Start a Society
A guide to starting a society within a student union for student-led initiatives, events and meetings.
So you're thinking of setting up a new society?
We'd love to work with you to start a new society at BCU. Our student groups are an amazing melting pot of ideas that help the student body to learn new things, make new friends or to continue with their passion whilst they're away from home. However, there's a few things we need you to check before we start the process:
Firstly, if you know what group you're interested in forming, check your society doesn't already exist by looking at our active societies here.
Or, if you need a bit of inspiration or want some help deciding what society you should create, you can always look at our Adopt-a-Soc section and become the new leaders of a previously popular group!
We've put some information below to help you understand the process of starting a society, as well as what is expected from you:
Here are just a few of the benefits of starting a new society:
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Dedicated, free website space to promote your society.
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Commission-free membership sales.
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Practical support with society events for example; risk assessment and room bookings.
- Free advertising for society events on the SU website.
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Commission-free ticket sales for your events.
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Website support to manage your members.
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Individual SU finance accounts to manage all society funds.
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Access to one-off grant funding, provided by the SU to help towards the costs of events, fees or equipment.
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Checking contracts on your behalf for large-scale events and sponsorships.
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Dedicated all year round SU staff support to answer your questions and help you with anything.
The process of setting up a new society
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Step one - To make sure your idea is not already covered, check through our existing societies.
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Step two - Find a minimum of 4 people who will take up leadership roles and form a committee. You're welcome to propose more positions but these will be at the discretion of your coordinator.
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Step three - Complete the Society Application Pack below
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Step four - The Activities and Representation Team reviews your application
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Step five - If your group is approved, you'll need to complete the start up process, including the compulsory commitee training
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Step six - that's it...you're off and can begin to run a fantastic and engaging society celebrating your passion and interest with others!
What leaderhip roles are there?
The President of a society is the leader, who oversees all its activity and direction. Throughout the academic year this person will need to provide support, guidance, and direction to the other committee members and the wider membership of the society. You will also be the main person of contact for the members as well as the Students' Union.
For more information on the role, we recommend watching the Committee Roles video.
The Secretary’s primary function is to ensure the smooth running of the society. Rooms need booking, emails need writing, accurate records need keeping, and above all else you need to communicate appropriately both to the committee and the entire society membership.
For more information on the role, we recommend watching the Committee Roles video.
The Treasurer oversees and monitors the financial affairs of the society. However, it is more than just handling money. It is about understanding your society's finances and planning and budgetting accordingly to ensure the successful running of the society.
For more information on the role, we recommend watching the Committee Roles video.
The Participation and Inclusion Officer is responsible for ensuring the society is accessible to every student at BCU. They work with the Students' Union to identify any barriers to participation and try and overcome them. They also actively try to recruit members to their student group from across the student body.
For more information on the role, we recommend watching the Committee Roles video.
What next?
Once you're ready, click the relevant button below and follow the procedure!
Contact Us
Got a question? You can email us at societies@bcu.ac.uk if you have any questions.