Societies > Start a society

Societies

Societies are groups of students with a shared interest. We have around 150 societies and if there’s something missing, it’s easy to start your own.

Different societies do different things and run in different ways. Some are focused on one big project per year, others have regular meetings, some organise activities that anyone can come to, others focus on organising things for their members, some societies are quite small, others are huge.

All societies are open to anyone and you can join societies throughout the year so take a look at what is on offer. Make sure you keep an eye on the list of societies as new ones start up quite regularly.

► Start a society

If you've had a browse through our A-Z of societies and think we're missing something it's really easy to set up a new society.

Why could I set up a society?

You could set up a society related to your department to organise talks and social events. You could set up a society to find other people interested in your hobby. You might want to add to the variety of social events at Sussex by setting up a society dedicated to a particular type of music and arrange trips to gigs.

If you think we're missing something from our list then why not fill the gap? Running a society is easy and takes as much or as little time as you and your fellow committee members would like to give to it. The Activities Centre is here to support you and we can provide more information, funding and advice to help you out.

Your society could run social events, talks, organise a conference, raise money, bungee-jumping, enter competitions, whatever you like. If you'd like to talk to someone about your ideas, please contact us.

Benefits for societies

Students' Union societies get support, resources and funding from the Students' Union. We can help you publicise your activities, network with other society committee members, provide funding, give you storage space, include you in our insurance policy, advise you on things like organising events and recruiting members. You can see some of our resources for committee members at www.sussexstudent.com/resources

Things you could consider

The good thing about societies is that you can develop your society as you go along, adding new events and activities throughout the year. You may want to start with some sort of plan though;

Will you hold regular meetings or just occasionally?
What committee positions will you have? Publicity? Events? Health & Safety?
Are there any organisations you could affiliate to or link with?

How to set up your society

To become a Students' Union society you’ll need:

A student-led Committee to organise your activities which must be a minimum of three people
A Constitution to outline what you’ll be doing and how the society will be run. You can take a look at our example constitution (pdf) for ideas
A Code of Conduct which outlines the responsibilities of the society and its members
A Risk Assessment to cover the main activity your society will be doing (unless it is a basic meeting)

This information, including examples, are included in the new society form and we can help you compile these, just pop into the Activities Centre or email societies@ussu.sussex.ac.uk for more support. Once you’ve returned your forms they’ll need to be approved by the Activities Committee which will take around a week then you’re up and running. You can take a look at what happens once your society is approved and the resources we have available to help you in our www.sussexstudent.com/resources website.

What do committee members do?

The role of each club or society committee member will vary depending on the group involved, specific roles and duties are determined by each society when they submit their constitution. Committee positions and their roles may change from year to year and from society to society but the following broad principles apply to all committee members.

Committee members are responsible for organising the group’s activities and ensuring these are carried out safely;

Organising trips
Organising events
Selecting the team for a competition
Tasks specific to your group’s activities, aims and objectives

Committee members are responsible for ensuring the ongoing development of their group

Recruiting new members
Liaising with the Activities Centre
Working with other club/society committee members and ordinary members
Gathering and responding to feedback from club/society members
Attending Students' Union training

Committee members are bound by the group’s code of conduct. The generic Students' Union code of conduct includes the following responsibilities and obligations;

Ensure their duty of care to their members within all activities undertaken by the club/society whilst working within the Health & Safety guidelines of the Union and the University.
Act in accordance with the principals of the Union’s Equal Opportunities policy and not discriminate on any grounds including, but not limited to sexuality, race, gender, age or disability.
Make a commitment to providing a quality service to their members.
Promote and facilitate the activities and interests of the club/society rather than their own interests and activities especially where these are inconsistent with the constitution of the Club/society.
Act professionally and responsibly in all matters regarding their club/society and the Union.
Conduct themselves accordingly as representatives of their club/society, the Union and the University.
Comply with the Union Constitution, Code of Conduct and Equal Opportunities Policy.
Respect the rights and dignity of others and ensure that threatening or intimidating behaviour is not tolerated towards members, students, staff or the public.
Use equipment owned by the club/society or the Union for the purposes of the club/society only and not wilfully damage or misuse said equipment.
Carry out club/society activities soberly and with due care, and not under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicating or mind-altering substances.
Use Union resources only for the administration and execution of their club/society activities, including the telephones, computers and the photocopier in the resource area.