How do I set up a new society?

Check that a similar Society does not already exist: List of societies

Have a read of the Societies Guide 2010-11 - 17 page download

And then complete these forms. Copies can be obtained from the link below.

1. Society Registration form A1
2. Society Constitution form A2
3. Duty of Care: Activities Risk Assessment form A3
4. List of Members form A4
5. Inventory form A5

Download the forms

Alternatively, you can get the Society Starter Pack from the Student Activities Centre.

Every society has to be run by an elected committee, including a Chair, Secretary and Treasurer, all of whom must be registered University of Manchester students. You will need each person's library card number and their signatures will be required throughout the registration forms.

Societies must have 30 full-time or part-time University of Manchester student members to be recognized. Only names and library card numbers that are clearly printed and individually signed will be accepted.

In addition to setting up a committee you must also nominate 2 people to be cardholders who will be the only members of your society who can book resources.

Once the pack is handed in, it will be checked and submitted to the Societies Committee.

We encourage anyone thinking of starting a new society to come into the Student Activities Centre and talk to us about your idea. It's also a good idea to join the Society Organizers mailing list to stay updated.

SOCIETIES TRAINING AND REWARDS SCHEME (STARS)

UMSU have developed a new system for recognising and rewarding societies. The new system links society activities and plans for development with their ability to get funding, as well as other privileges, including better access to resources or better Union promotion.

For 2010/11 UMSU will retain the 'pay-per-member' system but also combine it with a merit scheme for additional funding and other privileges. As well as collecting sign-ups from members, societies will be able to work towards Silver and Gold awards, which will advance their status and give them better access to Union funding and resources.

There will be 3 levels of merit: Bronze, Silver and Gold. To be an officially recognised society, (to receive union funds, book rooms, etc.) each society must achieve at least Bronze status.

n.b. All registered societies will automatically have (at least) Bronze status

 

* UMSU BRONZE SOCIETY AWARD *

Bronze Requirements:

• Completed Registration Forms
• Attendance at a Treasurer Training session (usually Society Treasurer)

Bronze Rewards:

• £2 per member (up to a maximum of 250 members)
• Booking: Up to 1 room in Biko Building (Main Campus) and 1 room in Barnes Wallis (North Campus) per week
• Free access to basic union equipment (e.g. projectors, craft materials etc.)
• Society pigeonhole (in the Student Activities Centre)
• Union web resources (e.g. email listserve)
• Use of Union publicity in general (noticeboards, poster-run, UMSU website, etc.)

 

** UMSU SILVER SOCIETY AWARD **

Silver Requirements:

• Attendance at at least 3 UMSU societies training sessions (by at least 1 committee member), which must include either the 'Society Development' session or the 'Running a Campaign' session. (n.b. A committee member may not register as representing more than one society at any training session, with the exception of Treasurer Training.)
• At least one committee member to attend at least one UMSU General Meeting.
• A 300-500 word report to be submitted after having attended either the 'Society Development' session or the 'Running a Campaign' session.
• At least 10 society members must fill out the (short) online UMSU Societies Questionnaire for your society. The Questionnaire can be accessed at www.tinyurl.com/socquiz

Silver Rewards:

• An additional £1 per member (up to a maximum of 250 members)
• Limited access to special funding (further details from Societies Committee)
• Silver Society status marked on website and other union publications
• A certificate of UMSU Silver Society award for your society (on request)

 

 

*** UMSU GOLD SOCIETY AWARD ***

Gold Requirements:

On attaining their Silver Award, societies will receive a Gold Award Nomination Form. After submitting the form, societies will attend a Societies Committee meeting, at which they will present evidence that their activities merit a Gold Award. There are no set criteria as we recognise that all societies are different. However, suggestions include:

 

• A sound society development plan
• Evidence of involving lots of people and/or collaborating with other societies
• Representation at several UMSU General Meetings
• Attendance at lots of societies training sessions
• A good Web presence and other effective Communication/Publicity

Gold Rewards:

 

• 1 extra room p/week in Biko Building (Main Campus) and Barnes Wallis (North Campus)
• Enhanced access to special funding
• Gold Society status marked on website and other union publications
• A certificate of UMSU Gold Society award for each of your regular committee members (on request)
• A prominent position in the Welcome Week Student Fair at the start of the next academic year
• Use of Union to order subsidised society hoodies
• Society Chair can be on recorded keylist for societies storage room

This is a new scheme and still in a test phase, so please remember to give us your feedback and suggest other trainings, rewards, etc. that you think the union can offer for societies.

Contact Mies at activities@umsu.manchester.ac.uk

View the timetable online here

Download the timetable as a Word file here

Room Requests for Societies

See list of rooms available

Confirmation of bookings takes up to a day - if you need faster confirmation please visit General Office. Comments about the useablility of the system itself to rooms-system@umsu.manchester.ac.uk (do not use for room booking queries).

The Union has a number of rooms available for societies to request the use of rooms.

Only official union societies in the societies list can request a room through this system, which is equivalent to requesting the room through the General Office enquiry window in the Biko Building. Requests are not confirmed until you get confirmation by email (the copy of the request you receive is not confirmation).

If you wish to host a visiting speaker or request equipment beyond the table and chairs in the room already, you must request your room in person directly to General Office. You may also be asked to visit General Office if there are new requirements for booking the room you request.

Rooms Available

Most room and equipment bookings can only be made at General Office, Students' Union, Oxford Road, between 10am and 3pm, by the society cardholder. However, there is a new online room request system which you can use to book some of the rooms listed below.

Biko Building on Oxford Road, South Campus
Term-time availability for the rooms in the table below:

• Monday to Saturday 9am-10.30pm
• Sunday 3pm-10.30pm

Room	Capacity	Location
Council Chamber	200 people	Second Floor
Meeting Room 1	75 people	Second Floor
Meeting Room 2	20 people	Second Floor
Meeting Room 3	20 people	Second Floor
Meeting Room 4	75 people	Basement
Foyer Stall	Not Applicable	Ground Floor

Special arrangements apply to:

• Academy 2 (Main Hall)
• Academy 3 (Hop & Grape)
• Club Academy
• Burlington Rooms on Burlington Street

Contact General Office in the first instance.

Barnes Wallis Building, North Campus
Term-time availability for the rooms in the table below:

• Monday to Friday 10am-10.30pm

Room	Capacity	Location
Council Chamber	30 people	Second Floor
Small Meeting Room	10 people	Second Floor
Club Underground	200 people	Basement
Foyer Stall	Not Applicable	Ground Floor
Conference Room	30 people	Ground Floor

Burlington Rooms, Burlington St, South Campus
Adjacent to the John Rylands University Library. Check availability at Burlington Rooms and book through General Office.

Room	Location
Bar	Ground Floor
Meeting Room 1	First Floor
Meeting Room 2	First Floor

University Theatres/Rooms
Societies can also book theatres and rooms across campus. Society members must be made aware of the University's Fire Regulations before the start of a meeting. University rooms are often heavily booked during standard teaching hours and so often unavailable.

The Chaplaincy (St. Peter's House)
Venues for society meetings, concerts and theatre productions. Situated on Oxford Road near the Precinct Centre. Check availability on 0161 275 2894 and then book through General Office. The rooms available are:-

Room	Capacity	Hourly Fee Weekdays	Hourly Fee Evenings and W/Ends
Church/Auditorium	300 people	£25	£30
Common Room	80 people	£20	£25
Oxford	40 people	£15	£20
Vestry	12 people	£10	£15
Sangam Room	30 people	£15	£20
Walkway Chapel	25 people	£10	£15

Please contact General Office, Students' Union, Oxford Road for all your booking requirements, they will also provide information on any costs for rooms and equipment if applicable

Services and Support for Societies

The Union has many resources and services available to help your activities and events run smoothly. The majority of these are free or subsidised and can be booked at General Office weekdays 10am-3pm.

 

Booking Rooms

The Union provides a variety of venues, everything from meeting rooms to gig venues, that societies are able to book for free. They can be either requested online or booked through General Office at the Students Union by society cardholders.

Room Bookings

Student Societies can also get discounts when booking University venues or St Peter's Chaplaincy venues. Ask at General Office for details.

Full details of rooms available

 

Equipment

There is a variety of equipment available for use by societies, including:

Flipcharts, megaphones, projectors, whiteboards, microphones, overhead projector, television, DVD player and VCR.

For booking information please see General Office. Booked equipment is collected from Union Reception in exchange for your swipecard.

 

Email Address and Webspace

Societies can have their own email address and webspace on the Union's server. Once registered contact Kevin Patrick in the Student Advice Centre on the first floor of the Biko Building, who will set up your account. Computer services

Minibus

Societies can book a minibus through General Office at a cost of £25 per day, plus any fuel you use. You will recieve the bus with a full tabk of fuel, and you need to make sure it is full when you bring it back! Your driver will need to take a brief assessment in the vehicle first- anyone who is over 21 and has 2 years driving experience can do this- please ask at the Activities Centre for details. 

Photocopying and Printing

General Office can do photocopying at reasonable rates. U-Print in the Barnes Wallis building offer copying and printing and a wide variety of other services.

 

Design

Materialise, based in the Biko Building (entrance on south side of building), can provide a design service at reasonable rates.

 

Ticket Printing and Box Office

If your event is being held at a Union venue, ticket printing is available at 3p per ticket and the tickets can be sold through the Union Box Office at 5% commission.

 

Fax

Faxes can be sent and received through General Office between 10am and 3pm weekdays, with appropriate charges.

 

Mail

All incoming society mail is sorted daily and placed in societies pigeonholes in the Student Activities Centre. Please check regularly.

 

Lockers

Lockers are available on the Ground Floor of the Biko Building (admin corridor). Small red lockers (0.5m high) and large blue lockers (1m high) can be booked at General Office for four weeks at a time.

Setting up your own society

You will need to complete these forms, all of which can be downloaded from this page. Hand the completed forms in at the Student Activities Centre.

 

• Society Registration Form A1 - 2 pages
• Society Constitution Form A2 - 3 pages
• Duty of Care: Activities Risk Assessment Form A3 - page 1
• Duty of Care: Activities Risk Assessment Form A3 - page 2
• Inventory Form A5 - 1 page
• List of Members Form A4 - 3 pages
• Income and Expenditure Form A6 - 1 page

 

Social Events Code of Conduct Click Below!

 

You will also need a Bank Form. Copies are not available on line, but can be obtained from your society pigeonhole in the Student Activities Centre.

Remember to make a copy of your Society Members List before submitting your registration forms.

 

See the checklist to help you complete the forms

• Society Startup Checklist

Various claims forms

• Claims Form A7 - 1 page
• Special Funding Application A8 - 2 pages
• Special Funding Claims A9 - 1 page

 

Additional forms as required

• Society Registration Amendments A1.1 - 2 pages
• Society Constitution Amendments A2.1 - 3 pages
• Duty of Care: Further Activities Risk Assessment Form A3.1 - page 1
• Duty of Care: Further Activities Risk Assessment Form A3.1 - page 2

 

Essential Societies Guides

• Societies Funding Guide 2010-11 - 9 page download
• How To Fill Out Your Bank Forms - 2 page download
• Societies Store Inventory - 1 page download
• Essential Information - 1 page download

How are societies funded?

Societies are allocated a budget of £2 per member (up to a maximum of 250 members) unless they become Silver or Gold societies, in which case they can claim up to £3 per member.

You will be notified of your budget allocation, and this information is also posted on the Societies Committee Notice Board.

Societies can also charge membership fees and/or receive additional funding from external bodies. All additional funding/sponsorship must be declared to the union.

Your budget allocation is not a lump sum paid into your bank account. It is the maximum amount that you claim back from the union.

Special Funding

On top of your society budget you can apply for Special Funding for specific activities/projects. You can apply for special funding more than once.

The Societies Committee will consider your application and any extra information you can provide in support of this will make your claim more substantial.

Under normal circumstances, only societies with Silver or Gold award are allowed to make claims for Special Funding. Contact a member of Societies Committee for further information.

How does Society banking work?

The Union's bankers are the Co-operative Bank, and Societies are NOT allowed to hold funds with any other financial institution.

To set up an account you need to collect a form from the Student Activities Centre - return completed forms to the Student Activities Centre NOT directly to the bank.

Your Chair and Treasurer will be the signatories for your bank account. Once the completed forms have been cleared by the bank, you will be provided with a chequebook and paying-in book.

Every society treasurer has to attend Treasurer Training. Training sessions are held regularly and details will be posted on the website and the Societies notice board.

Treasurer training is compulsory or your society will not be registered.

At Treasurer Training all the bank forms will be explained and ideas for budgets and sponsorship will be discussed.

Making a claim

• 1. Collect a claims form from the Student Activities Centre.
• 2. Complete it and attach the relevant receipts with a brief description of property bought.
• 3. If claiming for publicity, please submit a copy of the publicity material.
• 4. Return the form to the Student Activities Centre; it will normally be
  discussed at the next Societies Committee meeting.
• 5. If your claim is approved, money will be transferred from your budget
  allocation into your bank account.
• 6. To get your mits on the money, you will need to use your society cheque book.

Key points to remember

• The claim has to be less than £250
• You cannot claim for food and drink
• Societies cannot claim money from the previous year's budget allocation

Society funding works by refunding societies after money has been spent - remember to keep your receipts safe.

Making a deposit

• 1. Collect a paying in envelope from the Student Activities Centre.
• 2. Complete a paying in slip and take money to The Finance Office (Ground Floor)

Funding basics

*Check the societies committee noticeboard to see if your claims have been approved.

* Submit Special Funding Application forms with your proposal for extra funding well in advance of your event.

* Keeping a log of your society spending will make it easier when you have to write cheques to reimburse people.

*Check your pigeon hole for bank statements regularly.

*Remember to complete change of signatories forms for your bank account if your Chair and/or Treasurer change. You will need the signatures of both the outgoing and the incoming position holders. If your society is going to be run by different people next year, it is a good idea to make this changeover before the summer holidays, while everyone is still around.

*IT IS MANDATORY to submit a final Income & Expenditure Form at the end of the academic year. The information on this form will be taken into account when considering future society recognition.

And remember -

Society accounts do not have overdraft facilities

You are responsible for your accounts and any charges that may be incurred. It's worth checking your society pigeon holes regularly for your bank statement.

Not happy with Societies Committee decision?
Email societiescommitee@umsu.manchester.ac.uk

1. Facebook event / Webpage

Make a webpage with all the details of your event. This will come in handy for the future. Your society or organisation should have a webpage already but if not ask the activities office for more details about your webspace. If you do not have a website, maybe it is worth making a facebook "group". From there you can make a facebook "event". Facebook is straightforward and simple to use.

2. Facebook advertising

As well as being able to invite your friends, Facebook operates a system that enables event organisers to advertise their events to a specific "genre" of person. You can even select to advertise to people just from the university of Manchester, which is useful. You can either pay by click or per view.

3. Union Website / Weekly email

Use the
online diary to announce events.

Post your event details here as soon as possible. Your entry will be moderated then published on the Union's front page. Your entry will also automatically be added to the weekly communications email that goes out to all students. Make sure you add your link to details of your event. Space on the weekly email is limited and a link provides an opportunity for the customer to find out more.

4. Societies Mailing Lists

Your event may relate to a few societies (other than your own) at the union. Get in contact with other societies to see if they would be willing to publicise your event on the website and on their mailing list.

5. Message of the Day

These are the events published on the front page of every student net and every computer in a University of Manchester owned computer cluster. To appear on this, send a request via email to:
messagesforstudents_at_manchester.ac.uk

6. Electronic Boards

The university has these electronic boards they use to publicise events. These are usually reserved for university events but it's always worth a shot. Call : 01612752095

7. Posters

Posters are a very useful means of communication. Remember, people don't always have time to spend deciphering posters. Make them simple and clear. Title, date/time, location, +link to further information. Start a poster campaign 2 weeks before your event. Manchester City Council rigidly enforces its rules on illegal flyposting and leaflet flyering.

8. Flyers

Flyers are useful for information you want people to take time to read and possibly take home. Good idea to use your poster design as a front, with details or an article on the back. Remember, there are hundreds of flyer people in front of the union and in general student areas and hence a lot of competition. You may want to have nice shiny flyers to differentiate yourself. You also need a permit to distribute flyers (unless they are political flyers). These can be obtained from the council. Some are available at the union general office for a £5 deposit. Manchester City Council rigidly enforces its rules on illegal flyposting and leaflet flyering. Do not over-estimate the power of flyering. Statistics show that only 10per cent of flyer receivers actually show an interest. And only a minority of people take flyers.

9. Design

You may want to have your posters and flyers designed by a professional. The union owns and operates a design company which is available for use. This may be useful if you have no design skills or if you want your event to look professional. Materialise can be accessed round the left side of the building.

10. Printing

The union own and operates printing facilities in the Barnes Wallis building on North Campus. They can print as many flyers, posters and dissertations as you need. U-print also do stickers. For simple printing (black and white A4,A3) General Office on south campus is also available for usage.

11. Funding

As a society you should have access to funding which is available for advertising your event. Make sure you keep receipts for design and printing so that you can be refunded. Ask the activities office how much you have available.

12. Poster Run

Putting up posters is a tiresome job. The students' union own and operates a system of putting up posters around university campus. The poster run goes out on Tuesday morning so get your posters to the communications officer on Monday at the latest. To be effective, your posters should go out two weeks before your event. You should provide no more than 60 posters per week. Flyposting is illegal and Manchester City Council rigidly enforces its rules on illegal flyposting and leaflet flyering. You may also want to publicise in different shops or takeaways. Some charge but most will say yes. Make sure you don't limit yourself to the poster run as there is a lot of competition.

13. Student Media

The students' union is proud to have two very good media outlets. The student direct is available on the 1st floor of the union. Fuse FM is downstairs in the basement. It may be worth asking whether or not they would advertise your event. Remember to ask them to come along and you might even get some news footage.

14. Press release

If you want the press to be aware of your event you must submit them a press release. Send one 1 week prior to your event. 1 again the day before. And another just after the event has happened. There are many effective guides on writing good press releases online. Remember to target your release. Even if it is just student direct any coverage is good coverage. Find email addresses for journalists online and send them a copy. Send the university press team a copy too.

15. Lecture shoutouts

Sometimes lecturers will let you shout out your event details just before the lecture starts. This will be especially true if your event relates to the lecture in any sort of way, or if you are a member of the lecture yourself. Ask the lecturer kindly at the start of the lecture if you can shout out. Do not be offended if they refuse as some lecturers have no time for non-academic events.

16. Event publicising events

You may want to organise mini events prior to your big event. This could be under the form of food sales or music playing in the streets. Also, go round advertising your event at other people's events. This could be as simple as an announcement or you can flyer at the exit.

eg Event organised on FRIDAY 15th MARCH

• ASAP - Event details online
• Feb 24-28 - Poster design
• Monday Mar 1st - Poster Printing
• Monday March 1st - 60 posters on poster run
• Monday March 7th - 60 posters on poster run
• Monday March 7th - Initial Press Release
• Mon/Tue March 12th - Flyering / Facebook adds / Lecture shoutouts
• Wednesday March 13th - Flyering / Lecture shoutouts
• Thursday March 14th - Flyering / Lecture shoutouts
• Thursday March 14th - Pre-Press Release
• D Day - Heavy flyering and postering
• D day +1 - Post-press Release

DEADLINES:

• WEEKLY EMAIL - THURDAY 1600
• POSTER RUN - MONDAY 1700
• NEWSPAPER - WEDNESDAY 1200
• PRESS-RELEASE - 7 days before - 1 day before - 1 day after

Society Reports and Presentations 2010-11

• African Caribbean Society
• Action Palestine
• Amnesty International Manchester
• Bangladesh Students' Society
• Biko Records
• Bridge Society
• Chinese Culture Integration Society
• Chinese Performing Arts Society
• Circus Skills Society
• Civil and Construction Society
• Choir And Orchestra Society
• Chorus Society
• Computer Science Society
• Dance Society
• Drama Society - Gold
• Drama Society
• Drum and Bass Society
• FreshHair Society
• Francophone Society
• Interesting Board Game Society
• Ip Man Wing Chun Kung Fu Society
• Islamic Society
• FuseTV
• Gaming Society
• Harmony Gospel Choir
• Israel Palestine Forum
• LGBT Society
• Liberal Youth
• Lithuanian Society
• Mahjong Society
• Manchester Debating Union Society
• Manchester Model United Nations
• Médecins Sans Frontières
• Manchester Student Society of Architecture
• MUGSS
• Music Society Gold Award
• Music Society
• MUTIS (Trading & Investment Society) Gold Award Powerpoint presentation
• Panto Society
• Philosophy Society
• PPE Society
• Reachout! Society
• Reach Out! Gold Award Powerpoint presentation
• Re:Vision Drug Policy Network
• Scalpel - University of Manchester Surgical Society
• Scout And Guide Society
• SOFAB Society
• Sikh Society
• Talent Society
• Wing Tsun Society

Society Rules & Regulations

Contents

• Rules
• Duty of Care
• Visiting Speakers

Find the appropriate form

To ensure that all our societies are treated fairly and equally, and operated for the benefit of students, there are a few rules that all societies must follow. It will be the society's responsibility to show Societies Committee that they are a legitimate society, that they operate within the aims and objectives of the Union and that they are
following the current rules that govern societies.

Rules

• Societies with aims and objectives considered to be similar to existing societies may not be recognised by Societies Committee.
• The aims and objectives of societies must not conflict with the Union Constitution or UK law.
• Societies that exist primarily for the purpose of generating commercial income will not be
  recognised by Societies Committee.
• All societies must bank with the Union's bankers.
  Societies must not run up an overdraft. Bank mandate signatories are responsible for any debts.
• Societies must inform the Student Activities Officer of any change in Committee membership and amend their constitution accordingly. All Committee
  members must be ordinary members of the Union.
• All property bought by societies and claimed for from their Union budgets remains the property of the Union. An inventory of societies' equipment will be kept in the Student Activities Centre. This provides the opportunity for you to
  borrow equipment from other societies.
• If your society is seeking external funding to supplement your society budget, you must inform the Student Activities Officer. This is unlikely to affect your budget allocation. The Union may be able to give you support and advice on how to go about it.
• Societies' efforts to generate income should not compromise or compete with Union services.

Penalties

Societies Committee may impose any or all of the following penalties if they believe that any of the rules or regulations governing societies have been broken, or that societies' actions have brought the Union into disrepute.

• Current budget allocation may be reduced or removed.
• Future budget entitlement may be reduced or removed.
• Official society status may be revoked.

Serious cases may be referred to the Union's Disciplinary
Committee.

Duty of Care

As a result of accidents which have occurred with student and school groups on activity excursions, student groups (sporting clubs and other societies) must be aware of the health and safety implications of their activities.

The Students' Union aims to provide as much help in this area as possible - to ensure the safe operation of all society activities and to allow students to run their own
activities with the minimum of interference.

Societies also have responsibilities to their members and must do their best to make sure all activities are well planned and all practical safety precautions taken.

All Societies must complete an Activities Risk Assessment (Form A3) as part of the registration process listing:

1. the kinds of activities you are involved in.
2. the risks associated with these activities.
3. the actions you take to reduce these risks.

For information about the type of activities that should be included on Form A3, please look at this Guidance Document

Special Requirements for Trainers/Instructors

Societies using trainers/instructors must provide copies of their training qualifications and public liability insurance documents for retention in the Student Activities Centre.

For further information or advice on completing your Risk Assessment Forms please contact Charlotte Raynes: craynes@umsu.manchester.ac.uk

Visiting Speakers Procedure

If you wish to book a visiting speaker for a meeting or event, you must follow the procedure set out below.

Notice of Speaker Visit

A society cardholder must notify General Office at least two weeks in advance of your intention to invite a speaker. This requirement applies to events held anywhere on campus. Get the necessary form from General Office. Failure to do so is likely to result in your speaker not being allowed entry to the Union, and even disciplinary action being taken against those involved.

Please note: the fullest possible information makes it more likely that your form will be approved. We need:

• The speaker's full name
• The organisation they represent
• The position they hold in that organisation
• The date, time and location of the meeting
• A summary of the content of the speech/purpose of the event

Without this information you may be called back in to complete the form.

Notice is required since some meetings may be considered controversial by the University, or by other student groups, in which case the role of principal administrator falls to the Academic Affairs Officer. Permission will be granted or rescinded solely on safety grounds. The judgement will be made on the basis of an assessment of the risk to the safety of the speaker when entering or leaving the building, whether the speaker is likely to break the law, or if there is a fear that the speaker might not be able to deliver the speech. Please see below for more information

Controversial Speakers: The Law, Freedom of Speech and Safety

The University has a Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech which applies to society meetings. A copy of this is available here: Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech, and the main points of the Code are summarised below.

The Students' Union is bound by the Education Acts of 1986 and 1994 and by the University's Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech. The law and university policy mandate that no invited person may be banned from our buildings by virtue of either:

a) the beliefs or views of that individual or the body they represent; or

b) the policy or objectives of that body.

If, however, a speaker is considered by the Union or University to be controversial or it is thought that the speaker may break the law (e.g. inciting racial or religious hatred; endorsing terrorist acts), it is possible that Union and University representatives may need to meet with the cardholder to discuss safety precautions before the meeting is permitted to go ahead.

Responsibility for Behaviour

The responsibility for upholding acceptable levels of behaviour is that of the Chair of the meeting, although members of the Union's Executive may intervene.

Behaviour considered unacceptable includes:

• Any kind of discrimination prohibited under the Union's Constitution.
• Physical intimidation.
• Any action which threatens the safety of Union members, staff or guests, or damages Union property.

An Executive Officer can remove anyone violating these conditions from the meeting and the building.

Please note: failure to operate the above procedure will result in your speaker not being allowed entry to the Union buildings and breaches could result in disciplinary action being taken against your society.

For 'good practice' advice, a leaflet is available in the Student Activities Centre.

Who the Societies Committee are:

• Student Activities Officer (Chair)
• General Secretary
• Campaigns Officer
• Societies Secretary
• Two members elected from Union Council at its first meeting
• One member (Societies Rep) directly elected from amongst society members - any member of a society may stand for this position

What the Societies Committee does:

• Allocating money to societies
• Considering claims
• Recognising new societies
• Answering queries
• Ensuring society discipline is maintained
• Looking for ways to improve the facilities and services offered to societies
• Awarding societies with Silver and Gold status

See Committee Notice Board for details of decisions and meetings.

Contact Societies Committee

Student Activities Officer: Miles Battye, activities@umsu.manchester.ac.uk

Societies Administrator: Steve Quinlan, socadmin@umsu.manchester.ac.uk

Societies Secretary: Ramiz Khan, Ramiz.Khan@student.manchester.ac.uk

General Secretary: Sarah Wakefield, generalsec@umsu.manchester.ac.uk

Campaigns Officer: Amanda Walters, campaigns@umsu.manchester.ac.uk

Communications Officer: Jeremy Buck, communications@umsu.manchester.ac.uk

Union Council Representative: Lettice Newton, lettice.newton@student.manchester.ac.uk

Societies Representative: Dominic Hardwick, laurellien@hotmail.com

Suggestions Box

Tell us what you think about your union's provision for societies, and let us know any ideas you have.

Your name

Your society name

Your email address

Message

Societies Committee Minutes

Standard Society Committee Agenda

Society Committee Minutes 2010-11

• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 20 held on 10 May 2011
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 19 held on 3 May 2011
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 18 held on 29 March 2011
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 17 held on 22 March 2011
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 16 held on 15 March 2011
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 15 held on 2 March 2011
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 14 held on 15 February 2011
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 13 held on 8 February 2011
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 12 held on 1 February 2011
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 11 held on 20 January 2011
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 10 held on 14 December 2010
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 9 held on 2 December 2010
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 8 held on 23 November 2010
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 7 held on 16 November 2010
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 6 held on 9 November 2010
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 5 held on 29 October 2010
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 4 held on 18 October 2010
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 3 held on 13 October 2010
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 2 held on 8 October 2010
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 1 held on 29 September 2010

Society Committee Minutes 2009-10

• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 19 held on 3 June 2010
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 18 held on 27 May 2010
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 17 held on 6 May 2010
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 16 held on 29 April 2010
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 15 held on 22 April 2010
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 14 held on 25 Mar 2010
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 13 held on 18 Mar 2010
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 12 held on 11 Mar 2010
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 11 held on 4 Mar 2010
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 10 held on 1 Mar 2010
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 9 held on 19 Feb 2010
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 8 held on 5 Feb 2010
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 7 held on 25 Jan 2010
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 6 held on 11 Dec 2009
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 5 held on 4 Dec 2009
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 4 held on 27 Nov 2009
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 3 held on 20 Nov 2009
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 2 held on 10 Nov 2009
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 1 held on 23 Oct 2009

Society Committee Minutes 2008-09

• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 18 held on 13 Mar 2009
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 16 held on 27 Feb 2009
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 15 held on 20 Feb 2009
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 14 held on 13 Feb 2009
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 13 held on 6 Feb 2009
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 12 held on 26 Jan 2009
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 11 held on 16 Dec 2008
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 9 held on 4 Dec 2008
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 8 held on 28 Nov 2008
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 7 held on 21 Nov 2008
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 6 held on 13 Nov 2008
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 5 held on 6 Nov 2008
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 4 held on 31 Oct 2008
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 3 held on 20 Oct 2008
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 2 held on 7 Oct 2008
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 1 held on 27 Sept 2008

Society Committee Minutes 2007-08

• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 20 held on 15 May 2008
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 19 held on 8 May 2008
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 18 held on 1 May 2008
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 17 held on 24 April 2008
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 16 held on 14 March 2008
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 15 held on 28 February 2008
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 14 held on 21 February 2008
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 13 held on 14 February 2008
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 12 held on 6 February 2008
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 11 held on 29 January 2008
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 10 held on 7 December 2007
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 9 held on 30 November 2007
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 8 held on 23 November 2007
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 7 held on 16 November 2007
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 6 held on 2 November 2007
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 5 held on 26 October 2007
• Minutes of Society Committee Meeting No 4 held on 19 October 2007

It is important that activities carrying a risk are carefully considered before they take place- this is to make sure that your society has happy and safe events throughout the year! Below are some risk assessments that talk about using UMSU rooms for meetings, driving the minibus, and having social events and pub crawls. Please read these and make sure that you follow them when planning your events.

You will need to write your own risk assessments for activities if your society is:

Social Events and Pub Crawls

Minibus Driving

Meetings in UMSU Rooms