Create a Student Group 

Introduction

At UPSU we pride ourselves on having a diverse range of student-led clubs and societies. To ensure we can continue to have a positive impact on the student experience as things change and develop, we support students who identify gaps in our range to set up, create and deliver new student groups. This page will take you through everything you need to consider if you have an idea for a new group as well as the steps you need to take to get it created.  

WHY START A NEW GROUP?

Creating and leading a new group can be one of the most rewarding things you do throughout your student journey, not only because it can help you in lots of ways, but it can also help others. Here are only a few of the many reasons as to why it is good to take on this challenge: 

• You will gain invaluable skills that employers are looking for
• You will meet like minded individuals who can become your friends
• You support others to build a community and find a sense of belonging
• The activities you deliver will support students to advance their academic development

HOW TO GET STARTED

START BY ASKING YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS

• Who is going to help me run my club or society?
• Is there already a club or society organising the kinds of events that I want?
• Who is going to join my club or society?

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO START YOUR OWN CLUB OR SOCIETY

• An idea for a club or society that does not already exist
• You need 3 founders (including yourself) who will lead the new group for the rest of the academic year

PROCESS FOR STARTING YOUR NEW GROUP

Starting a new club or society can be a daunting process for some, however, we think it can also be one of the most positive experiences of student life at UOP! Here are the steps to take to get your group reviewed and approved. 

STEP 1: Check your Idea

We advise you take the following steps to check your idea so that it doesn't get rejected when it gets to the committee.

• If it is similar to other societies or clubs, contact them and discuss your idea. You may have to slightly mold what you do so you can be different. We expect to have spoken to other groups and to tell who you have spoken to specifically, in your application!
• Are you better off being a society or a campaign group? We have been working with the campaigns team to outline some guidance to help distinguish between whether your group is a society or campaign group.
• If you are linked to an external organisation you will need to show how you are independent of them. You are not allowed to be governed by them as you are a UPSU society. You also cannot just market on their behalf your society must have activities that provide opportunities for students.

STEP 2: Recruit your help & rally interest

You may already have some friends who are keen to support you in setting up your new group. They may have even come up with the idea with you. This makes life easy. The next step is to assign roles. The three founders need to be put into the following roles:

• President
• Treasurer
• Secretary

You can have other committee roles too but you will need to recruit these later down the line once the group is approved. 

All you need are the students' names and UP Student Numbers so do not collect any other sensitive information. We advise you to keep these records yourself.

STEP 3: Develop your idea & Activities

You now need to think about the operations and delivery of your new group. Here are a list of things to think about:

• What regular activity will we offer our members?
• What events do we want to offer?
• How much will all of these ideas cost?
• Are there any potential sponsors we can reach out to?
• How can we make this financially sustainable?
• What spaces or equipment will we need to do these activities?
• Are there any legal or health and safety implications to do this activity?

TOP TIPS TO HELP YOU OUT

Starting a new club or society can be a daunting process for some, however, we think it can also be one of the most positive experiences of student life at UOP! Here are some tips we feel could be helpful when starting a new group.

• If you are not sure what regular activities or events you could put on within your group, then have a look around at other student's Unions' websites as there will most likely be the same or a similar society at another institution. Or look at similar community-based organisations!
• Not sure how you are going to fund your activity? Lots of groups are funded by sponsors, look at similar groups pages and contact the same sponsors.

STEP 4: Documentation

To start a new student group there are a number of documents that have to be completed to ensure the activity you plan is governed properly, delivered safely, and primarily is of high quality for students.

Please look at the information below, complete the attached templates and attach them to your group application form. If you are not sure, please follow the support links provided for training or contact the Student Groups Team at Groups@upsu.net

1. To ensure your activities are safe you have to complete a risk assessment for your activities. If you are not sure how to complete this, please head to our Health and Safety Training for Committees and this should be able to help.
2. (Student Group Documents being updated)
3. All groups should financially plan their activities for approximately the first year. You should consider all aspects of running a group such as membership, finance, events, facilities, and much more. Please provide a breakdown of this in your application form.

STEP 5: Submit your application

Now you have taken the starting steps along your journey to creating your new group, it is time to submit an application form. Your application will be taken to the next Activities Committee. The Activities Committee week every 2 weeks during term time and you find out more information about the committee here.

Submit Your Application

Once they have reviewed your application at the next committee, a member of staff will get back to you regarding whether your application was approved or rejected with reasoning.

If approved, you will be assigned a member of staff within the team to support your development process.

Unfortunately, if your application was rejected there is no appeals process. If there is a similar group to yours, we would advise talking to them about whether your idea could be a potential sub-committee or venture for them.