WELCOME : Throughout your time at University some of your greatest experiences and best friends can come from your involvement with societies. Here at Kingston we have over 100 active societies who organise and run events related to faith, academia, liberation and campaigns, culture, art and activities. With employment becoming ever more competitive, involvement with societies also looks great on your CV and will enhance your employability in the future; University isn’t just about getting a degree anymore!
Society Events
The opportunities available to you mean it’s never been easier to do something you’ve not tried before, or maybe never even heard of.
Global fest Haider
Charlie
Haider Chaudhry has been elected as this year’s Activities Officer with a dual remit of Kingston Hill campus and is the main contact for students within these areas. He can provide advice on society based campaigns, complaints/disciplinaries and overall society democracy. Contact Haider via email KHOfficer@kingston.ac.uk or phone 0208 417 2026. The Societies Coordinator, Charlie, is a full time member of staff responsible for the day to day running of societies and development of the department. This includes events, society finance, facility bookings, training, awards and publicity. Both the Activities Officer and Society Coordinator can be found at the Union office, Penrhyn Road campus. Contact the Societies Coordinator at Societies@kingston.ac.uk or by phone: 0208 417 7775.
Society Awards
SWG Team
INTERFAITH PROJECT : As part of the Interfaith Project 2014 to celebrate National Interfaith Week, NUS awarded Kingston Societies a financial grant to assist in organising interfaith activities and develop relations amongst faith societies here at Kingston. Previous projects have included painting the YMCA Surbiton, litter picking along Kingston riverbank and a foodbank drive for homeless people in the community. We will be running the project for another year and throughout the year there will be opportunities to sign up and get involved!
GLOBAL FESTIVAL : 27th - 31st March 2017
Over the years Global Festival has grown and grown with this year seeing our sixth festival! Global Festival: the world in a week is a series of free events celebrating culture, diversity and internationalism at Kingston University. Previous events include a Scottish Ceilidh, free horse riding introduction, interfaith conference amongst three faith societies, traditional cuisine stalls, film screenings, guest speakers and much more! Originally inspired by the 2012 Olympic Games, the week gives students the chance to get involved in a variety of activities led by societies alongside discussing current global issues and promoting international opportunities open to students during your time at Kingston.
SOCIETY AWARDS : 26th May 2017
The society awards is one of the largest and most important events on the societies calendar here at Kingston. Held at an external venue, the black tie event is an opportunity for student and staff to celebrate the effort, commitment and successes of societies throughout the year. The society awards are also the perfect place to have your societies end of year celebration, so ensure you buy your tickets early! For more information on events and societies please check out www.kingstonstudents.net
HOW TO JOIN A SOCIETY: You can join a society through our website; www.kingstonstudents.net at any point in the year. Just click on the societies you like and add to your cart. You can then pay at the end of your selections. You can also pay in cash in the societies office which is located in the students union, on the ground floor of the main building at Penrhyn Road campus. If you are not happy with your purchase, memberships are eligible for a refund up to 28 days after purchase.
HOW TO SET UP A SOCIETY: 1) DECIDE ON A NAME What do you want the society to do and are other students interested?
2) WRITE A CONSITUTION This isn’t as hard as it sounds. All you need to do is fill in the blanks on the model constitution which is available at www.kingstonstudents.net. Be clear about the aims and objectives of the society.
3) PROPOSE A MEMBERSHIP FEE Think about how much you would like to charge members to join the society between £3 and £10.
4) FIND OUT IF OTHERS ARE INTERESTED Get at least 10 students to sign to say they would like to join the society once you are up and running, record the K numbers, email addresses and telephone numbers. These will be your first members!
5) COME SEE US You will need to discuss your ideas with the Societies Coordinator in order for it to progress to the next stage. Bring your proposed constitution membership fee and a list of 10 names (or more) with you. We will arrange for your proposal to be considered by the Society Working Group (SWG) for approval.
6) WEBPAGE LINK If your society is approved then we will set up your webpage. You need to create a logo, blurb and provide an email address for students to contact you and join the society.
7) ELECT YOUR COMMITTEE All societies are run by an elected committee. Having these elections is your next step. You will need a minimum of four people, a president, treasurer, secretary and media officer.
8) RECRUIT AND ADVERTISE Now it’s up to you to get your members signed up. You will have six weeks from approval to get 10 members signed up online. This is a minimum to ensure your success, but the sky is the limit! If your society is approved you will then be eligible to use Union equipment, book University space and apply for funding. For more details please contact Societies@kingston.ac.uk