At The Big Discussion which was hosted on the 16th April 2014, which you can read more about here: http://thinesganeshamoorthy.weebly.com/blog/the-big-discussion-joining-the-voices-of-young-people-and-healthcare-professionals , we had the pleasure of The Reporters Academy come in to film the event. I am proud to be able to showcase our key priorities which were identified for the event and some key messages from our key note speakers. 

On the back of my successful fundraising campaign I decided it would be a good time to share my whole experience regarding my (financial) transition to University. While I have mentioned parts of it during the fundraising campaign, I feel the time is right to share all, the good and the bad.  As you all know I have Osteogenesis Imperfecta, and that means I am very prone to spontaneous fractures, also as I am wheelchair bound and not very physically active meaning that I am more prone to chest infections. As a result of these conditions, I require full time support and assistance to help me live out my life in as close to typical student as possible and to ensure my disability doesn't get in the way of my life.  My experience of coming to university on the whole has been a largely positive one with my first year being the best possible year of my life, I have become more social, more active within the University and within the wider community and have managed to expand my horizons much more than I would have ever thought and I have been the happiest I've been in a while.  However, over the year there has been a grey cloud hanging over me constantly, that of finance.  Finance is something that is essential for anything you attempt in life, and as I've found out it is pivotal in university. I am so grateful for the support that the University has given me as well as the local authority but I feel more could be being done to help students in a similar position to my own.