For any society queries or problems you may have, your main point of call is Activities Coordinator Polly Glynn. Ask for her at the Edinburgh campus Student Union reception or give her an email. The information below might also help.

Advertising

There’s no point in running a society if no one joins! Here’s how we can help to raise your profile on campus:

  • Stalls: If you’re having a bake sale, a demonstration or just want to let students chat to you, you can book a stall space on the Bridge Link between the Main Reception and the Hugh Nisbet Building. To reserve your space, contact conference@hw.ac.uk and request a table and chairs and/or noticeboard as needed.
  • Social media: Ask Polly if you can be featured on the Union's social media. Write a catchy post, provide some images and make sure your website page is up to date.

 

Society Officers

You need people to make your society function. We don't want to complicate things, so for your society, you need:

  • President - person who looks after the society and makes the big decisions
  • Treasurer - person responsible for the society's finances including budgeting, membership fees and funding
  • One other Committee Member - person can hold any other role on the society committee. This is your choice and reflects what your society needs. Examples are: Social Secretary, Secretary or Publicity Officer.

You're welcome to have more people on your committee than these, this is just our minimum requirement.

Officer Changes

If one of your society officers decides to leave, that's okay - life happens! Here’s what you should do:

  • Hold an EGM: This is like your AGM at the end of the year to elect your new committee, but one to just elect someone new to the position you're missing. Also, if there's something else you want society members to vote on (e.g. a new position, a new way of doing something), now's the time to do it. Same rules as an AGM apply though - make sure to give folk at least 7 days written notice of the meeting, and any student member of the society is allowed to run for a position and vote.
  • Fill in an Officer Change Form: It's a fairly straightforward form to tell us who your new society officers are. This is new, so please tell us how it can be improved. Form here. This is just for officer changes during the year, not the yearly officer handover (aka reaffiliation). If you're looking for this year's reaffiliation form, visit www.hwunion.com/surveys/reaff20

Funding

We recommend you charge a small membership fee, such as £3 a semester, for your society. This isn’t mandatory, but you’re going to need money to run your society on an everyday basis, so this is a good place to start! For bigger costs, you’ll need to do some fundraising – how about a bake sale or a sponsored challenge?

All affiliated societies are welcome to apply for funding from our ‘Societies Development Fund’. We try to distribute this money as fairly as possible between societies and any bid received is looked at. This fund is generously supported by the Heriot-Watt University Annual Fund.

To apply for the fund, download the form here and return to Polly in the Union. If you have any questions while filling it in, feel free to drop her an email.

Money can be spent on:

  • Equipment - e.g. chess boards, a projector screen, cups and plates
  • Speakers/Guests - paying for someone to speak or perform at an event
  • Accommodation - helping you or guests stay overnight at an event
  • Transport - getting you or guests to/from an event
  • Marketing/Publicity - e.g. printing, banners, website domains
  • Insurance – safety first

Money cannot be spent on:

  • Alcohol^
  • Personal Clothing
  • Socials
  • Food and Drink^
  • Anything else deemed inappropriate by the Union*

^Unless it is necessary for the aims of your society, e.g the Brewing Society

*We reserve the right to withhold funding for activities not in keeping with the aims and values of the Union.

Society Banking

If you want any funding, you need to make sure your society has a Society Bank Account. That's not just any person's bank account, but one set up specifically for your group. By doing this, you'll be entitled to bid for money from the Societies Development Fund and get membership fees from our website.

Society Constitution

This is your society's list of rules and regulations they must abide by. Most societies just use a standard constitution, with their own aims inserted. This is a copy of that.

However, your society is welcome to amend all the 'non-bold' areas of the document to suit your society. If you do amend your society's constitution, you must let the Student Union know by messaging p.glynn@hw.ac.uk 

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