The Executive Committee

The JCR President, a full-time sabbatical job, is the primary representative of Aidan's students. When the University and College staff want to know what Aidan's thinks, they come to the JCR President. The President is the first point of contact for freshers each year, welcoming them into our community and encouraging them to get involved. On a more day-to-day level, the President spends most of their time answering student queries; attending meetings with College and University staff; fighting for the interests of Aidan's along with the presidents of other JCRs; leading and supporting the Exec; organising Old Boys, the Housing Ballot and Freshers' Week; and giving tours to applicants. As well as this, the president is the face of all facets of college life such as welfare, the bar and events (and sits on all JCR committees). They deal with all the admin required to run the JCR, and they seek to shape the strategic direction of the College and JCR with their own ideas. The President will know the answer to any JCR queries you may have and if not he'll know who to direct you to. They live at the end of C Straight (C63).

Hello, my name is Jake Burden, and I am Treasurer of the JCR. My day-to-day role typically consists of processing payments and reimbursements, but I am also involved in drafting the yearly budget, sitting in the Board of Trustees, and delivering termly updates. The JCR is the ideal way to meet new people, participate in sports and societies, and making great memories from the events we hold throughout the year. It is vital in fostering the sense of community that Aidan’s is known for. As a playing and social member of rugby and football, it was sports that allowed me to integrate myself easily into college life. But I would recommend everyone tries to get themselves involved into anything they have an interest in, and the more the better. One piece of advice? Probably to buy the levy - it’s a cost-effective solution if you are wanting to attend balls and events throughout your time here, and it helps us to fund everything from subsidising sports subs to the participation fund (a scheme to help those in need of financial support). Also, if you’re looking to run for a position in the JCR, which I highly recommend, purchasing the levy and becoming a member is a requirement. If you have any questions, do reach out. My email is Treasurer@st-aidans.com and I’m looking forward to meeting you all!

Hi everyone! My name is Diya, and I’m responsible for the democratic running of the JCR. This entails overseeing everything to make sure things are fair, updating our Operating Policies and Procedures, and running JCR meetings and interviews for all JCR positions. I encourage all Freshers to get involved in the JCR in any way possible! Whether that’s running for a role, joining committee, or just showing up to the JCR meetings, the experience is so rewarding, and a lot of fun.

The JCR is at the heart of St Aidan’s, and has been a massive part of my first year at Durham - it helped me meet so many friends, and fostered a huge sense of community for me! Go and follow @aidanschair on Instagram for updates about elections, upcoming meetings, and opportunities, and request to join ‘Aidan’s Overheard’ on Facebook! Please feel free to reach out to me at any point throughout the year with any questions - I’m more than happy to help!

Moving out and starting uni can be daunting and the most important thing to remember is that there is a lot of support if you ask for it. Whether you want a quiet space outside the stress of uni or you want to ask about something you’re struggling with and not sure where to go, team welfare is here.

The welfare room is open most evenings with someone to listen or just have a cup of tea with and anyone on the team can help discuss all the options for student support that Durham has. We also organise lots of college events ranging from board game evenings and guest speakers to picnics and pub quizzes and they are always open to everyone! I really recommend coming along to get to know everyone in college throughout the year. I know there’s a lot of information coming at you from every direction so feel free to email welfare@st-aidans.com with any questions (there are no stupid questions!) and definitely follow our instagram @staidanswelfare where we advertise events and share helpful information. 

The Outreach Chair is the JCR's 'Keeper of College Spirit' - they facilitate student involvement with local volunteering, fundraising and campaigning opportunities, represent Aidan's to Durham SU, and support students around university-wide issues, such as housing. They also organise the ordering and distribution of the iconic 'stash' - Aidan's branded clothing range.

Compliance Officer was added to the exec after members of the JCR voted for the JCR to become an independent charity and no longer be a 'Durham Student Organisation'. It consists of two main roles, the first being to aid the President with independent charity related matters, such as by liaising with the trustee board and ensuring our compliance with charity law. The second role is to encourage and enable a strong relationship between current JCR members and since graduated Aidan's Alumni. This includes graduates returning for sport reunions and 'Old Boys'/Recent Graduates dinners, as well as current students being able to reach out to Aidan's Alumni for opportunities.

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Hi there, my name’s Ben and I’ll be the JCR’s Compliance Officer for this academic year. The role involves me holding to account the actions of the Board of Trustees and the Exec, thus ensuring that the JCR meets the legal requirements that being a charity entails as well as the expectations set out in our constitution, including the maintenance of our independence from the college. I also oversee our compliance to Health & Safety and do the minutes for JCR meetings on Sundays.

Hi everyone! I'm Grace, and I'm the JCR Publicity Officer! I'm responsible for keeping people informed, connected, and in the loop. My day-to-day roles include monitoring and updating JCR social media pages, sharing key information for events, and answering students' questions. This year I'm excited to chair Journalism Committee and oversee the publication of our termly JCR newspaper 'The Badger' as Editor-in-Chief. The Badger showcases our vibrant college life and gives varied writing opportunities to committee members. I'm also responsible for the publication of the JCR Freshers' Handbook over the summer, a valuable resource for incoming students that contains our best Durham recommendations and explains how the JCR and its different committees work. Please feel free to reach out with any questions!

Hi my name is Rohan and my role entails organising sports and societies within the JCR. I will be organising a Freshers fair for all societies and sports during your fresher week so you can join any societies that you like. If no societies are your cup of tea, then you can always have a chat with me to organise your own society. My biggest message to all freshers is please a join a society or sport ! Life at St Aidan's is heightened when you have a mini family within this massive community. My main role during the year is to make sure everyone has training slots and games run smoothly.

Alongside that I will organise sport events and other activities for charity in order to help a range of different causes. From a personal standpoint, many of my highlights have come from joining a sport and societies with weekly socials with sports teams alongside games. And with the tours at the end of the academic year, your time at St Aidans will only get better throughout the year. Please follow the @staidanssports account on Instagram and send me message if you have any questions about sports and societies at St Aidan's College.

The Shop Chair is in charge of running our college shop. They are the person to talk to if you want to work a shift in the shop, if there is anything that the shop does not stock that you would like it to, or if you have a new and interesting event for the Shop Committee to host in the JCR. The Shop Chair is always looking for fresh ideas. They also help put on "Aidan's Live Lounge", the shop" chilled musical evening in, which is a hugely successful every term. The Shop is run as a non-profit organisation by the students for the students; working for the shop is a great way to get to know people.

The Social Chair convenes Social Committee, Aidan's premier events organisation committee. The Social Chair is in charge of overseeing all the events put on by Social Committee, including but not limited to, Winter Ball, JCR Live lounges (typically alongside The Shop), and Summer Ball. The Social Chair generally gives these events a direction, and calls the shots when it comes to what events should be included alongside them.

Hi! I’m Alannah, your Socials Chair, which basically means I get to plan all the fun stuff! From organising our iconic Winter and Summer Balls, to putting together Bops, themed nights, and even our “college marriages". I’m here to make sure you always have something to look forward to. We’re always looking for new ideas and friendly faces to join the committee – so please don’t hesitate to come have a chat or even join the committee! I’m looking forward to celebrating our vibrant college life through all of our upcoming events this year!

Hi my name is Tom and I'm the tech chair at Aidan's. My role involves me leading the Tech Committee. We are responsible for ensuring our tech equipment is up to date, as well as permitting it to be rented out to other colleges for a small fee. We also make ensure that there is always a team of volunteers available to plan, setup, and run the technical aspects of JCR events, both big and small.

This includes staging, lighting, audio and anything else that might be required to ensure the smooth running of an event. Tech committee also works closely with the other committees of the JCR to help run any events that they might want to hold.

Frep is short for "Freshers' Representative". Every year, the Head Frep, alongside the President organise you an amazing Freshers' Week including nights out, movie nights in college and more. They're responsible for making sure you settle into college smoothly and have the best possible start.

Co-organises and leads Freshers' Week to ensure a welcoming and smooth transition for new students. Oversees the team of Freps who are dedicated to helping freshers settle in and feel at home. Serves as an approachable point of contact for freshers, planning a diverse schedule of introductory events.

Eco chair was created in response to the JCR’s commitment to improving environmental sustainability within the college. The role consists of two main responsibilities: first, to oversee and implement the college’s environmental policies, ensuring that sustainable practices are encouraged and maintained across all areas of college life. This includes working with college staff, students, and external organisations to drive green initiatives. The second responsibility is to engage the college community in sustainability efforts by raising awareness, organising eco-friendly events, and promoting long-term behavioural changes that align with environmental goals. As the public face of sustainability in college, the Eco Chair not only champions environmental responsibility but does so with a level of charm and good looks that make going green more appealing.