Join Today
Membership of The Durham Union Society is a ticket to experience the best the University has to offer. You can join online at dus.org.uk or by visiting our office at Pemberton Buildings, Palace Green.
Lifetime Membership is available for as little as £65, and includes free access to all our events and socials, as well as priority ticketing for our balls. A one-year membership is available for £42.
Discounted access membership is available for those receiving the maximum Durham Grant award or who have successfully applied for a University, College, or JCR hardship fund in the last twelve months. Contact the office manager at: sharon.turnbull@durham.ac.uk for more details.
All applications are treated with complete discretion and will not be seen by any student.
Social CALENDAR
Alongside our excellent addresses and debates, the Union offers the quintessential Durham social calendar to our members. From our bar 24s to our termly black-tie balls, nowhere else will you find such widely attended events and meet students from across the collegiate and university spectrum.
‘BACK TO SCHOOL’ SOCIAL
THURSDAY
27th JANUARY
Starting the New Year as we mean to go on! Held in The Union’s 24 North Bailey Club, there will be fruit punch, school disco music. snacks, and ents to kick off Epiphany
Term in style. Non-members are more than welcome, don’t forget to wear your school uniform, and get ready to relive the iconic early-200s.
1950s
SOCIAL SUNDAY 13th FEBRUARY
Time warp back to the Golden Age of the 1950s with our latest throwback-themed social. Get dolled up in your best vintage ’fit as you dance the night away with retro music, drinks, and a prize for the best dressed!
BEER FESTIVAL
MONDAY
7th MARCH
Forget Oktoberfest, because Marchfest @ The Durham Union Society s the best beer-themed bash around!
Grab your pint glasses and come along to 24 North Bailey Club to sample Britain and Europe’s finest beers (and other alcoholic bevvies).
Welcome
I would like to welcome all back to Durham for this Epiphany Term 2022. To anyone reading this who is new to the Durham Union Society we are Durham’s oldest and largest student society. We host a range of guest speakers from many walks of life encouraging debate, discussion, and disagreement through addresses and debates.
Hopefully the term ahead of us will be varied and one that allows Union members’ debate to flourish. This shall be the first full term, with both addresses and debates since before the overpowering force of coronavirus swept away all norms and custom.
When I ran for president at the end of Easter Term last year, I ran on a platform of ‘Open Union’. Therefore, it is a greatly cherished hope of mine that in re-establishing our norms and customs we can return to our previous excellence.
In the same way that the Romanesque arch gave way to Gothic arch, flooding buildings with light and life, with our Covid-secure open windows, we can allow light, air, and full discourse back into the chamber for all events.
Like all institutions with a long life, the Union has met challenges, learning and evolving from the experience. The Romanesque and Gothic arches may appear at first glance to be an architectural break, though in so many ways continuity shines forth though the coloured glass. The dappled and varied light of debate is still the centrepiece for an evolved
arch. The vibrant colour, patterns, and images all come together to make for a complete picture which dazzles the eyes and senses. This complete picture holds all of the spirit and zeal of the past but having adapted is able to partially reframe it.
Post Coronavirus, we thankfully are able to make near full use of the chamber once again, but learning from the successes of the past two years we have learnt to bring speakers from afar who otherwise would not have been able to address the Union.
This term, in the chamber I see a chorus of voices, gathered in anticipation for our events. We have debates on varied issues, addresses touching multiple topics, and socials with truly awe-inspiring joviality.
I hope that you enjoy the forthcoming events as much as I shall, and that this term leaves you with much food for thought.
- Xavier Wain, President
24 North Bailey Club
In addition to our debating chamber and office at Pemberton, Palace Green, the Union also operates the 24 North Bailey Club, a bar and venue space with members only events.
TALK TO SPEAKERS
CLASSIC PUB EVENTS
24s regularly hosts karaoke and pub quiz nights every other Sunday exclusively for Union members. Prizes for the winning team and great deals at the bar!
Following every Friday night debate, join speakers in the reading room afterwards to enjoy a drink and a chat. Tickets are free but limited, and given out to those that contribute to the debate with questions.
RUN BY MEMBERS, FOR MEMBERS
24s is entirely staffed by student members of the Union who help create the pub’s warm and welcoming atmosphere. Hirings are regularly publicised on our member’s Facebook page.
Upcoming Debates
Supports a sugar tax - 28.01.22
William Sitwell - MasterChef judge, food critic
Daniel Pryor - Head of Programmes, Adam Smith Institute
Christopher Snowdon - Head of Lifestyle Economics, Institute of Economic Affairs
Would legalise assisted dying - 18.02.22
Baroness Meacher - Chair of Dignity in Dying
Dr Colin Brewer - Retired psychiatrist, Dignitas clinician
Sir Desmond Swayne MP - Member of Parliament for New Forest
Dr Mark Pickering - Chief Executive, UK Christian Medical Fellowship
Believes that devolution is not fit for purpose - 25.02.22
Scottish Nationalist Party representative
Andy Preston - Mayor of Middlesbrough
Believes religious groups ought not receive special status - 04.02.22
Gavin Ashden - journalist, former Queen’s Chaplain and Anglican bishop who converted to Catholicism
Prudence Dailey - Chair of the Prayer Book Society
Susan Walker - Chair of North East Humanists
Believes carbon offsetting ought to be discouraged as a climate solution - 04.03.22
Extinction Rebellion Representative
Samuel Abel - co-founder of Eden Greenspace
Alex Cunningham MP - Member of Parliament for Stockton North
Believes the United Kingdom ought to boycott the Beijing Winter Olympics - 11.02.22
Nathan Law - Political activist and Hong Kong campaigner
Catherine West MP - Shadow Minister for Asia & The Pacific
Opposition TBC
Upcoming Debates
Upcoming Speakers
Robert Buckland MP
Former Lord Chancellor
15.02.22
Sir Robert James Buckland, KBE QC MP is a Conservative politician and barrister who served as Solicitor General for England and Wales from 2014 to 2019, until he became Minister of State for Prisons. He was appointed Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor by Boris Johnson in July 2019, serving until the cabinet reshuffle in 2021.
Robin Knox-Johnston Sailor and Expeditioner
24.01.22
Sir William Robert Patrick KnoxJohnston CBE RD is a British sailor. In 1969, he became the first person to perform a single-handed nonstop circumnavigation of the globe. In 2007, at age 67, he set a record as the oldest yachtsman to complete a round-theworld solo voyage in the Velux 5 Oceans Race.
Upcoming Speakers
Alexander Downer Former Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia
07.02.22
Alexander Downer AC is an Australian former politician and diplomat who was leader of the Liberal Party from 1994 to 1995, Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1996 to 2007, and High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 2014 to 2018.
Ben Caldecott Environmentalist, Professor of Sustainable Finance (University of Oxford)
21.02.22
Ben Caldecott is a British environmentalist and expert in sustainable finance. He is the founding Director of the Oxford Sustainable Finance Programme at the University of Oxford Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, and acts as a COP26 Strategy Advisor for Finance to the Cabinet Office.
Upcoming Speakers
Kieran Maguire
Academic and Football
Commentator
25.01.22
Kieran Maguire is a British academic, author, and broadcaster. He specialises in the accountancy of association football and authored the book The Price of Football. His expertise is frequently sought within English football media. Alongside comedian Kevin Day, Maguire presents a twice weekly podcast entitled The Price of Football.
Harry Kessler
Holocaust Survivor
31.01.22
Harry Kessler is an Jewish-Austrian survivor of the Holocaust. Born in Vienna in 1930, Harry and his family fled to Czechoslovakia in 1938 when the Nazis invaded Austria, before fleeing once again to England as the Nazis continued to invade Eastern Europe.
Peter Tatchell
LGBT+ and Human Rights Campaigner
01.03.22
Peter Tatchell is a British human rights campaigner, best known for his work with LGBT social movements. He has long campaigned for LGBT rights through the direct action group OutRage!, which he co-founded. In 1981, he was removed as as Labour candidate by then-Leader Michael Foot for supporting extra-parliamentary action against the Thatcher government.
Mandu Reid
Leader of the Women’s Equality Party
02.03.22
Mandu Reid is a British politician and activist, who has served as the Leader of the Women’s Equality Party (WEP) since April 2019. In 2015, Reid founded of The Cup Effect, a period poverty charity which campaigns donates menstrual cups to women and girls struggling with period poverty in the UK and East Africa.
Upcoming Speakers
Upcoming Speakers
Charles Moore Former Editor of the Telegraph, Margaret Thatcher biographer 08.02.22
Charles Hilary Moore, Baron Moore of Etchingham, is an English journalist and former editor of The Telegraph, The Spectator and The Sunday Telegraph. He is known for his authorised biography of Margaret Thatcher, which was published in three volumes.
Getting INVOLVED
There are many ways to become involved in the Union besides attending our events. Putting together our termly programmes is a huge undertaking, involving a host of elected officers and committees. There really is a role for everyone who wants to get involved. Elections are announced during Friday Debates.
President’s Committee
Helps the President-Elect to prepare for their upcoming term, by researching potential speakers for addresses, debates and forums, and assisting them in the drafting of invitations.
Rules Committee
Assists the Returning Officer in running free and fair elections to all Union positions, by scrutinising procedures. They also ensure that the Union’s constitution is constantly up to date and relevant.
Consultative Committee
Connects the Union with the colleges. It consists of a representative from each of the University’s colleges, who are elected in order to gather members’ feedback, and distribute Union publicity to members of their college.
House Committee
Assists the Steward in their responsibilities of taking care of the logistical operations that accompany each of our addresses and debates in our chamber.
Social Committee
Working with the Social Secretary, this committee helps organise and run the Union’s social events, from our termly balls to quieter socials in our bar, 24s.
Sponsorship Committee
Along with the Sponsorship Secretary, this committee encourages outside bodies (local and national) to support the Union’s events and charitable aims.
Who’s Who
Treasurer
Dylan Cresswell
Sponsorship
Secretary
Dylan Buckley
President
Xavier Wain
President-Elect
Jack Morgan
Custodian
Grace Annandale
Assistant Custodian - Emily Gordon
Returning Officer - Dylan Buckley
Outreach Officer - Matthew Brooker
Deputy Tech Officer - Theo Osborn
Secretary
Jordan Kiss
Publicity
Officer
Samantha Smith
Social
Secretary
Amy Mitchell
Technologies
Officer
Ben Doerry
Steward - Adam Albazy
Equalities Officer - Jerry Li
Alumni Officer - Vladimir Qian
Speaker’s Secretary - Blake
Symington-Stevens
Thanks
I would like to give a moment of thanks to all who have helped me formulate this term card and run the Union in general.
I should especially thank all those who have helped me build up this term of speakers. Help has been endless from so many quarters: from within the Union, and from without, from housemates, and from committee members.
I would like to thank Sharon, our Office Manager, who’s invaluable advice at all hours has always been an essential oracle of information.
There are many members of Standing Committee who need thanks for putting this term together. Thanks cannot be given without mentioning Samantha, who has assembled this document, and Jack, I’m sure, for his helpful guidance to her.
I’d like to give a pre-emptive thanks to Amy for the tremendous socials, that I know are in store and the phenomenal ball that she is organising. A penultimate thanks to all other members of Standing who have been incredibly supportive and central to the logistical organisation of this term.
As a final thanks, it is worth reminding ourselves of the old proverb, ‘Time waits for no one’, and in this regard, I can only give my wholehearted thanks and appreciation to the speakers for this term.
Our speakers, as ever, have taken valuable time out of their diaries and calendars, for the furtherance of all of our intellectual development.
I can only hope with all this industrious endeavour and generous time, that this term shall prove to be both memorable and enlightening.
- Xavier Wain, President
Free entry to addresses from celebrities and leading public figures
Free entry to debates with expert speakers on a variety of topical issues, every Friday evening
Online access to livestreams of addresses and debates
Access to the Union’s private bar and events venue at the 24 North Bailey Club
Free Admission to the events and facilities of the Oxford, Cambridge, and Edinburgh Unions, as well as the Hist and Phil societies of Trinity College Dublin
Access to our members-only socials, which are amongst the best in Durham
Exclusive discounts and deals at independent shops across Durham
The ability to get involved with the running of Durham’s largest student society, a great addition to any CV
Socialise with students from a range of different colleges and courses
