Inclusions
We recognise that hitch-hiking, as the core activity of our group, could present barriers for various groups of students. We are committed to minimising these barriers, and creating a space which is not only diverse, but inclusive and fosters equality.
Bummit Committee are committed to creating a safe environment free of bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discriminaton, promoting dignity and respect for all, and where individual differences of all participants are recognised and valued.
The PDF below gathers the Inclusions Policy for Bummit in 2022/2023.
We recognise that hitch-hiking can present barriers and issues for various students at the University and in our society. We are committed to doing what we can to minimise these barriers and make our society more accessible to those who wish to get involved.
We are also aware of the worries and concerns that may be prevalent for some students with the possibility of discrimination. We can assure you that any form of prejudice from within our society won’t be tolerated under any circumstance whilst on Bummit or otherwise. We can’t promise there won’t be any uncomfortable or uninvited conversations with people you meet on your journey, but we make sure as a society that we are constantly growing our awareness and striving to build a diverse, inclusive space that fosters equality. All our committee are equipped to listen and talk to you about any concerns you may have and will be here for you throughout your time in the society!
Bummit Committee are committed to creating a safe environment free of bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination, promoting dignity and respect for all, and where individual differences of all participants are recognised and valued.
This includes differences in:
● Age,
● Race,
● Ethnicity,
● Gender identity or expression
● Student status (Any registered student at The University of Sheffield can participate in Bummit – whether they are part-time, full time, actively studying, taking a leave of absence, on a placement year or year abroad. Members of the public cannot take part for insurance reasons)
● National origin,
● Physical and mental ability,
● Political affiliation,
● Religion,
● Sexual orientation,
● Socio-economic status,
and other characteristics that make Bummit participants unique!
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion for Bummit
What do these terms mean?
Equality means fairness. Bummit will not treat anybody less favourably because of their personal characteristics as outlined above.
Diversity means respecting, recognising and celebrating our differences. Bummit aims to create an environment that has a wide range of mindsets, backgrounds and characteristics, which allows for an empowered culture of creativity and innovation.
Inclusion means creating an environment that is actively welcoming and accessible to all University of Sheffield students. To become inclusive we must be aware of our unconscious biases and examine the barriers that particular groups face when taking part in Bummit activities.
Bummit Committee pledges to:
1. Educate and train all committee members about their responsibilities.
All committee members are required to attend a Bummit training session along with training surrounding consent and diversity. All committee members will be equipped to talk to you if issues arise and direct you to support that is in place. We are all aware of the lines of support available and we will make you aware of these.
2. Maintain a ZERO TOLERANCE policy for bullying, harassment and discrimination.
Committee members as well as participants WILL be held liable for acts of bullying, harassment and discrimination. This can entail being banned from all future Bummit events as well as being reported to the Students Union and, where appropriate, the police. Participants will be made aware of the definition of discrimination and what it can include in safety talks.
3. Minimise peer pressure and compulsory drinking culture
We commit to organising socials, twice a semester, which do not encourage the consumption of alcohol and are not hosted in bars, pubs or clubs, and promoting these socials to the same extent as those involving alcohol.
We will facilitate alternative activities at our Baby Bummit end destination and our Big Bummit midpoint and end destination for those who do not wish to attend the bar/club. By facilitate, we mean that we will enable people to find others who would also like to arrange an activity that evening, for example in a group chat, which will be clearly advertised in advance.
We will include a section in all safety talk presentations about peer pressure, what it is, and remind people to respect each other’s boundaries.
4. Establish a formal complaints procedure.
Please use this form to lodge any formal complaints about incidents which may occur during Bummit trips or socials:
This form can also be found in our Instagram bio.
Any complaints will only be shared with the EEI Officer (Asha), the Chair (Grace) and Lucy Coull, our SU staff representative.
5. Have specific committee members dedicated to the implementation of this policy.
Our EEI officer Asha is available to contact at eei.bummit@sheffield.ac.uk and our whole committee is available at bummit@sheffield.ac.uk.
During Bummit trips there will be a number of committee members dedicated to supporting participants. Participants will be informed of who they are prior to the trip’s departure.
We also have a staff representative, Lucy Coull, who is available to contact at lucy.coull@sheffield.ac.uk if you don’t want to contact the student committee.
6. Encourage all feedback from participants, positive or negative.
Please use this form to give us any positive or negative feedback you may have for Bummit, including the trips, socials and fundraisers we organise, as well as any miscellaneous advice you might have. We very much appreciate any comments. This form will be emailed to participants after Bummit trips as well as linked in our Instagram bio.
7. Consider local attitudes to race, sexual orientation and gender identity when selecting Big Bummit destinations.
8. Provide tailored support and advice to students from marginalised communities:
Provisions for DISABLED STUDENTS
– Please see this document on hitchhiking with a health condition or disability:
Disability Advice Big Bummit.docx
– Also available is a HitchWiki guide on hitchhiking in a wheelchair:
Hitchhiking in a wheelchair – Hitchwiki: the Hitchhiker’s guide to Hitchhiking
– Our registration form includes questions about disability, we will provide the opportunity for participants to discuss their disability and needs with us in order to support them as best we can.
Provisions for INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
– Visa guidance is available on this website.
– International Students can go to the International Support Office in the SU for help with their applications.
– We can provide additional fundraising support for international students.
-It is possible to access a £25 subsidy to international students who buy a ticket to help them cover the costs of their VISA
– Please use this like to register interest in Big Bummit, this will help us understand how we can support you further.
– Contact our EEI officer (Asha) if you require any support. eei.bummit@sheffield.ac.uk
Provisions for STUDENTS FROM A LOW SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUND
– We are committed to keeping the costs of Bummit as low as possible and all money raised from ticket sales is needed to cover the costs of the hostels, meal and other aspects of the trip, in order to fundraise for our charities.
– We will provide guidance on how to minimise costs for Bummit with the cheapest routes, hostels and cities, in our information talks as well as the Bummit Bible.
– We will provide additional fundraising support for students from a low socioeconomic background.
– We are trying to introduce a delayed deposit system, as well as encouraging people to use cheques. This means that people do not lose their deposit money until the deadline for fundraising.
– We provide a £25 subsidy for students who receive a bursary or a scholarship in order to minimise the barriers to participation for students from a lower socioeconomic background. We publicise this scheme through our social media and emails.
Provisions for BIPOC STUDENTS
– We will commit to specific anti-racism training on top of our Committee inclusions training
– We will monitor the experience of BIPOC students as part of our post-Bummit evaluation questionnaires and gather data on where we could improve their experience
Provisions for LGBTQ+ students
– We will research destinations and avoid visiting countries with anti LGBTQ+ laws such as Hungary or Russia.
– We will only book LGBTQ+ friendly clubs/venues for nights out.
Provisions for WOMEN AND MARGINALISED GENDERS
– Our insurance states that each team must include at least 1 member who was assigned male at birth. We are aware that this could cause problems for transgender and non binary students, but we are currently unable to negotiate a change in this area whilst retaining insurance cover.
– We will provide 2 rooms in the midpoint and endpoint hostels which are for women and marginalised genders only.
– We will ask participants to notify us if they wish to stay in one of these when completing registration paperwork.
9. Review the Bummit Inclusions Policy annually.
We will review the inclusions policy by:
1) Sending a survey to participants about their experience of the policy so they can give
anonymous feedback to give to the new committee.
2) Comparing the policy to new knowledge and legislation on equality, diversity and inclusions (EDI) issues.
3) Meeting with the SU liberation officer to get their feedback on the policy.
4) Updating documentation annually
Concerns and suggestions
If you have any questions or suggestions regarding this policy, please don’t hesitate to contact our EEI Officer Asha Rai at eei.bummit@sheffield.ac.uk or message us through.
Instagram or Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Bummit
https://www.instagram.com/bummit_hitch_hike
Or use one of the following forms: