Harry is a third-year Geography student. Harry represented the JCR as Welfare Officer (2024-2025) and has twice frepped. Harry is known for his passion for non-league football and going on town tours across England. 

What motivated you to run for JCR President?

It was something that even from quite early on in my involvement in the JCR, probably in second year, I was looking at the job that George [Little] was doing and thinking, I want to do that. That sounds quite fun, like quite a good role. I think what finally motivated me was joining the JCR, particularly frepping, and being involved in the team. It is something really, really special to college – a real feeling of belonging and being part of something that’s really quite incredible.

I hadn’t really gotten involved with the JCR too much at first year, but I frepped in second year and realised, “I really want to get involved with this. This is something I really want to do.” And it’s something I feel able to do and get that same feeling of passion and wanting to get involved with it as many people in Trevs are. I want as many people to have the same really fantastic experience in the JCR that I have, I think.

Why should people vote for you? How do you stand out from other candidates?

I’ve been involved in the JCR as a frep twice. I’ve sat on the exec this year as well. I have a fairly good understanding of the JCR’s positionality within college. So I think I’ve got the experience and the knowledge of the JCR and what it does in terms of me. 

Personally, I think I’m a big communicator. I’m a big listener as well. I think being in the welfare role has really, really helped that. This is really treating every single person as and their ideas as individual and specific to them. Every single person in the whole of college has something unique that they can bring to the JCR, and it’s just about creating that environment where they feel motivated to go in, to go and get involved. I want to do things with a smile on my face as well. I think I’m quite a positive and upbeat person. I like to work collaboratively. I like to work in teams because there’s some things that I’m not so good at myself, but other people might be fantastic at and they bring a really different set of backgrounds to the JCR.

So I’m always here for a nice team effort, to do things with a smile on your face. I think that’s the way to get the best ideas, and that’s the way that I think the JCR is going to see its engagement skyrocket. Students are facing problems at the moment. There’s things like the cost of living, the Billy B closing, the building works in college, stress with exams. I really feel that JCR is somewhere where we all work together, create a fantastic team and tackle these problems as a big group.

I’m always here for a nice team effort, to do things with a smile on your face. I think that’s the way to get the best ideas, and that’s the way that I think the JCR is going to see its engagement skyrocket.

With a lack of engagement from Freshers this year and some meetings failing to meet quorum, how are you planning on increasing engagement in the JCR?

It’s a big shame to see. I’ve personally felt quite a lot of frustration, not with anyone particularly, but in the fact that quorum hasn’t been met and it’s definitely disappointing because JCR meetings are how people get involved and see what they see. I think the way I’d go about it, as I’ve alluded to already, is to appeal to Freshers. I don’t think I went to a single JCR meeting in my first year. I thought it was boring, it doesn’t matter to me. I was in that position in my first year, and it took frepping and 2nd year going, I’ll go along and then I got to know people in the JCR. I got to know why people were so passionate about it, and since then I’ve not missed a single meeting. 

It was that passion that I wanted to be involved in because this is somewhere where my voice is going to be heard. This is somewhere where I can make a difference, somewhere I can make friends and do things and have fun. And I feel like I’m really involved in the college community – I want to make sure that every single person has the opportunity to get involved.

The JCR Presidential Instagram could do with more activity, I think. I’d really like to focus on a This Week in Trevs, advertising concerts and football floodlits, making sure it’s all in one place. And also just being present in college, saying hello to people on your way to breakfast. 

In terms of engagement? I’ll put my hands up and say I’m not necessarily the person who’s coming up with all the massive ideas and having a really strong vision. I know that’s a slightly unorthodox thing to say when campaigning, but I know people in the JCR who are that person. I definitely think that we need collaboration – there are people who are able to plan fantastic, amazing events. There are people who are able to say, we need to do this in order to make JCR meetings more engaging. That’s so awesome, to put these people together and make amazing things happen.

What would you like to do with your first 100 days in office?

The most important part of the first 100 days would be me getting used to the role. From having spoken to George [Little] and James [Koo], I do feel like a lot of it is getting to grips with the kinds of things like the JCR, the positionality between the JCR President, students, and people like Kunle, Martin, Hannah, and Janice, and working out how to bridge that gap. You’ve got a month and a half before the students arrive – so it would be about getting to grips with those kinds of ideas.

Also, communicating with the Head Frep to make sure that Freshers’ Week is the most incredible experience it can possibly be, and the best introduction not just to Trevs and University life, but to the JCR. There are people who have some fantastic ideas on how to do this, like making a JCR handbook to send out before Freshers arrive. That’s exactly the team effort I’m looking for. 

Getting that engagement, and then I always feel like the first JCR meeting in Freshers’ Week is really advertised. It was compulsory. I’d love to keep that level of engagement up that we had in Freshers’ Week, by just collaborating, talking, and being passionate.

It was that passion that I wanted to be involved in because this is somewhere where my voice is going to be heard.

What has the JCR done poorly this year that you’d like to improve on?

The JCR is a little bit restless. I think there’s a bit of a divide between the JCR and college and MCR. I feel like the JCR is drifting away slightly from the student body. It almost feels a bit disconnected. I’d really like to make sure that people know their voice will be heard in the JCR – I’m not saying for a second that their voice isn’t heard at the moment, but I think we need more people coming in and really acting collaboratively, everyone working together for the same goal, because at the end of the day everyone apart from the president is a volunteer. 

Whether you’re the treasurer, welfare officer, Tier 2, Tier 3, or what I call Tier 4s, which is everyone else, I feel like it’s a big collaborative team. So I feel like it is at risk of becoming a little disconnected, becoming a little bit fractured, and I think that that is what we need to bring it back together and rebuild those bonds between different sides of college. 

Lastly, if you win, what toastie will you order from the Buttery to celebrate?

I like Greek food, so I’ve found you can make a toastie with feta, sun dried tomatoes, olives, and garlic butter in a wrap and it feels very Mediterranean, so I’ve got to go with that.

Voting for JCR President opens on Monday 10th February at 12pm.

[Note: Harry Naylor’s interview was conducted before the candidates for Tier 1 positions were announced on 8th February. Ollie Laws and Imogen McEwing were interviewed after this.]

Image: Harry Naylor