By Melissa Limani
The LSESU’s Class Liberation Officer Zoë Mann has launched a new initiative called the ‘Working Class Collective’, aimed at addressing the lack of a dedicated social space for working-class students.
Elected as Class Liberation Officer in April 2024, Mann began formulating the idea for the collective in June before launching it in September. When speaking to Mann about her motivation for starting the collective, she highlighted that until now there hasn’t been a designated space for working-class students.
While initiatives such as the 93% Club exist to provide career support for state-school educated students and students from lower socio-economic backgrounds, she realised that something was missing; there wasn’t a community where working-class students could come together in a space that isn’t hierarchical or dominated solely by career agendas.
Instead, the collective will focus more on fostering emotional connections, friendships, and providing a general sense of comfort. This is especially important at a university like LSE, where the strong presence of students from private schools can make it initially challenging for those from lower-class backgrounds to find a community they relate to.
Mann, who is from the North of England, acknowledges that her own experiences may not represent every working-class student’s journey. This is why she emphasises inclusivity and aims to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard.
While the collective is still in its early stages, Mann has plans for it to grow organically. Freshers-led events will be a key feature of the initiative, and she hopes the collective will eventually expand into academic discussions, depending on student input. By creating this space, Mann will offer working-class students the opportunity to shape their university experience on their own terms.
