NORTHUMBRIA STUDENTS’ UNION
SOCIETIES
HANDBOOK
MYNSU.CO.UK
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NSU Societies Handbook
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INTRODUCTION
Hey Leaders! CONTENTS Intro from Keldyne ....................................... 2 Committee Responsibilities ...................... 4 Finances ........................................................... 6 Trips and Events ............................................ 8 Democracy ...................................................... 9 Marketing & Student Media...................... 10 Volunteer Recognition ............................... 12 Staff Contacts ................................................. 14
I’m Keldyne, your Vice President Activities 2018-2020! This is the best and most fun Sabb role of them all (self-proclaimed). My job is to support societies and studentled activities! But what does that mean when it’s at home? Motivate and support the society Leaders via training, achieving goals, recognition schemes and making sure the Activities Team is always focused on what YOU think needs improving. I’m your Sabbatical so anything you need, just drop by the Sabb office or send me a message at Keldyne.wilson@northumbria.ac.uk This electronic handbook (save the planet by destroying less tree’s y’know) is jampacked with everything you need to know on how to successfully run your society and make it a great year for you here at NSU. This will always be here for you to access, just to make your lives that little bit easier.
We just keep getting better year on year in regard to impacting students’ lives, more events and even more new societies! This is all thanks to the hard work and dedication that you put in as society leaders. You should all be so proud of the work that you do, and I am looking forward to working with you all and watching you grow across the year. Remember, I’m here if you need me; whether that be to rant, tell me about your newest event, for support or to suggest a new change to how we work! LET’S SMASH THIS YEAR! Societies Love,
Keldyne Wilson
Being a leader is so much more than what is in this handbook though! You are already gaining invaluable skills that you can use in every other aspect of your life.
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NSU Societies Handbook
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COMMITTEE RESPONSIBILITIES
Congratulations on being elected in to the role of a Society Leader! We would not be able to offer over 100 societies without a group of dedicated volunteers just like you. As a committee, you are responsible for: • Planning and delivering events and activities • Looking out for your members • Marketing and promoting your society • Ensuring your society is open and welcoming to all Northumbria Students
Society Admin Constitution – Every society is asked to complete a constitution. This document sets out the aims of the society for the year, confirms membership fee and includes contact information for the society committee. The document also includes the Societies Code of Conduct, a set guidelines that all affiliated societies must follow.
Please note: ALL Societies must complete a constitution and risk assessment at the beginning of the academic year. Room Bookings – As an NSU Society, you can book any room in the SU (or university) to hold events and activities. This might be your regular meetings, a pub quiz, a performance or an end of year celebration. Rooms book up quickly so be sure to give us plenty of notice and we can make sure you get the room best suited to you. You can also book spaces in the Quad and even book a stall to promote your society to students. In addition, we also offer basic tech support for performances and events. For more information, please visit our website. Guest Speakers – If you invite an external speaker to come to your society meetings/events/activities, you will need to complete a guest speaker form 3 weeks before the event.
Coach Lane Did you know you can also book spaces at our Coach Lane Campus? We’ve got a wide variety of rooms for you to use as well as a great social space for you and your society to hang out in. Coach Lane is the home to 6 academic based societies- Guidance and Counselling, Nursing, Midwifery, Occupational Therapy, Physio and Primary Education. City based societies: collaborating with a Coach Lane based society is a great way to get your activities and events at Coach Lane. You can take your whole society to Coach Lane on the number 1 Bus service free with your Student Card. You can use this service every day between 7am and 10:15pm. For more information contact Jemma jemma.oconnor@northumbria.ac.uk
In order for the Students’ Union to manage the building to best effect, there are detailed regulations and guidance regarding the level of notice required for the use of certain spaces and booking of staff support for Bars, Catering and Technical support. Please familiarise yourself with the guidance that can be found here.
Risk Assessment – In order to ensure the safe running of all our societies, we ask for a risk assessment at the start of each academic year. This makes sure that you and your members’ safety is taken into consideration at all times
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Finances Each society has two accounts that are looked after by the Students’ Union Finance Team. Presidents and Treasurers will get weekly updates on society accounts. Deposit Account • All membership fees • Sponsorship or fundraising money • Money from SU initiatives (Society of the Month, Recognition Scheme, Membership Bonus) You can use money in your deposit account for anything you like (within NSU policy). Grant Account • Money granted to the Society by the Societies Leadership Committee • Other grant initiatives (Stall Grant) Money in your Grant Account can only be spent on what was agreed when you received the funding (if you wish to spend grant funding on something different, you must contact Vice President Activities). You may not apply for further grant funding until you have spent what you already have. SOCIETIES ARE NOT PERMITTED TO HOLD ANY BANK ACCOUNT EXTERNAL TO THE STUDENTS’ UNION All society expenditure must go through your NSU account.
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Spending your society money Access to society funds is usually done by a ‘retrospective refund’ system. This means that any money you spend towards the running of the society can be claimed back – just keep hold of your receipt/invoice. Petty cash – For claiming back cash up to the value of £100. This can be claimed Mon-Fri, 9-5. (Be sure to bring your receipt) Cheque request – This is for claiming back amounts over £100. A cheque will be made to refund the volunteer. We can even send cheques to externals in the post (just provide us with an invoice and an address). Please allow 5-7 days to process. If you wish to spend society funds on something more expensive such as equipment, event tickets, or booking a coach, the Students’ Union can either raise a purchase order, or use the SU credit card to buy the goods on your behalf. You will need to allow 5 working days’ notice for this. Please contact a Societies Coordinator if you are unsure about finances. Grants Societies can apply for funding once a month in order to help fund events, trips or purchasing equipment. It’s a great opportunity to get some extra cash! Grants are allocated by the Societies Leadership Committee, a panel of students from different societies. We’ll send out reminders when grants applications are being taken, so make sure you don’t miss out!
Other funding opportunities Society of the Month – If you reckon your society has gone above and beyond, then you should tell us about it! The cash prizes are as follows: 1st place/Society of the Month - £200 And up to two Society Commendations - £50 You can find out more here. Society Recognition Scheme - The Society Recognition Scheme gives you the opportunity to reflect on your society’s success over the year. We have three strands; bronze, silver and gold. Each strand has 15 criteria, if you meet 10 of them, you’ve achieved that strand! You’ll also get a reward for taking part:
Bronze £75 Silver £150 Gold £300
Memberships Memberships can be purchased via the Students’ Union Website or at the City Campus Welcome Desk. You can decide your membership fee when you complete your society constitution. Membership Bonus – Did you know the SU gives you £1 for every member you get?
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NSU Societies Handbook
Trips & Events It’s great to get out with your society, especially if they are new to Newcastle (or even the UK!). You can organise any kind of trip you want, the beach, cinema or even a different city altogether! Here are some handy tips for organising a society trip: PRICE Work out the cost of the activity and the cost of getting there based on how many members will attend. You should also take into account how much the society may want to subsidise the trip by. TRAVEL How are you going to get there? If you are booking trains or a coach, pop in and speak to us. TRIP PACK Before the trip can be advertised, it must be approved by the Students’ Union. Trip Packs can be found on the Society Resources area of the website.
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RISK ASSESSMENTS AND INSURANCE If the event is different to your normal activity, you may need to complete an additional risk assessment. A member of Students’ Union staff will also need to check that your activity is covered by our insurance. KEEP YOUR MEMBERS INFORMED Advertise the trip well and be sure to send attendees regular updates. TICKETS If you are selling tickets for your trip, you can do this via the SU Website or Welcome Desk. PASSENGER LIST You must submit a full list of attendees to the Students’ Union before your trip takes place.
Democracy ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM) In March, every year, your society must run an Annual General Meeting (AGM) to elect the leaders for the next academic year. You must give all paid, student members 10 working days’ notice beforehand. Information should include, time, date and location of the meeting, as well as how students can stand for election. You can also run your AGM via the NSU Website (this works if you are a large society, or your members are unlikely to all be in one place at any given time).
EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING (EGM) If a member of your committee steps down from their position during the year, you will need to elect a new committee member in to the vacant position. (Please use the same method that you used for your AGM). You can also use an EGM to remove a committee member from their position. Obviously, this isn’t something that happens very often, so if you are considering an EGM please come and speak to us!
For further guidance on AGMs please email su.societies@northumbria.ac.uk
If your society is travelling abroad, come and speak to us!
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NSU Societies Handbook
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Don’t forget, students run all these societies so they may not be able to cover all events and they will charge your society for their services.
Marketing & Student Media Want to capture your society socials? Why not book out the Societies’ GoPro? A teeny tiny HD camera you can take away on society trips! Just email su.societies@northumbria.ac.uk
Snaps is our photography society. If your society has an event coming up that you’d like a photographer at, let Snaps know on their Facebook Page @NSUSnapsphotos Last year Snaps covered a real mix of society events including society balls, boat parties and socials.
FZN Radio can offer your society its very own radio show or podcast. Talk about what your society has coming up, anything you are passionate about as well as playing your favourite tunes. Afraid of commitment? Don’t panic it can be a one off, monthly or even a weekly show with FZN Radio. FZN Radio will train you to use the equipment on your own or you can ask a radio volunteer to help so you don’t have to do any of the technical button pushing stuff.
Advertising in the SU Societies can use the plasma screens to advertise themselves as well as events, trips and the latest news: artwork must be sent in jpeg format in the correct sizes: 1920x1080 (landscape) and 1080x1920 (portrait). If you have any questions or queries relating to digital marketing or issues with your society webpage please contact our Digital Marketing Coordinator, Abby a.wiffen@northumbria.ac.uk
If you just want to give a quick shout out to your society you can be a guest on someone else’s show or record an advert for your society which can be played several times. Email team@fznradio.com
SKIVE members make shareable online video content for YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and more. If you’d like to collaborate on a video project with SKIVE they are always open to new ideas. hello@skivemedia.co.uk
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NSU Societies Handbook
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Volunteer Recognition
How to Achieve Role Recognition
This year we did a piece of research to find out what it is that employers want and they told us that your experience as a Society Committee Member can make you more employable – if you are able to share with them the skills you have gained!
Role Recognition is incredibly easy to achieve. There are three simple steps.
That’s why we’ve created our new Role Recognition scheme – a programme you can easily access on BlackBoard and complete in under an hour to get your role recognised, whilst learning about yourself and developing your skills. If you complete Role Recognition, then you will be able to get your volunteering officially recognised by the Union, and we will verify all your hard work. If you’re really employability-minded, there’s also the opportunity to complete our Certificate of Professional Development, which helps you to build a programme of skills development and practice. Our Diploma of Professional Development, which gives you a mentor dedicated to working with you one-to-one to achieve your goals!
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• Upload evidence of 4 hard skills you have done as part of your role. • Complete the self-reflection sheet (this is great practice for job applications and interviews and align with what employees told us they want you to be able to do). • Online learning - complete our short online learning module on Careers Online. You should be added to the BlackBoard Organisation after becoming an official committee member - If you can’t see it, or you need any help with the process, contact Anna Thompson, our Graduate Outcomes Manager at anna3.thompson@northumbria.ac.uk
Choose four hard skills • Chair a meeting • Develop a budget • Send a formal email as part of your role • Run a stall • Write a nomination • Film, produce or edit a video • Be involved in the creation of a media piece • Create a piece of marketing (a leaflet or poster) • Act in a moderation capacity on a social media page • Write a case study or article • Participate as a member of a panel • Attend a meeting to represent others • Deliver a presentation • Deliver a team briefing • Write a campaign plan • Take minutes from a meeting • Attend a focus group to give feedback to the Union • Organise a non-drinking social event for other participants • Attend an interview for your volunteer role • Delegate tasks within a team (can include scheduling/organising a rota for others) • Complete the grant application process • Maintain contact with an external organisation in a professional manner • Run an election campaign • Train others to use equipment • Complete a risk assessment • Attend the ‘basic training’ required for your role • Deliver training to other volunteers • Complete a publicity campaign (e.g. lecture shout-outs) • As a Nightliner, take ‘want to talk’ calls • As a Nightliner, pass a mystery caller
Awards Education/Rep Awards If your society provides academic support to students, you may be eligible to nominate yourself for NSU/Education Awards. Activities Awards Activities Awards recognise the outstanding contribution made by all our student groups and volunteers here at Northumbria. It’s a great way to celebrate the end of the year, and maybe even come home with some awards for you and your society! Annual Awards Annual Awards are our more formal event. It’s where the big awards are decided, such as Student Group of the Year and Volunteer of the Year. Nominations are submitted via the SU Website. National Societies Awards We love to recognise achievements here at NSU, but we also think you deserve to tell the rest of the UK all the amazing things you’ve been up to throughout the year. If you think your society deserves a nomination for a National Societies Award please email: su.societies@northumbria.ac.uk
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Staff Contacts Keldyne Wilson
Abby Wiffen
Vice President Activities keldyne.wilson@northumbria.ac.uk
Digital Marketing Coordinator abby.wiffen@northumbria.ac.uk
Representing all volunteers and students in a wider capacity. Got an issue? Speak to Keldyne.
Engaging students and promoting all the different events and activities on and off campus through social media and the website.
Gracie Donoghue Student Activities Coordinator gracie.donoghue@northumbria.ac.uk
Assisting with day-to-day running societies, from event & trips, to training opportunities
Paddy Rathbone Student Activities Manager paddy.rathbone@northumbria.ac.uk
Looking after all student activities, including societies.
Kevin Edgar
David Jewell
Student Activities Coordinator kevin.edgar@northumbria.ac.uk
Welcome Desk Manager david.jewell@northumbria.ac.uk
Assisting with day-to-day running societies, from event & trips, to training opportunities.
Confirming room bookings, train travel & all services relating to the Welcome Desk.
Craig Wilson
Chrissy Watt
Video Production & Student Media Coordinator craig4.wilson@northumbria.ac.uk
Student Engagement Manager chrissy.watt@northumbria.ac.uk
Supporting students in the various media branches and assisting with day-to-day running societies.
Engaging students and promoting opportunities at our Coach Lane and London Campuses.
Jemma O’Connor Student Engagement Coordinator (Coach Lane and Amsterdam Campus) jemma.oconnor@northumbria.ac.uk
MYNSU.CO.UK
Support students and SU Activities across Coach Lane and Amsterdam.
Not sure who to contact? No problem, just get in touch with the Activities Team and the correct person will handle your query.
su.societies@northumbria.ac.uk