximum of two years, with the option to stand down after 12 months. Nathan and Noah were co-opted onto the Student Council after there were no candidates for the South East and London positions. Both will serve on the Student Council for one year, with the option to stand in the 2024 elections.
The nine new Student Council members may be representing different regions of the UK but they all have one thing in common: to serve their student members as best they can and to ensure their voice is heard.
Isla Black:
"I am honoured to have this opportunity and I can't wait to get started!"
Daire Mallon:
"It is a great honour to be elected as the Northern Ireland representative for the college's student council. I am looking forward to representing my fellow students on a national level, where I will ensure everyone's voices are heard and where work can be done to promote the paramedic profession across the region."
Oliver Lodmore:
"I feel privileged and honoured to have been voted the new student representative for the North West by my fellow student paramedics. I’m looking forward to working with a wide range of people in order to tackle your concerns and empower you to be the best clinicians you can be. I look forward to hearing from you all!"
Rebecca Ault:
"Firstly, thank you so much to everyone who has elected me as the Yorkshire & The Humber Representative! I am really looking forward to year ahead and being able to represent students from my region within the College of Paramedics. I am sure there will be many exciting opportunities to come and cannot wait to get started on delivering these to you."
Billy O’Dee:
“I am looking forward to promoting lasting professional relationships between the military and civilian student paramedic cadres”
Nathan Antino:
"I'm very grateful for the opportunity to represent the student voice for the Southeast. I look forward to bringing my past knowledge and experiences to the role. I truly believe now is an incredibly exciting time to be a paramedic and I can't wait to get stuck in and represent the student community in our evolving profession."
Joseph Brown:
"Firstly, I would like to thank members for my election to the College of Paramedics Student Council and giving me the opportunity to continue the excellent work of my predecessor Isobel Abbott. In particular, I hope to facilitate the extension of the Rejuvenate Thrive Breathe wellness programme to student members through mountain skills courses. Finally, I am also looking forward to working with other Council members in representing the interests of students on matters of College policy and ensuring student involvement in College activities at all levels."
But now, after serving their two-year term, we must say goodbye and thank you to Gavin Keymer who represented student members in Scotland, Matthew Johnston for Northern Ireland, Laura Oliphant for the North West, Isobel Abbott for the East Midlands, Josh Thorn for Eastern, Jorden Ansell for the South East, and Will Sharpe who represented Yorkshire and the Humber. All of them can be very proud of their achievements on the Student Council.
Gavin Keymer:
“The most rewarding aspect of being a student member representative has been being involved with multiple developments within the College of Paramedics and being involved in multiple projects at a national level. You also get to work with a number of specialist paramedics within research, clinical practice, and education.”
Matthew Johnston:
“Being a student member is one of the highlights of my university experience. It has meant I not only have new likeminded friends within my own degree but across the UK. It has given me invaluable leadership experience and taught me so much more about the profession and the opportunities that can be had within my own future career.”
Josh Thorn:
“Reflecting on the most rewarding aspects of my role, I find immense satisfaction in aiding students in overcoming their challenges whilst at uni and doing a paramedic degree. The most awarding part particularly the CoP student conference has been a highlight, witnessing a convergence of students eager to learn, grow, and forge connections. It's truly a remarkable experience and being part of that on the day was amazing; attending the Paramedics diverse conference and speaking on behalf of students from a BAME background was amazing.”
Isobel Abbot:
“A highlight for me has been making actual positive changes to students across the country, whether that’s helping to establish or run student events or fixing issues in your area that improves student experiences”.