Joining a club or society is a great way to meet people who share the same interests as you, to make friends, try new activities and learn new skills. As a Staffordshire student, you are welcome to join any of our clubs or societies, and many students have made lifelong memories and friendships through their clubs and societies. Joining a student group can help build your confidence, grow your network and enhance your university experience.

All of our clubs and societies are run by students, for students (just like your Students' Union is). Our dedicated students volunteer their time as student group committee leaders to manage their groups and hosts events and activities for other students to get involved in. Student committee leaders are passionate about sharing their specialist interest, knowledge and skills and they support and encourage other students to join them along the way.

All of our student groups have a dedicated email address, which you will find on the respective Clubs and Societies webpage. Alternatively, many groups host Discord servers which you can also access via the group's webpage.

The Students' Union department that supports our clubs and societies is the Student Engagement Team, you can contact the team by emailing studentengagement@staffs.ac.uk

During the first few weeks of term, our student groups will run free Give It A Go sessions, which is your opportunity to try out the activities of the student group, to see if you like what they do, before you purchase your group membership. Once you have attended a Give It A Go session and have decided that you would like to continue with the group, the next step is to purchase your group membership via the student group's webpage. (You must do this to continue attending the group's activities, even if the group membership is free.)

Don't worry, we know that trying new things can be scary! Many of our student group committee have a dedicated Wellbeing and Inclusion Officer, it's their role to help welcome and integrate new members into the group. Why not drop the committee an email and ask to discuss your concerns or questions with the Wellbeing and Inclusion Officer before you attend a group meeting? The committee will be happy to help.

Membership fees vary considerably, and the fee depends on how much it costs to run the particular group. Sports Clubs are usually the most expensive and membership usually includes access to specialist venues, equipment and some competitions. Membership fees do not include the cost of personalised kit. Most society membership fees are between £3.00 - £5.00, which is actually half of the full cost (The Students' Union pays the other half to the group on your behalf!) Speak to committee to find out what the membership includes for the group that you are interested in.

You will find a wide range of sports clubs that you can join on the Clubs and Societies webpage. Some groups are managed by Sir Stanley Matthew's Sports Centre team, others are managed by the Students' Union and led by our student committees. Some of the University sports teams compete in BUCS (British University and College Sports) and some of the Students' Union led clubs compete locally or nationally; others run social sports - there's something for everyone.

Yes. The Students' Union is partnered with Endsleigh Insurance which specialises in insurance for students. As a sports club member, you benefit from our Personal Accident Insurance policy which covers you to participate in the sport organised by either a Students' Union or University managed club. A student group member wishing to make a personal accident insurance claim should ensure that the accident was documented (via the Accident Report Form at the sports venue / Adverse Event Report Form by committee) and contact studentengagement@staffs.ac.uk

During the Give It A Go period, when students have the opportunity to try out clubs' and societies sessions for free, you will find an Expression of Interest button on the respective student group webpage.  This is a FREE 'product', which essentially opts you into an email mailing list so that committee members can contact you to let you know when and where their next sessions / activities will be taking place. This helps you to learn when the next Give It A Go session is. Once you have attended a Give It A Go session and decided that you'd like to join, head back to the student group webpage to purchase your membership.

To be eligible to join our clubs and societies (and purchase tickets to our events), you must share your data with the Students' Union. This is an option that you select when you enrol, but don't worry, you can check and update your preferences now if you didn't select this option at enrolment. The changes will take up to 24 hours to update, so once you have updated your preferences and shared your data, head back tomorrow to purchase your membership. 

Students must purchase membership to the group via the student group webpage (even where the membership fee is free).

Members’ Code of Conduct: When joining a club or society you are agreeing to abide by the Members’ Code of Conduct, constitution, general rules, regulations and policies of Staffordshire University Students’ Union. Committee leaders have the discretion to temporarily exclude members for inappropriate behaviour and a duty to formally report such cases promptly to the Students’ Union.

Membership Refunds: Generally membership refunds will only be considered where the request is received within 14 days of the purchase. The request should be made by emailing studentengagement@staffs.ac.uk who will respond within 5 working days. It is not standard procedure to issue refunds outside the 14 day period. Unfortunately the Union cannot offer refunds due to changes in personal circumstances (for example a change in timetable or long term injury).

Staffordshire University Students’ Union reserves the right to withdraw any product/service and cancel membership where applicable or request change in membership type where the purchaser doesn't fulfil the correct criteria in line with the Union’s Policies and Practices.

Complaints relating to clubs or societies can be made by emailing studentengagement@staffs.ac.uk

During the first few weeks of term, our committee leaders will contact new members via email (it's linked to your membership purchase on the website providing that you opted in to receiving email communications from the Students' Union when you enrolled. If not - don't worry, you can contact Student Connect to update your preferences). Alternatively, you can contact the committee via their student group webpage Contact Options to find out when their next meeting is, or check out the What's On page on the Union website to see when their next event is - then just turn up and enjoy!

That's great! We're always happy to hear of new ideas for student groups. Simply complete the New Student Group Application form and we'll be in touch to discuss your idea.

Our student groups are run by volunteers, sometimes when a committee graduates, there isn't always time to find a new committee to take over the reigns - but we don't want to see the student group close, so we'll make the society available for adoption. This means that we are looking for amazing students (just like you) to step up and lead the society. If you have seen a group which is available for adoption and you'd like to take the lead, drop us an email at studentengagement@staffs.ac.uk, we're here to support you.

Our student committee members are exceptional people. They dedicate time and energy to provide opportunities for other students get involved and enhance their university experience. Their roles are varied but our Committee Role Descriptors summarise their responsibilities. There is of course an expectation that our committee leaders act with integrity, accountability, honesty and in the best interests of their membership. Our committee leaders agree to abide by the Committee Code of Conduct.

There are so many benefits to volunteering to run a student group, from friendships and fun to sharing your passion and skills building; focussing upon skills, the skills that many committee members say they have the opportunity to utilse include: events planning, communication, public speaking, listening, organisation and time management, negotiation, finance planning, delegation...Sounds just like the type of skills that you would include in a C.V. doesn't it?

Our Committee Role Descriptors have been purposely designed to replicate a real life job description, to aid students to recognise that the skills they develop and utilise in their committee roles are transferrable into the world of work, and are great experiences to include in future job applications.

In addition to this, your time as a committee volunteer is formally recognised by the University and automatically included in your Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR) which you receive when you graduate. Logging your volunteer hours on your personal Volunteering Profile enhances your HEAR further.

Students can use personal vehicles to drive on behalf of a student group (and to transport members to other locations) Only when they have registered their vehicle and themselves as a driver with the Students' Union. This is a non-negotiable requirement as we have a duty of care to our members and a responsibility to check the suitability of vehicles and drivers acting on our behalf. Contact studentengagement@staffs.ac.uk at least 2 weeks prior to date of departure so we can arrange registration.

Democracy runs through everything we do at the Students' Union. Our committee leaders are elected by their student members to lead their group. The main elections take place annually in term 2 as part of our Leadership Race, but where vacancies occur mid-year, we may run a by-election. New student groups which start up in the second half of an academic year, won't generally be included in the Leadership Race until the following year.

Student groups are sponsored by your Students' Union, they are part funded by membership fees (50%) and part funded by the Students' Union (50%). We call this 'Matched Funding'. Each group is given a membership target and the Union match funds the group up to that membership target which is set each year. This means that you benefit from paying only half of the true membership cost to join your club and society.

Our committee leaders receive a range of training and have access to a wide range of resources to support them in their role. All student committee leaders must complete the Committee Essentials Training modules: Committee Leadership, Student Group Finances, Managing Events, Website Admin, Mental Health, Wellbeing and Signposting.

This essential training provides a firm basis to equip student volunteers in their roles. In addition to this, we offer Enhancement training which is optional but provides supplementary knowledge and understanding.

The Student Engagement Team in the Students' Union are dedicated to supporting student groups and our Committee Hub and SharePoint offer additional information, updates and resources to help support our committee through their leadership journey.

We're happy to help students to run campaigns and fundraising activities on campus, even if you are not doing so as part of a student group. You may wish to host a stall on campus, or promote a student-led event via our marketing channels. Drop us an email at studentengagement@staffs.ac.uk to find out what we can do to help.