With over 150 affiliated societies, there is a huge variety of activities that you can join! But what do you do if you if the society you want to join doesn't exist?
Well, don't worry, because you can set up a new society with support from the Societies Committee!
If you want to set up a society, the first thing you MUST do is get in touch with the the Affiliations Officer via newsocs@ to propose your idea.
You can also arange a meeting with the Societies officer [email protected] or drop by the DoSDA's office on the middle floor of the Union. Tell us about your idea and it will be discussed in the weekly Societies Committee meeting.
As part of the process, you will need to setup a Society bank account with two signatories required to authorise expenditure. We strongly recomend Bank of Scotland: Bank of Scotland Club Account guide
Why Affiliate?
Affiliating your society to the Students' Association has a number of benefits:
- Qualify for financial assistance in the form of grants and loans, to assist you in putting on events which fulfil the aims of your society.
- Priority access to facilities such as room bookings, equipment hire, and a stall at Freshers' Fayre.
- Society pigeon hole and email address.
- Support from Students' Association permanent staff and insurance.
Affiliated societies are managed and promoted by the Societies Committee, which will provide support if and when you need it, as well as provide training for your committee members.
If you are thinking of affiliating, please note the following things:
- Check the societies list to confirm your idea doesn't already exist. We cannot affiliate a society which intends to do the same thing as an existing affiliated society.
- You must have a list of at least 25 people who would be willing to join the society and pay for membership.
- Ordinary membership of your society must be open to all students.
- You must charge a minimum membership fee of £3, though we can discuss options if this will be a significant issue for your society.
Upon applying for affiliation, your society must provide a Constitution, Bank Details, and a General Risk Assessment. You can find a list of Typical Hazards and advice on risk assesssments and Events safety on our Events safety page
If you have any questions regarding affiliation, contact the Affiliations Officer at NewSocs@.
Why are some new society requests rejected?
- There is already an existing society that has comparable aims and hosts similar events.
- The proposed society is sports-based.
- You will likely be redirected to the Athletic Union.
- The proposed society promotes competing brands or companies.
- This includes specific alcohol brands that are not currently available in the Students' Association.
- The proposed society is exclusive, or challenges the values of the Students' Association.
After Affiliating
Once you have met the requirements of affiliation, the Societies Committee will give you access to all affiliate resources, including free room bookings and funding.
Explore the Manage Your Society area for the next steps. This includes holding committee elections, publicising your new society, and setting up your page on this website.
If at any point you wish to discontinue the affiliation process for your society, you must notify the Affilations Officer via NewSocs@.
Get in touch with the Societies Officer if you have any questions.
You will need to reaffiliate every spring.
Improper behaviour may be reported to the Association Authorised Discipline Officer for action under the Association’s disciplinary procedures or the Student Conduct Officer for disciplinary action under the University disciplinary procedures