The welfare team is headed by the Welfare and Campaigns Officers: Bechan Davies (castle.welfareofficer@durham.ac.uk) and Emma Gratte (castle.campaignsofficer@durham.ac.uk) respectively.
If you have any welfare concerns, please contact College Office in the first instance. The email address for the student support team is: univcoll.studentsupport@durham.ac.uk.
It is also made up of 10 current castle students. All of them are here to be a listening ear and to help signpost issues on to useful services both within and without of the University. There are a wide range of personalities on the team, so ask whoever you feel most comfortable with if you can talk something through with them, they will be more than happy to help.
Rachel Caine – Working Class Officer
Degree: English Literature
Position: As working class officer, I’ll be hosting coffee mornings and social events for other working class students to meet each other. I’ll also be running a welfare tea time and am available for one-to-ones for anyone who wants to chat 
.
Interests: football, coffee, welfare TikToks.
Email: Dhss36@durham.ac.uk
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Jessica Caine – Assistant Campaigns Officer
Course: English literature
Position: I’ll be working alongside the other welfare officers and helping to run campaigns throughout the year.
Email: fpcf56@durham.ac.uk
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Ella Banks – Assistant Campaigns Officer
Course: Engineering
Position: I’ll assist campaigns
Interests: UCBC (Rowing), UCWAFC (Football), Ball Committee, June Ball Committee, Social Committee, Castle Dresses
Email: ella.l.banks@durham.ac.uk
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–Ananya Nair – International Welfare Officer
Course: Law
Position: As International Officer, I will be the representative of the International Student Community in Castle along with the International Committee President. My duties range from organising welfare tea-times, meets & events to student help and support.
Katie Telling – Assistant Welfare Officer
Course: Law
Position: As one of the assistant welfare officers, it’s my role not only to make an amazing cup of tea, but to be an approachable and trustworthy face within the college community. Helping students with any needs they may have during freshers week and as the year progresses by holding one-to-ones, weekly tea times and assisting in welfare events such as shag week.
Interests: Serial killer documentaries, Reading, Italian food
Contact me: katie.telling@durham.ac.uk
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Emmet Ferguson – Assistant Welfare Officer
Course: Law
Position: Making the BEST cups of tea – just kidding (well, kinda). Alongside the rest of the Team, I will be helping to facilitate our daily teatimes: the perfect opportunity to take a well-earned midday rest from your busy academic schedules and get to know your fellow Castlemen! Here, I am happy to hook you up with sexual health supplies (excuse the abysmal pun) or stay behind to lend an ear to any issues you might be facing and point you towards the best support available. If you can’t make it to a teatime or feel a bit apprehensive about coming along, please do not hesitate to reach out via email and we can arrange a more opportune time! 
Interests: CCA Secondary Education Division, Toastie Bar, DU Irish Society, Purple Radio (shameless promo: @urghhhradio), and rating Durham’s selection of chai lattes
Email: emmet.ferguson@durham.ac.uk
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Daisie Ellis – Disabilities Officer
Course: Chemistry
Position: I hope to increase the accessibility at Castle and to help students access the support structures here at Durham that they are entitled to such as DSNs or applying for DSAs. Whether you identify as disabled or not, I am on hand alongside the rest of the welfare team to look after your wellbeing. If you need somebody to show you where the welfare room is, go on a bus route for the first time with you or to help write your first email to an academic, no question is “silly” and I’m happy to help break down those barriers.
Interests: swimming, quizzing, bad music, Monday night Osbourne’s
Email: daisie-anne.ellis@durham.ac.uk
Jess Harker – Northern Officer
Course: Geography BSc
Position: Ensuring all northern students at Castle feel welcomed and included in our community!
Interests: Talking about my year abroad
Email: Jessica.r.harker@durham.ac.uk
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Sophie Watts – Livers In Representative
Course: Geography BA
Position: My role is to ensure people are happy with their castle accommodation.
Interests: Hockey, netball, undie pints, CCA homeless division and any excuse to wear black tie!
Please get in touch if you have any questions: sophie.watts@durham.ah.uk
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Meg Haslam – Livers Out Representative
Course: French & German
Position: My role is to make sure that livers out are as catered for as those who live in college accommodation. This includes making sure that livers out have access to welfare supplies, ensuring that they know their rights as tenants and organising livers out formals. As well as this, I also help freshers with housing.
Interests: I’m involved in many social justice initiatives, I love visiting old buildings & I spend too much time re-watching my favourite films
Please get in touch if you have any questions:
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Elinam Dumor – Ethnic Minorities Officer
Course: Classical civilisation
Position: Hi everyone! My job is to make sure the people of colour are represented, respected and recognised in the Castle community. I can’t wait to meet you all!
Interests: Music, martial arts, football and kdramas
Contact me: snwg16@durham.ac.uk
Leah Beglan – LGBTQ+ Representative
Course: Health and Human Sciences
Position: As LGBTQ+ officer this year, I encourage anyone (regardless of gender or sexual orientation)to come to me with queries, concerns, worries or just for a chat. Private or in groups, my door is always open. I will also be organising LGBTQ+ socials throughout the year, as well as the occasional Facebook infodump of important LGBTQ+ topics!
Interests: Squash, dance, drama, languages.
Email: xcvb42@durham.ac.uk
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Contact Welfare
You can contact any member of the welfare team individually, or attend a drop in, and we will be more than happy to help. Here are some other ways to get in touch:
Anonymous messaging system: ucwelfare.castlejcr.com
You can use this form to communicate anonymously with the Welfare leads. You could ask a question which you would prefer not to talk about directly, request Welfare supplies for you to anonymously collect, report an incident or use it to just send your thoughts. When you submit the form, your message will be assigned a random ‘Ticket ID’. This is the only thing which connects you to the message so it cannot be ‘de-anonymised’ or linked back to you. It is entirely confidential. Remember to keep your Ticket ID as it is the only way to access your response later. If you would like us to know who you are, feel free to include your name in the message. Come back in a few days and click ‘View Response’, then enter your Ticket ID. You can enter some additional information or reply as many times as you like using the same Ticket ID.