We support over 100 student-led sports clubs and societies, from archery to a cappella, medical society to minecraft, there is student group for everyone!
What is a sports club?
Sports clubs provide a great way to boost your fitness, make lifelong friends, and provide a great form of stress release from your university studies. They are an opportunity to engage with others who are interested in the same sports as you and meet regularly to socialise outside of sporting activities. Whether you just join for fun and to learn a new skill, or whether you decided to progress and compete at a regional and national levels, sports clubs are a great option if you want to feel part of a supportive team and build lasting friendships.
“Sport has allowed me to have scheduled time away from my studies and make friends outside of my degree. I have found friends for life through the club and have managed to have experiences that wouldn’t otherwise be possible without a sports club. It has been detrimental to my university experience.”
- Cheer
What is a society?
Societies help bring people together who have shared hobbies, interests, or even similar career goals. Being part of a society is being part of a community and provides a great foundation for friendships to form through plenty of opportunities to socialise. Depending on which society you join, they often allow for academic peer-to-peer support and are a good place to find a study buddy or project teammate.
“It has helped me develop many important skills which I can transfer onto future careers. Being part of a sports team has been a great place for me to release the stress of third year, zone out, and focus completely on the sport I was playing."
- Men’s Basketball
“Sports have helped our members escape the city and get some fresh air each week. It's provided an opportunity to have an afternoon with no phones and acts as a proper break from stressful uni life. Our committee has developed their leadership skills over the year.”
- Clay Shooting
What do you get up to within a sports club/society?
All student groups are student-led and will have an internal team who run the group and make decisions about events and activities. As your SU, we are here to support these leaders and provide them with advice where they may need it, but we do not make decisions for the groups or decided what activities or events they arrange. Therefore, all student groups will be run differently in a way that works for them and their members.
Sports Club - On top of training sessions, you could be part of showcases on campus, get involved with fundraisers like charity hikes and tournaments, and take part in a diverse range of social nights and sober events. A big part of life for some clubs is BUCS, regional matches, and competitions for team sports and individual sports against local universities!
Society - Some societies meet daily, others weekly or even monthly. Depending on which society you join, you may meet up to do the activity you share an interest in, practice for any competitions you may have planned to take part in, or just meet socially for coffee or nights out. Many societies also choose to get involved with fundraising activities, volunteer work with SLV, or plan showcases at the SU or University.
“Being part of a group is a great way to meet new friends and meet others from different universities”
- Archery
How do you join a student group?
Sports club - You can register interest through the club page, contact them through their linked social media, or get in touch with us at the SU and we can guide you. Most clubs are very active through their socials, so keep an eye on these once you’ve joined the club. You will need to pay a one-off sports sub along with the club membership. You only have to pay the sports sub once and can then join as many clubs as you like. Subs go towards paying for facilities, your transport to competitions, funding for equipment, etc. The club will be in contact after joining with details of training sessions, socials, and club nights!
Society - You can register your interest online on any society page from September for the rest of the academic year. You will need to sign up through their society webpage by buying a standard membership. Society memberships vary in price and a sub fee will be added for the first society you sign up to. This subscription goes back into funding for your society during the academic year.
Browse all student groups on the SU webpage here.
