Oh Watt A Sight!

It is always a joy and a pleasure to welcome guests, members, and partners to the SSS office. However, it is not every day we get to welcome a new member of staff into the family. We are extremely delighted to announce that Elaine Murdoch has been appointed as our South East Regional Sports Coordinator!

Elaine started her University career when she moved to Edinburgh in 2012 after being accepted to study Biology at Heriot-Watt University. With a flair for sport she joined the Women’s Gaelic Football Club in her first year and continued being an active, competitive, and committee member across four years!

Knowing she wanted to do more for her club and for the sports offer at #TheWatt, Elaine joined the SU Ambassadors programme, helping spread the good word about physical activity and student sport across campus.

After being appointed to the SU Executive in 2014 Elaine still wanted to do more and go further at #YouWatt. Leading a passionate and exhilarating campaign for the presidency role she was victorious and elected the 2016/17 Sports’ Union President! #OhWattAVote.

“I am delighted to welcome Elaine to the SSS team and her exciting role in the South East. Elaine’s skills, qualities and understanding of student sport will allow her to provide strong support to our members & be a huge success in the job.” – Stew Fowlie, SSS COO.

Phew, what a career, and so young! We were so excited to welcome Elaine to SSS on her first day and cannot believe it has been a whole week already. Keith caught up with her to see how she was settling in:

What interested you in working with SSS?
“Having spent the last 5 years exposed to SSS both as a student and a sabbatical officer, I jumped at the opportunity to continue my development journey in the sector. I don’t think any other field quite compares to the student sport landscape – particularly in Scotland – due to our fantastic network of passionate staff, students, and volunteers all from a huge range of backgrounds. I am excited to learn from everyone in the South East and beyond, and to use my skills and experience to help influence positive change across the board.”

You have been with us in the office for a week now, how have you enjoyed the experience so far?
“What a week it’s been! As each day has progressed, my enthusiasm and excitement for the role has soared. There of course has been a lot of information to absorb, but the SSS team really have been great in answering my questions and aiding the settling-in process. It’s a 10/10 so far!”

We love a walk and talk here at SSS and having met with everyone your step count must be soaring! What has been your highlight moment, and your coffee with me is a completely valid answer.
“I’ve definitely learnt that SSS are lovers of some good old ‘free-phys’ which suits me perfectly! It has been great catching-up with each member of the team, however I have to admit that the Sporcle lunches have been a firm favourite of week one.”

Having you with us is sensational and we can’t wait to see what you do with the South-East, building on the strong foundations left by Lizzie Brough. Do you have any ideas or plans you are jumping at the bit to get started on?
“Lizzie has left some big boots to fill, however over the first few weeks I definitely think that the most important thing I can do is to get out and meet each institution to get a full understanding of how they work, and to start planning how I can offer tailored support. I am excited to see what I can do to add some more direction to the South East Regional Forum, and more generally I am looking forward to getting stuck into delivering elements of SSS’ new strategy, such as increasing institution membership numbers. This won’t happen overnight, but through the use of initiatives such as the Development Toolkit and the Multisport Club Template I am confident that good progress can be made. Bring it on!”

What more could you want. 

Good luck Elaine – exciting days, weeks, months and years ahead for you, the region and all at SSS!

Elaine Murdoch

South East Regional Sports Coordinator
44 (0) 7507 764 993
elaine@scottishstudentsport.com