Hello, everyone!

I hope you’re all as well as possible given the circumstances.

I’ve been hard at work on achieving my manifesto’s goal of cutting UEA’s ties to Barclays.

I’ve written about the details of UEA’s ties to Barclays for Concrete. You can read my piece here. Henry Webb wrote this longer piece, which I helped edit, on why UEA as an institution must comprehensively cut ties with Barclays.

At student union council’s first meeting, I sponsored and passed a motion urging the university to remove Barclays from campus and to switch the university’s bank.

Even before that, Hamish Williams, campaigns & democracy officer and I co-signed a letter to the Vice Chancellor urging him to cut UEA’s ties with Barclays.

At CareerCentral’s Working in the Financial & Professional Services event, I pressed the bank representatives in attendance on their banks’ environmental record.

Ahead of the Finance Committee’s meeting on November 5, I collected signatories for two letters I sent to the Finance Committee: one on Barclays’ unjust environmental exploitation and one on Barclays’ pinkwashing. As of yet, the recommendations the Finance Committee made are confidential. University Council will vote on the Finance Committee’s on November 27. While I’m optimistic University Council will vote not to renew Barclays’ lease, I think it is less likely that they will change the university’s bank from Barclays to a more environmentally responsible one at this time.

For an invitation to the XR UEA Slack, where we are coordinating the divestment campaign, email me or message XR UEA on Facebook. 

Stay safe, and stay tuned for more updates!

-Sophie, she/her

Sophie Ciurlik Rittenbaum - Non-portfolio Officer