Sport > Start a club

Sport

Whether outdoor or indoor, team or individual, students at Sussex benefit from being able to get involved in a wide range of competitive and leisure activities provided by the Union and the University.

Sport at Sussex is broad and diverse with something for everyone, regardless of experience so whether you're into running, catching, climbing, skiing or hitting things with sticks why not take a look at what's on offer?

You can take a look at our list of sports clubs, find out about membership and other sports opportunities including sports facilities, gym and classes. We also have information for sports club committee members.

► Start a club

If you've had a browse through our sport clubs and think we're missing something it's really easy to set up a club.

Why set up a sports club?

If you think we're missing something from our list then why not fill the gap? Running a club 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 club could run training sessions, matches, tournaments, social events, organise a conference, whatever you like. If you'd like to talk to someone about your ideas, please contact us.

Benefits for new clubs

When you set up a new club, it'll be a 'development club'. This is the initial stage of all aspiring sports clubs and you must have a committee of at least three students. Being a development club gives you a chance to get used to running a club and to see how popular your particular sport is with other students. You must be a development club for a minimum of one year before having the opportunity to become a full club (which makes you part of our combined membership scheme and gives you access to further funding). You can remain a Development Club for several years if appropriate.

Students' Union development clubs get support, resources and funding from the Students' Union. We can help you publicise your activities, network with other club committee members, provide funding, give you storage space and 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 sports clubs is that you can develop your group 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 sessions/games or just occasionally?
What committee positions will you have? Publicity? Events? Captains?
Are there any clubs/NGBs you could affiliate to or link with?

How to set up your club

Hockey

To become a Students' Union development club 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 club will be run

A Code of Conduct which outlines the responsibilities of the club and its members

A Risk Assessment to cover the main activities your club will be doing, e.g. training/fixtures

This information, including examples, are included in our new development club form and we can help you compile these, just pop into the Activities Centre or email sport@ussu.sussex.ac.uk for more support. Once you’ve returned your form they’ll need to be approved by the Sports Committee which will take around a week then you’re up and running.

What do committee members do?

The role of each club 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 club to club 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 members
Gathering and responding to feedback from club 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 rather than their own interests and activities especially where these are inconsistent with the constitution of the club.
Act professionally and responsibly in all matters regarding their club and the Union.
Conduct themselves accordingly as representatives of their club, 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 only and not wilfully damage or misuse said equipment.
Carry out club 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 activities, including the telephones, computers and the photocopier in the resource area.