With nearly 200 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 Activities Team!
New Affiliations Process
On 2nd October 2025, the then Activities Forum voted to introduce a new affiliations process. Effective from 6 October 2025, the new process aims to provide more clarity and a faster turnaround time for our affiliating societies.
Affiliations will run once per semester, and will involve one month of in-person workshops. The next affiliations month is October 2026. Please submit all new society proposals by the end of the day on Sunday 27 September 2026 to be considered for this semester.
Why Affiliate?
Affiliating your society to the Students' Association has a number of benefits:
- Qualify for financial assistance in the form of grants, to assist you in putting on events which fulfil the aims of your society.
- Complimentary access to facilities such as room bookings and a stall at our Freshers' Fayres.
- Access to resources like equipment hire.
- Society pigeon hole and email address.
- Support from Students' Association permanent staff.
- Insurancec coverage.
Affiliated societies are managed and promoted by the Activities Team, which will provide support if and when you need it, as well as provide training for your committee members.
Send us your society proposal!
To begin the affiliation process, you will need to submit a proposal to the Activities Team. The proposal must include the aim of your society, a brief description of at least two events you would like to organise, and a membership price for your society.
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.
- Societies must be able to present a membership list consisting of the names and email addresses of 10 interested people.
- 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.
Want feedback before submitting? Email activities@ at any time, or find us in the Student Engagement and Exec Team offices on the middle floor of the Union!
The Team will then review your proposal and get back to you. Your society proposal may either be rejected, given feedback, or directly accepted. If you are given feedback, information for how to resubmit and the timeline for doing so will be communicated.
Submit your proposal using the proposal submission form before the end of the deadline day as listed above to be considered for the coming semester.
Why are some new society requests rejected?
- The society is not open to all students.
- There is already an existing society that has comparable aims and hosts similar events.
- The society is sports-based.
- You will likely be redirected to the Athletic Union.
- The society refuses to comply with Union policies (finance, democracy & equality, health & safety, anti-hazing, etc.) or breaches the Member Code of Conduct.
- The society’s aims or activities are unlawful, incompatible with the Union's charitable objectives, or would expose the Union to serious legal or reputational risk.
- The society is primarily commercial/private-profit rather than student-benefit focused, or is externally controlled by a non-student organisation.
- The society promotes competing brands or companies.
- This includes specific alcohol brands that are not currently available in the Students' Association.
What happens next?
As part of our new affiliations process, you will then be invited to in-person workshops throughout the affiliation month. Please ensure a designated member of your committee is available for each of the workshops.
During the affiliations workshops, your society will be asked to create or provide a Constitution, Bank Details, and an Aims and Activities Declaration. You may also be requested to fill out a Supplemental Risk Assessment for some of your events. You can find advice on risk assesssments and events safety on our Events Safety page.
If you have any questions regarding affiliation, contact our team at activities@.
All documentation for your society will be due by the end of the affiliation month, but pay attention in workshops for specific deadlines. We will send email reminders but we may not be able to affiliate your society if your documentation is not submitted on time. Finally, you will be invited to sign the affiliation agreement for the current academic year if affiliating in Semester 1, or the coming academic year if affiliating in Semester 2. Your society is officially affilated from the moment you sign the agreement.
As part of the process, you will need to setup a Society bank account with two signatories required to authorise expenditure. In years past, we have strongly recommended Bank of Scotland. Unfortunately, Bank of Scotland left St Andrews in January 2026, but the Activities Team is actively pursuing alternative options.
After Affiliating
Once you have signed your Affiliation Agreement, the Activities Team will give you access to all affiliate resources, including free room bookings, funding, and a university-sponsored email address.
Explore the Manage Your Society area for the next steps. This includes holding general meetings, 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, please notify us as soon as possible via activities@.
Please get in touch with us if you have any questions!
You will need to reaffiliate every spring.
Improper behaviour may be reported to the Head of Student Engagement for action under the Association’s disciplinary procedures or the Student Conduct Officer for disciplinary action under the University disciplinary procedures.