News

Thank you to everybody who joined our vigil for Ukraine, which took place on the LUU precinct on Friday 11 March.

At the vigil students and staff came together to show their support for all those affected, and to call for peace, democracy and freedom.

Exec Officers Aysha Burton and Natasha Fowler-Ekar spoke about LUU’s condemnation of the invasion of Ukraine and of our calls for the eradication of racism in war and peace, as well as announcing our charity donation points set up across the Union. Alongside our Exec speakers, several students made powerful contributions to the vigil.

To show support for the people of Ukraine at this difficult time, we’ve launched charity collection points at tills across the Union, where students can choose to add a 50p donation to their purchase.

We have chosen to support the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, a collective of 15 leading aid charities with a mission to save, protect and rebuild lives through effective humanitarian response. The UK Government will match-fund donations to the DEC up to £20 million, so your 50p contribution will see £1 go to those who need it.

You can make your donation at the tills at the following LUU outlets: Common Ground, Balcony, Terrace, Old Bar, Gear and Union Shop. Those making online purchases at leedsgear.com will also have the opportunity to donate. 100% of donations will go to the charity.

If you’re not making a purchase but would still like to donate, you’re very welcome to – simply head to the till and ask to donate. 50p is the minimum donation, but if you’d like to give more you can donate however much you like, in multiples of 50p.

Donation options will remain available at these LUU tills for as long as they are needed and we will be promoting their availability across the LUU building and via our communication channels continuously, to demonstrate our support for all those affected. We will update you  about the donations collected regularly.

In light of reports of racism on the ground in Ukraine (confirmed by the United Nations and Ukrainian government), as well as numerous instances of racist media reporting of the current conflict (referenced in the transcript below), Union Affairs and Communications Officer Aysha Burton has given a statement on behalf of Leeds University Union. The statement outlines our duty as an aspiring anti-racist organisation to speak out about our condemnation of this discrimination, and calls for the equitable treatment of all victims in this conflict, as well as the eradication of racism in war and peace.