1) Have an up-to-date Bristol SU website presence and have members listed with Bristol SU 

You should view your Bristol SU webpage as your group's shop window. It’s the first place new students will go to when looking for information and as such should promote your group in a positive light. We highly recommend having your page up-to-date by Welcome Week at the latest

Your page should include:

• A description of your group and its activities
• Contact details including a dedicated contact for interested or new members
• A logo
• Membership details/prices
• Links to other pages, social media or websites (if appropriate) 
• Photos or videos (if appropriate) 

Members should be able to join the group via your webpage

Instructions on how to edit your webpage and setting up memberships can be found on our Training Base

 

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2) Submit a three-year strategic plan and book a Development Meeting to discuss it

Strategic Planning for student groups is more important than ever. With the upheaval of the last year and groups looking to return to face-to-face activities, it is important to have a robust plan in place for the year. A strategic plan helps to focus the energy, time and resources of everyone in your committee in the same direction. 

This criterion can only be submitted in Term 1

• Your plan should include information on membership, finances, resources and handover. 
• You should use our template strategic plan. Further guidance can be found on our Training Base
• Plans written by previous committees can be submitted but you must show how you have updated and amended it
• Your plan should include details on the impact COVID-19 has had on your group and changes you will need to make for the upcoming year 
• You must have attended a Development Meeting before submitting for this criteria. These can be booked here
  

 

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3) Submit an annual budget and explain how you will use or have used it to inform your activities this year

A robust budget is an essential document that all groups should have and use throughout the year. This year in particular, groups will need to plan carefully for the impact COVID-19 has had and use their budget to inform activities.

This criterion can only be submitted in Term 1

• An annual budget template and guidance can be found on our Finances and Grants page.
• Your budget should be for the 2021/22 academic year
• Your submission must include some context explaining how you are using your budget this year

 

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4) Secure a source of external funding for your group

This criterion is all about sourcing external funding to help you run your activities and giving your members the best possible opportunities and experience. You could:

• Secure a sponsor or renew an existing sponsorship contract for your group.
• • Sponsorship is an agreement between your group and an external company where they offer cash, goods or in-kind support in return for a reward or service from your group
  • Help to secure sponsorship:
    • Sponsorship guidance
    • Book a Development Meeting
  • Don't forget to submit your sponsorship contract to Student Services – bristolsu@bristol.ac.uk – for checking before accepting it

 

• Secure a grant from an external provider.
• • Grants are non-repayable funds given by one party to another for a particular purpose.
  • Grants funded by Bristol SU do not count (Group Grants, Volunteering Grants).
  • Grants funded by the University do not count (Alumni Foundation, Departmental Grants).
  • Help to find and secure grants:
    • Grants guidance
    • Book a Development Meeting

 

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5) Collect feedback from your members and evidence how you have taken their feedback into account

Getting regular membership feedback is an important part of running a successful group. Your members can tell you what events are working, what they want to see more of and how you can improve the member experience. You might think about:

• • An equality and diversity survey.
  • Event feedback.
  • Sourcing ideas for future events and meetings.
  • A member satisfaction survey.

• You should evidence the feedback collected along with an action plan on how you will act on the feedback you have received.
• Submissions for the Bristol SU Rate My Group survey do not count towards this criterion.

 

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6) Collaborate with at least one other affiliated Bristol SU student group or Network

Collaborating with another student group can be hugely beneficial to both the committee involved and the wider membership. You get to practice teamwork and negotiating skills, enhance your group's exposure and (hopefully!) gain some new members! You could:

• • Hold a joint event or run a joint campaign.
  • Share skills by running taster sessions for each other’s activities.
  • Create a network or forum with groups who share similar aims and activities and meet regularly.

You could contact groups directly by finding them on our website or you could join the Facebook groups below and start a conversation about collaborations:

• • Presidents' Facebook group
  • Societies' Network group

• You must evidence a significant contribution made by both/all groups involved. This should include things like
  • email correspondence
  • project plan
  • minutes from meetings.
• You must be able to evidence how your activity is collaborative (ie both/all groups contributed to planning and executing the activity)
• Joint socials (i.e. going out with another group) do not count towards this criterion
• Attending an event / activity run by another group does not count

 

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7) Collaborate with an external group, charity or organisation

Working with an external partner is a great way to get your name out into the wider community and can provide excellent opportunities for you members. You could:

• • Run an activity with a local charity.
  • Organise a Varsity event.
  • Work with a local sports club.
  • Work with a local business to run an event for your members.

External groups, charities and organisations are those not affiliated to Bristol SU or the University of Bristol

There must be evidence of a significant contribution made by both/all parties involved. This should include things like:

• email correspondence
• a project plan
• minutes from meetings

You must be able to evidence how your activity is collaborative (ie both/all parties contributed to planning and executing the activity)

Student groups that are linked to an external charity or organisation should collaborate with a different partner to qualify

Just booking an external speaker would not count towards this criteria

 

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8) Attend at least five non-compulsory training sessions (run by Bristol SU, SEH, Bristol Hub or another partner)

We provide training and support throughout the year on a variety of topics to help student group leaders develop new skills and build memorable experiences for their members.

Bristol SU training sessions can be found on our Training Calendar.

• Training sessions can be attended in-person or online but must include a live element (i.e. you can't just watch re-plays of past sessions).
• Committee Fest 2021 sessions attended count.
• Any member of your committee can attend sessions and submissions can be from different members
• All sessions evidenced should be different.
• Email confirmations, screenshots or photos from the session all count as evidence.
• Please try to submit for this criterion in one go (i.e. when you have attended 5 sessions).

 

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9) Run a Give it a Go session at least once before and after Christmas aimed at attracting new members

Give it a Go provides a fun and friendly way for new students to get involved with Clubs, Societies and Volunteering Projects, allowing them to ‘road test’ groups before committing to membership.

We encourage all groups to get involved in this scheme, regardless of your core activities.

• Taster sessions should be suitable for beginners and aimed at new members.
• Sessions should be organised under Give it a Go! branding and bookable via the SU Website.
• Sessions can take place online or face-to-face (in line with current government or University guidelines around social distancing).
• Please state how many new members attended your session.
• For more information on Give it a Go! visit our webpage

 

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10) Represent your group at 3 or more democratic events

All student group's have the opportunity to have their voice heard. Make sure you are involved in democratic processes that can impact your group and your membership

• Democratic events include Student Council, AMM and Network forums. Presidents, Club Captains and Project Coordinators are voting members at these events but may send a deputy from their committee instead.
• Accepted evidence includes confirmation booking emails, pictures from the event or social media engagement.
• Attendance at recognised student group forums also count (Performing Arts Forum, Martial Arts Forum, Club Captains Forum, Student Media Group) Please speak to a member of the Development Team for advice on setting these up
• Academic forums, where you are representing the interests of your members, also count
• Please try to submit for this criterion in one go (i.e. when you have attended 3 events).

 

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11) Hold at least two alcohol-free social events per term

More students are drinking less and less, and many don’t drink at all, and their reasons for doing so are as personal as the individual. Student groups that have a solid roster of alcohol-free socials are taking a great step to being fully-inclusive to all.

• Two socials should be in TB1 and two in TB2.
• Alcohol-free socials must take place in a venue where alcohol is not served or being drunk at any point.
• Social events must be advertised to members as being alcohol-free and evidence of this must be submitted.
• Events can take place online. Take a look at our 101 Online Events for ideas.
• Social events should not be attached to a core group activity (e.g. networking after a talk).
• Please try to submit for this criterion in one go (i.e. when you have hosted all sober socials).

 

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12) Organise two fundraising initiatives (either for your own group or a charity)

Lots of our groups like to organise and run fundraisers for a huge variety of causes. You may want to raise money for a registered charity, or you may be thinking about your own groups funds and organising an event to recover from a difficult year. You might consider:

• Member Challenges (e.g. Strava, step challenges).
• Setting up a GoFundMe page.
• Collaborating with a local charity.
• Running an event with Bristol RAG.

GoRaise.co.uk have a pretty extensive A-Z list of student fundraiser ideas of student fundraiser ideas.

• Please note that any money raised for other charities must be processed through the Bristol RAG account in order to meet legal requirements. To do this:
  • Make sure the raised money is in your SU Bank Account.
  • Email Student Services – bristolsu@bristol.ac.uk.
  • Ask them to arrange a transfer of funds from your account via the RAG account to your chosen charity.
  • You will need to know your chosen charity’s bank account details.

• Information on fundraising can be found on our Finance pages.
• Groups may use sites like GoFundMe and JustGiving to collect funds. These do not need to go through the RAG account.

 

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13) Show how you have taken extra steps this year to improve equality, diversity and inclusion within your group

Student-led societies are often the best placed to offer bespoke and distinctive social networks for E&D to thrive. For groups wanting to work on their EDI we have designed the Equalities Action Plan Toolkit as a first step (this should not be your only evidence submitted).

• Equality Officers should have an idea of what they want to improve and work on over the year. Submissions should show the results of their work and the progress they have made with their committee
• Evidence should include the submission of an Equalities Action Plan and review as a minimum
• There should be a clear focus on how the group has taken extra steps this academic year

 

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14) Show that your group has taken extra steps this year to minimise its environmental impact or enabled its members to do something positive for the environment

We know that many of our groups want to do more to care for the environment or run more sustainably. This criterion recognises those groups who go out of their way to do something more and enable their members to do something positive. As a group you could:

• • Engage in combatting the Climate Emergency
  • Sign up to the Be the Change Scheme and get ideas on how your group can be more sustainable
  • Run a beach clean or litter pick
  • Run an event with the Sustainability Network
  • Make your group more sustainable by swapping meat for veggie/vegan options, using zero-emission vehicles, going paperless or using local suppliers

• Student groups can apply for a Sustainability Grant of up to £500 for activities focused on sustainability and/or combatting the Climate Emergency
• Your submission should clearly show the impact you have made
• You should show evidence of how you have completed this criterion as a group, not as individuals

 

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15) Show how your group has offered skills, training, or schemes that improve members employability prospects or impart valuable transferable skills

Being part of a student group is a great way to enhance employability skills and this criterion recognises groups who go out of their way to provide these opportunities for members. Your group could:

• • Run a mentoring scheme.
  • Introduce leadership skills training.
  • Encourage and support your members in completing the Bristol PLUS Award.
  • Provide employability talks for your members.
  • Run a collaboration with University of Bristol Careers Service.

• Your evidence should show how your actions have made a clear impact.
• You should show evidence of how you have completed this criterion as a group, not as individuals.
• You should clearly state what skills have been offered
• Evidence should be collected throughout the year and presented.

 

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16) Show how you have considered your group's brand and the impact it has when marketing your group

Bristol SU has over 350 affiliated student groups, so a strong, recognisable brand is essential if you want to stand out from the crowd. This criterion asks you to consider your brand and make improvements in order to boost your profile.

Your submission should include at least 3 of the below:

• Book a brand and design meeting with our graphic designer Vicki 
• Have the Bristol SU logo or ‘supported by’ logo displayed correctly on website listings, and any external websites you own (you can find the logos here)
• Use the 'Supported by Bristol SU' logo in at least three campaigns, events or promotions (you can find the logo here)
• Use language like ‘supported by Bristol SU’ or ‘part of Bristol SU’ in your group bios on social media
• Refresh your brand and / or logo
• Show how you have used clear brand guidelines 

Submissions should include some context about your project (eg don't just include an image of your new logo) and describe how you hope changing your brand will better represent your group
 

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17) Show how your group has offered its skills to volunteer and work with the local community

Recognising that your group is part of a bigger community, and working with that community, can be hugely rewarding for members. This criteria aims to help you get out there and make a difference. You could:

• Support a Bristol SU Volunteering Project
• Work with a local charity or community group (contact bristolsu-volunteering@bristol.ac.uk if you need ideas)
• Run a workshop sharing what your group does with a local group (eg homelessness charity, elderly care home, school group or Guides/Scouts)

Your evidence should show how your actions have made a clear impact.

You should show evidence of how you have completed this criterion as a group, not as individuals.
Bristol SU Volunteering Projects should partake in an activity different to their core aims.
 

 

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18) Achieve a 90% or higher member satisfaction score in the Rate My Group survey

Member satisfaction, measured anonymously through Rate My Group, is a good indicator of the success of your group in offering an excellent membership experience.

• Bristol SU runs the Rate My Group survey every spring
• Groups must receive a minimum of 10 responses in order to receive a qualifying satisfaction score
• It is the committee's responsibility to promote the survey to the group's members
  

 

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19) Plan for a successful Handover

Your Handover is literally the handing over of the running of your student group to the new committee. Handover time gives outgoing committees the chance to reflect on the achievements of your group and to share essential information and useful hints and tips with the incoming committee. A robust handover plan is essential to ensure the continuation of your group into the future.

• You should evidence this criteria through the submission of a robust and thorough Handover Plan
• More details on handovers, and a useful checklist, can be found on our Handover Page

 

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20) Plan and host an AGM and hold contested elections for core committee positions

You must give all your members a chance to attend an AGM to hear about how your group has developed over the year, what the financial status of the group is and to vote for a new committee. 

• Core committee positions are:
  • President/Club Captain/Project Coordinator
  • Treasurer
  • Secretary
  • Equality Officer (can be incorporated into the responsibilities of another role)

 

• A contested election is an election in which more than one candidate stands for the position and voters have a choice about who to elect. This does not include an option to RON (Re-Open Nominations)
• Elections should run in conjunction with AGM and be completed by the end of May
• If preferable, you can host your AGM online. Guidance on doing this can be found on our AGM Page
• You should evidence minutes from your AGM which clearly show your voting process and results