If you’re arriving back in Swansea and you’re thinking about running in the upcoming Full Time Officer Elections to become next year’s President, Education, Sports, Welfare or Societies and Services Officer then look no further. For the basics on what is involved check out the Elections page on our website: http://www.swansea-union.co.uk/myunion/elections/. For a more fun account of what it’s like to run read on!

The first year I ran in the Full Time Officer (FTO) elections I did so for two reasons, the first was that I was encouraged to, the second was that I’d really enjoyed setting up the St John LINKS society during my studies and had been a member of many other societies too.  I spent my Christmas break thinking about the idea, what I’d do instead, and why I wanted to run. I spoke to family, friends and the officers in the Union at the time to make sure my decision was as informed as it could be.

Once I decided to run I started thinking and planning my manifesto, I spoke to friends and asked for their help and support, not only in putting together the manifesto, but also in running the campaign. I’m not going to pretend it wasn’t a lot of work, but it was also incredibly fun, I’d cook a huge meal of spag bol and get everyone round and in my lounge with huge pieces of paper to put ideas on.

Things I thought about were initially my campaign theme, we went with Ceinwinning/Chocolate because it disguised the fact that my name is unusual and was something that most people like! I organised the number of t-shirts I needed, how I was going to paint them, my banners, badges and chocolate bar prop. I attempted to cost all the things up so I’d be in the budget and then I started hoarding safety pins (tip – wilkos WILL sell out so try to get them a.s.a.p).

I then had every Sunday as prep days, painting, dying, cutting, sticking and pinning everything to be ready for the week! In my first year the campaign week was much longer, the process has changed now to be slightly shorter and much more fun! I sorted out social media, a new facebook like page, a new twitter, videos and in my second election a website. About two weeks before I started to plan each day of the campaign, deciding whether I would door knock, be on the mall, doing lecture shout outs or at the village/Ty Beck. A copy of the plan went up on my campaign team facebook and I asked for volunteers for each day and every evening.

When the week came around it was nerve wracking, exhausting but a huge amount of fun. There was a sense of camaraderie between the candidates and teams. I was incredibly lucky with my campaign team, I had a couple of people who I really could not have done it without, they made sure I got to where I needed to be, that I’d eaten and that I had everything I needed, as silly as it sounds they are priceless and vital things in such a hectic week!

Finally I wanted to touch on winning. It is not the be all and end all. Although I am lucky enough to have been successful I know others that haven’t, it’s not nice to not win, but it’s also not the end of the world. While planning my campaign I also planned my alternative, I very much had the attitude of what will be will be, and although I was giving it my best shot, and although I would have been really upset not to have one, I knew I had a plan. There are also huge things to be said for having the confidence, organisation, tenacity, drive, forethought and hundreds of other skills to actually run in the election in the first place, do not forget these!

There isn’t a simple way to winning, no one knows who will vote how, but start with a smile, say hello, be passionate and you can’t much go wrong! Good Luck!

(References: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ceinwinning?fref=ts Website: http://ceinwinning.tumblr.com/  Videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo6YXCF7ukEJ-jF6Pf3PkIQ )

Ystyried bod yn swyddog llawn amser? - Dyma beth wnes i.

Os ydych chi’n cyrraedd yn ôl i Abertawe ac yn ystyried sefyll yn yr etholiad Swyddogion Llawn Amser er mwyn bod yn Llywydd, Swyddog Addysg, Swyddog Chwaraeon, Swyddog Lles neu Swyddog Cymdeithasau, dyma’r blog i chi. Mae’r wybodaeth sylfaenol am yr hyn mae’n ei olygu ar dudalen yr Etholiadau ar ein gwefan: http://www.swansea-union.co.uk/myunion/elections/ Am adroddiad sy’n fwy o hwyl am yr hyn mae sefyll yn ei olygu, darllenwch yn eich blaenau!

Y flwyddyn gyntaf sefais i yn yr Etholiad Swyddogion Llawn Amser, gwnes hynny am ddau reswm. Y rheswm cyntaf oedd i fi gael fy annog i wneud, a’r llall oedd am fy mod i wir wedi mwynhau sefydlu’r gymdeithas St Johns LINKS yn ystod fy astudiaethau, a bod yn aelod o amryw o gymdeithasau eraill hefyd. Treuliais fy ngwyliau Nadolig yn ystyried y syniad o sefyll, beth fuaswn yn ei wneud yn lle, a pham yr hoffwn i sefyll. Siaradais gyda fy ffrindiau, fy nheulu a’r swyddogion yn yr Undeb hefyd i sicrhau fod fy mhenderfyniad yn un mor wybodus â phosibl.

Unwaith benderfynais i sefyll, dechreuais feddwl a chynllunio fy maniffesto. Gofynnais i fy nheulu a ffrindiau am gefnogaeth, nid yn unig gyda chynllunio fy maniffesto ond hefyd gyda’r ymgyrch. Dydw i ddim am esgus nad oedd yn waith caled, ond roedd hefyd yn llawer o hwyl. Buaswn yn coginio pryd anferth o Spag Bol a gwahodd pawb draw i fwyta ac i ysgrifennu syniadau ar ddarnau anferth o bapur yn y lolfa.

Y peth cyntaf feddyliais i amdano oedd thema fy ymgyrch. Penderfynais ar Ceinwinning/Chocolate er mwyn cuddio’r faith bod fy enw mor anarferol, ac am ei fod yn rhywbeth mae’r rhan fwyaf o bobl yn ei hoffi! Trefnais y nifer o grysau t y byddai eu hangen arnaf, sut y byddwn i yn eu paentio, fy maneri, fy mathodynnau a fy mhrop bar o siocled. Ceisiais brisio popeth er mwyn bod o fewn fy nghyllideb a dechreuais gasglu pinau cau (safety pins) – tip: mi fydd Wilko YN gwerthu allan felly prynwch nhw MOR FUAN Â PHOSIB!

Daeth Dydd Sul yn ddiwrnod paratoi – paentio, llifo, torri, glynu, a phinio popeth er mwyn bod yn barod ar gyfer yr wythnos! Yn fy mlwyddyn gyntaf o sefyll, roedd yr wythnos ymgyrchu llawer yn hirach – mae’r broses wedi newid erbyn hyn i fod ychydig yn fyrrach a llawer yn fwy o hwyl! Sortiais y cyfryngau cymdeithasu drwy greu tudalen hoffi Facebook newydd, Twitter newydd, fideos, ac yn fy ail flwyddyn, gwefan. Pythefnos cyn i fi ddechrau, dechreuais gynllunio yn union beth fyddwn i yn ei wneud bob diwrnod o’r ymgyrch: penderfynu os fyswn i yn cnocio drysau, yn y ganolfan siopa, yn Nhy Beck/y Pentref Myfyrwyr neu yn gwneud cyhoeddiadau mewn darlithoedd. Aeth copi o fy nghynllun ar dudalen Facebook fy ymgyrch, a gofynnais am wirfoddolwyr ar gyfer bob diwrnod a phob noswaith.

Pan gyrhaeddodd wythnos yr ymgyrch roedd yn wythnos blinedig a llawn nerfusrwydd, ond roedd hefyd yn llawn hwyl! Roedd ymdeimlad o gyfeillach rhwng yr ymgeiswyr a’r timoedd. Roeddwn yn anhygoel o lwcus i gael y tîm ymgyrchu oedd gen i. Roedd cwpwl o bobl ar y tîm na fyddwn i wedi gallu gwneud yr ymgyrch hebddynt; fe sicrhaon nhw i fi gyrraedd lle yr oedd angen i fi fynd, fy mod wedi bwyta, ac fod gen i bopeth yr oedd arnaf ei angen. Mae’n swnion wirion, ond roedd y pethau yma yn hollol hanfodol ac amhrisiadwy mewn wythnos mor brysur!

Yn olaf, roeddwn am ddweud gair am ennill. Nid ennill ydi popeth. Er fy mod yn ddigon lwcus i fod wedi ennill, rwy’n adnabod rhai eraill na wnaeth ennill. Dydi hi ddim yn bleserus i beidio ennill ond dydi hi ddim yn ddiwedd byd ychwaith. Tra’n cynllunio fy ymgyrch fe wnes gynlluniau eraill hefyd. Roedd gennyf agwedd que sera sera, ac er fy mod wedi trio fy ngorau glas ac yn cyfaddef y byddwn wedi cymryd y peth ataf pe na tawn wedi ennill, roeddwn i’n gwybod bod gen i gynllun wrth gefn. Mae hefyd lawer iawn i’w ddweud am gael y dewrder, hyder, trefnusrwydd, dycnwch, gwth a channoedd o sgiliau eraill sydd eu hangen i fod wedi sefyll yn yr etholiad yn y lle cyntaf! Peidiwch ag anghofio hyn!

Does dim ffordd hawdd i ennill - does neb yn gwybod sut y bydd unrhyw un yn pleidleisio, ond dechreuwch gyda gwen, dywedwch helo, byddwch yn angerddol a brwdfrydig ac ewch chi ddim ymhell o’ch lle!

Pob lwc!