The Students' Association supports all safe activities and events that you as a society wants to hold provided they are properly risk assessed. Risk Assessments identify hazards so that you can address, mitigate and prevent them, to ensure the smooth running of your event and safety of those attending.
As a society you are able to hold events as long as they are safe and risk assessed where appropriate. In order to hold an event, you must email or fill out a form. This must be done 2 weeks in advance of the event happening. To simplify things, events have been split into different categories.
For training slides and information, see Manage society.
For accident or incident reporting, use this form.
Event Locations
You can hold in-person events in a number of different types of locations. Be aware of the different restrictions for each, as well as information in the societies accessibility guide
Private Residences
Be aware of limits to the number of people allowed in a residence as laid out in your lease. Many flats have accessibility issues, please be aware of this when planning events.
University Property
Events held in University property usually require the space to be booked out. Make sure you have permission to use the space.
Public (Indoors)
Public indoor spaces such as cafes and pubs are an ideal safe space for enjoying food or drink as a society. For large groups you should phone up in advance, as booking may be required.
Public (Outdoors)
Public outdoor spaces may not have access to bins, so make sure you have a plan for collecting litter. For bonfires, wooden pallets should not be used due to the nails that are left behind.
Consumption of alcohol (or the possession of open drinks containers) is illegal in public (excluding the beaches)
Union building
See Book a space.
Risk Assessments
Risk assessments are vital to the running of your society and form an essential part of your affiliation to the Students' Association. You must also send the designated representatives from your committee to the Health & Safety training at the start of the summer every year.
Aims & Activities Form
As part of your society's affiliation with the Union, you are required to submit an Aims & Activities form (A&A) each year.
An A&A must include:
• The Aims & Activities of your society as in your constitution
• A list of all events & activities you intend to host throughout the year
• A brief description of each event/activity
• The expected number of attendees
• Expected event date(s)/frequency
Please use the template provided below for your society's Aims & Activities Form
If your society is reaffiliating these forms will be collected as part of the reaffiliation form sent out at the beginning of the summer. For prospective societies please email them to unionra@ and cc in newsocs@.
Blank A&A Form - Societies Aims and Activities declaration.pdf
Example A&A Form - Societies Aims and Activities declaration example.pdf
Supplemental Risk Assessments
If you decide to host an event not included in your A&A, you can add it and submit an updated A&A during term time by emailing unionra@, or submit an SRA.
After reading your A&A form, a member of either union staff or the societies committee will get in touch if there are any particularly risky events for which we would need to see an SRA. Please make sure you submit these to unionra@ AT LEAST 14 days before the event, we would recommend even earlier if you can.
Blank Supplemental Risk Assessment RA Website Updates 15/9/24
Example bonfire SRA
Typical Hazards in most events
Events over 100 people and trips abroad will always require an SRA
Trips outside of the UK
If your Society intends to organise a trip outside of the UK, you must submit a travel checklist as well as a SRA, and email dosda@ with the location of the trip (including travel details such as flight number, coach company, accommodation information etc), dates of the trip, and an excel sheet with the participants first and last name, matriculation number, and mobile phone number. This information will also be shared with the Director of Student Services.
Balls and Major events
If your society is holding a Ball, or other large event with >100 people, you must submit a major events checklist. You must also inform the societies committee at your earliest opportunity by emailing socs@. There are other guidelines and mandatory trainings you must complete to host events of this scale which will be passed on after you notify them, and it is important that you check in with the union throughout the planning process and get a member of staff to read over any contracts before you sign them.