The SU Committee Handbook

COMMITTEE HANDBOOK A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO SPORTS & SOCIETIES AT UNIVERSITY

thesu.org.uk

WELCOME STUDENTS’ Firstly, we want to say HUGE congratulations on being elected onto your society or sport club committee. Being a committee member can be a big responsibility but we want to equip you with the tools and support you will need to ensure you get off to a flying start.

Societies and sports clubs are managed by the Student Opportunities Team and we are here to help guide you and your committee to achieve your goals. We hope you find this handbook helpful, with key information to support you in your year ahead. Further information can be found for all of the sections in the “How To Guides”, available on the Committee Hub page on the SU website. Your society or sport club is valuable to us and we thank you for volunteering your time to run your group over the year. It may be challenging at times but the team is always here to help.

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TO THE ’ UNION

Good luck with your year ahead and don’t hesitate to contact us if you need any support.

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CONTENTS

JARGON BUSTER

SU SUPPORT

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HEALTH & SAFETY

13

HOW TO PLAN A TRIP & EVENT

15

MARKETING & THE SU WEBSITE

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FINANCE & FUNDING

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TOP TIPS FOR RUNNING YOUR STUDENT GROUP

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WANT TO BE THE BEST GROUP?

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AGMS, ELECTIONS & HANDOVERS

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AFFILIATION

An annual process where the SU requests information from the outgoing and incoming committees to help update us on your student group. This is so we can support and register your group for the coming year.

AGM

Stands for Annual General Meeting. Your group will need to hold one during the Elections period (takes place in term two, before the Easter break).

This is a chance for all of your members to get together and review the year you have just had.

It also gives your members the opportunity to feedback their thoughts on the year. The Treasurer should include a presentation about incoming and outgoing finances for the year.

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COMMITTEE HUB

A section of the SU website with handy resources for our committee members.

EGM

This stands for Extraordinary General Meeting. This is a meeting that will be held as an emergency meeting throughout the year. A new group, for example, might hold an EGM to elect a new committee, or if there was an issue with a group throughout the year before the next AGM.

ELECTION

An Election is a process to choose your new committee for the next academic year. You can announce your election results at your AGM, or this can be done afterwards.

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FORUM

The aim of Forum is to provide an opportunity for all of our groups to meet to exchange information and make recommendations on key aspects and the direction of development. Forums take place twice a term during terms one and two and once during term three. There should be at least one representative in attendance from every committee.

MINUTES

The minutes of a meeting should be an accurate record of what was discussed, actions that were agreed, and who is responsible for those. They are a useful tool for following up on actions that might not have been completed.

SU

An abbreviation used to represent The Students’ Union (formerly known as FXU).

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SO

An abbreviation used to represent the Student Opportunities Team (formally the Activities Team).

SPORTS & SOCIETIES COUNCIL

Two councils made up of students who represent societies and sports clubs for the Union and want to help to develop them.

SOCIETY

A student group which voluntarily meets on a regular basis for a mutual purpose, including educational, religious and social pursuits.

SPORTS CLUB

A student group which voluntarily meets on a regular basis for a mutual sporting or active purpose. The club revolves around physical activity that is often governed by a set of rules and may involve an element of competition. This includes active pastimes.

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SU SUPPORT WHAT CAN THE STUDENTS’ UNION DO TO SUPPORT YOU AS A COMMITTEE MEMBER The SU represents students studying at both Falmouth University and the University of Exeter’s Cornwall campuses.

Our students are spread across three campuses; Truro, Falmouth and Penryn, and we also have students studying by distance learning or at Falmouth University’s partner institutions. On both Falmouth Campus and Penryn Campus, both universities invest in and own a separate company, FX Plus, which manages all of the non-academic services and facilities.

You will have been introduced via email or in person to your SU contact and this member of staff will be your first point of call to contact with any query relating to the running of your group (for example; all facility/room booking requests, updates on your events, checking your paperwork such as risk assessments, contacting other teams on campus etc).

Please check out this link on the website to meet the Student Opportunities Team you will be working with and for their direct contact details. Help is only ever a phone call or email away. Please get in touch with any problems or queries: www.thesu.org.uk/activities/meettheteam/ Both our Penryn and Falmouth SU offices are open from 9am – 5pm Monday – Friday. In the event of an emergency outside of these hours, please contact the Porter’s Lodge which is available 24/7.

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SU Support

SU PENRYN OFFICE 01326 255861 SU FALMOUTH OFFICE 01326 213742 PORTER’S LODGE (OPEN 24/7) 01326 253503 SUPPORTING COMMUNITIES The Student Opportunities Team are here to help guide and support you in your committee roles. We host an annual oneday Committee Conference over Freshers, which hosts a range of workshops to prepare you for the year ahead. The team is also available throughout the year if you have any questions.

No question is a stupid one!

Please get in touch if you require any additional help. This could be with budgeting, training, planning an event or trip, or if you have any concerns at any time about other committee members or your group members. We are here to help with anything group related, so please don’t wait to get in touch.

The sooner we know about any issues, the sooner we can help support you.

During busy periods, there will be a delay in our response, but we will do whatever we can to get back to your enquiries as soon as we can. If anything is ever of an urgent nature, then please pop into the office. There is always a member of the SO Team available at the Penryn Campus office and there will always be a member of SU staff at the Falmouth Campus.

SU Support

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ROOM & SPORT FACILITY BOOKINGS Currently seminar/lecture spaces on campus are free for us to use, with the exception of AMATA and the Sports Centre. All room and sport facility bookings must come through your SU contact and they will make the booking on your behalf. If you would like an additional space, please get in touch with all the relevant info and we will help you book. This is to help us know what activities are happening when and where to add to our team calendar and to make sure you are insured. *Please do not go directly to room bookings team for spaces on campus as they will send your request back to us!*

EXTERNAL VENUE BOOKINGS If you are looking to use the Stannary for your events, please go directly to the Stannary team to request a meeting by emailing gigs@fxplus.ac.uk If you want to use any venues in the community for social activities, then please contact these places directly to arrange to book (and then tell your SU contact).

SELLING TICKETS AND MERCH The SO team can set up tickets for events and merch products on your SU webpage.

These tickets/products can be customised accordingly – for us to be able to facilitate, please ensure you have looked at the How To Guide for details your SU contact will need to set this up for you.

This will save the committee having to exchange cash, as this is all run through the website and your group page. Members

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SU Support

can also pop into either our Falmouth or Penryn office to buy tickets if they don’t wish to use the website. We can also set up a collection point at either office for physical products but you must tell us this requirement with your initial request.

GUEST SPEAKER APPROVAL PROCESS We actively encourage groups to bring guest speakers to campus to enhance and develop your group. The SU must approve all guest speakers, so BEFORE inviting them you must inform your SU contact and complete the Guest Lecture Form (available on the Committees Hub). A guest speaker includes any persons outside of university staff members.

MINIBUS BOOKINGS The SU has two minibuses available for our groups to use.

Without driver details we cannot add your request to our calendar. Please note these are subject to availability and may not always be available during busy times.

Due to insurance regulations, there are restrictions on who is eligible to drive one of our buses. You need to have completed a MIDAS training course, which we offer once a term (some groups might consider subsidising this for the individual taking the course). To register for MIDAS you must be 21 years or over and have held a driver’s license for a minimum of two years.

If you are interested in being added to the waiting list for the next course, please email activitiesteam@the su.org.uk

SU Support

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HEALTH & SAFETY Any group which organises an activity has a duty to make sure that reasonable steps are taken to ensure the safety and wellbeing of those involved. The risk assessment is THE MOST IMPORTANT DOCUMENT for your student group and this means, as a committee member of your group, you need to show that you have taken reasonable steps to protect the health and safety of others.

As an affiliated SU student group, you and your members are covered under our insurance. To be covered, groups MUST submit an up-to-date risk assessment to their SU contact and notify them of your activity with sufficient notice (more info can be found on when we expect to be notified in the planning your event section on page 15) The reason for this is to allow us enough time to check your risk assessment and make arrangements with the insurance company, and gain permits and permissions if necessary.

Every student taking part in an SU activity must be a paid member (standard or associate) to be covered under the insurance. Committee members should therefore be checking the sales reports via the website and be aware of members with any medical conditions, or anything the committee need to be aware of, and take appropriate steps to enable their safe participation in activities. This information is confidential and should be treated as such. We allow a two-week window over Freshers for students to try activities before they purchase memberships. After this time you will be notified by the SU, but if they are attending they must be a paid member.

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Health & Safety

If you have any equipment owned by the group and this is listed on your current inventory, this is also insured.

Spreadsheets must have been sent to your SU contact for this to be insured.

Please contact the SO Team if you need any additional support to complete a risk assessment as we may be able to provide you with a template for a similar activity.

In the event of an accident or emergency, the committee members should take charge following the emergency procedures outlined in the risk assessment. If a qualified first aider is present, they should take charge of any casualties. If the accident appears serious, contact the emergency services immediately. The Penryn SU office will be staffed 9am-5pm Monday-Friday on 01326 255861. Out of these hours, please contact the Porters Lodge, open 24/7, on 01326 253503.

The SU must be notified of any accidents or near misses as soon as possible after the event and an accident report form must be completed and sent to activitiesteam@the su.org.uk Please check out the Committee Hub for further details on emergency procedures.

Health & Safety

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HOW TO PLAN AN EVENT OR TRIP Planning an event is not always as simple as it seems, as there is lots of work to do before, during and after, which can easily go unnoticed. To ensure that your event is planned appropriately and runs smoothly, we have come up with a few top tips:

• Plan early and thoroughly, (poor planning = poor events!)

• Check with your Treasurer – are there funds in your account?

• Keep to budget and check events are financially viable • Listen to your members – do they want this event?

• Get commitment from your members – either payment/sign up • Communicate with your committee and share the workload • Ensure members know arrangements – let them know where they can be updated • Stay safe – make sure what could go wrong… doesn’t • Consider all risks and mitigate against them (complete a risk assessment) • Use social media as an advertising platform – share ideas • Collaborate with other groups

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How To Plan An Event Or Trip

When do you inform your SU contact?

Smaller scale events/trips – minimum two weeks notice Larger scale events/trips – minimum four weeks notice Trips abroad – minimum six months notice

Please check out the How To Guides on planning trips and events, found in the Committee Hub.

How To Plan An Event Or Trip

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MARKETING YOUR GROUP & EVENTS Posters & flyers Where possible, we encourage you to be green and think of online marketing ideas, such as social media platforms. If you do decide to print posters or flyers for your group, please make sure these are only placed on the designated noticeboards around campus. Any posters not put on noticeboards will be removed by cleaners and caretakers - so save your printing credits!

Promoting your events The SU has various social media platforms available - if you want to send us links to your events, we can help share, or tag us on social media. Please contact the marketing team if you want any advice or help promoting your event marketing@thesu.org.uk

The SU website Each group has their own page on the SU website. This is your platform to advertise your group and it is the responsibility of the committee to update with events, meeting times, committee contacts, links to social media, etc. Each committee member will have access and permissions to edit your page as of 1st August – 31st July.

Please check out the How To Guide on the Committee Hub with details on how to edit and make the most of your page.

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Marketing Your Group & Events

FINANCE The SU Finance Team help to manage all of our student group accounts. The team are here to handle all of your group’s financial transactions, and keep track of the money you are spending and the money you are generating. Please contact them with any query – they are here to help.

The SU Finance Team are here to: Make purchases for your group Please send us all the info we require to make the purchase for you, for example, the link with as much detail as possible, or arrange an appointment with the team to place an order. The Penryn Campus office should be used for the delivery address for your purchases.

Floats For your events we can provide a float and cash tin. If you would like this service, please allow a minimum of one week’s notice.

Pay invoices Please ensure that any invoices contain the organisation’s name, address and bank details, and should be made out to the following address: Falmouth and Exeter Students’ Union, Penryn Campus Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE

We will be unable to pay invoices without the correct information. Committees will now be able to submit invoices via the SU website finance section.

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Finance

Accounts The SU will be sending out a copy of your group’s accounts once a term. It is your responsibility to check each line to make sure it reflects the records that you have kept. Please report back to the SU with any questions. If you do have any questions throughout the year, please get in touch and we can help go over your accounts with you, look at budgeting for events, and check your balance.

Cash payments into The SU Complete a “Paying in Slip” and return with the cash to the SU office at either campus. The form must be signed by the Treasurer and you should keep a note of the amount. Please also provide as much information as possible about the payment, including a register (if appropriate). This cash will be counted and banked and then the amount will be entered into your accounts.

There is a separate paying in slip if you are paying in money that is being donated to a specific charity. Please count the cash and separate any change into money bags, sign the paying in slip, and bring to either SU office. Please make sure this has been checked by your committee before you hand in once this goes to the bank this is the final figure confirmed.

Finance

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Reimbursements to members and committee members Starting this year ,we now have the facility for you to submit reimbursements via the online portal.

Any of your members can submit a request for reimbursement but only the Treasurer can authorise it. Members must fill in their details for the claim and give a justification of what the purchase was for, e.g. food for an event. The receipt will need to be uploaded as proof of purchase. The Treasurer must check and authorise the reimbursement and make a note of the amount for their reference. If the reimbursement is for the Treasurer, they can ask the President to authorise the payment as you cannot authorise your own reimbursements. Your SU staff member will make the final authorisation and then pass the form to finance to be paid. The payment will be made approximately one week after the reimbursement has been authorised.

Full training will be given at Committee Conference on the new online finance section but if you would like further advice throughout the year please contact us.

Important legal bits Do not open a bank account or take out a loan – The SU manages an account for each group which is audited each year The SU is a registered charity

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Finance

SU contributions As part of affiliation each May, we ask you to submit a budget proposal to estimate a plan for your year ahead. The budgeting process is very important and your membership fees should reflect good value for money for your members and be based on the costs associated with the running of your group.

The SO Team reviews your budget proposal over the summer break and will work out where, if possible, they can offer a financial contribution and ring-fence your group funds. Groups will be informed of their allocation at the start of the academic year. This should allow committees time to organise themselves appropriately; amend plans for expenditure (if necessary) and/ or look for sponsorship/other income sources to cover any shortfall. It will also allow time for annual membership fees, weekly fees, and event fees to be set accordingly.

The SU has a limited budget to support all of our groups and to help fund activities and trips during the academic year. We allocate resources to represent and further the interests of students, and the funding criteria has been developed to offer support to all groups in a fair and open way.

Although funding is ring-fenced for groups, based on the budget proposals submitted, funds are only awarded as and when they are needed. For example, if you plan to organise a guest speaker (and have included this in your budget proposal) but the event does not happen, you will not receive that element of funding. This is to ensure that SU funds continue, throughout the year, to be allocated where they are most needed.

Finance

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The role of a treasurer Payments to members Using the online portal – check and authorise reimbursements and submit invoices.

Record keeping

Keep a record of all transactions with your income and expenditure (most groups keep their own spreadsheet on Excel).

Balance Ensure you have enough funds to undertake all the activities/events/fixtures and equipment purchases for your group.

Reports Provide reports and updates for your committee regarding the financial situation of your group. This will be required to present at your AGM. Inventory Keep a record of your equipment, kit and any stock.

Memberships Check members have purchased their memberships (after Freshers using the SU website sales report section).

Balance at the end of the year Aim to carry over a maximum of ÂŁ200 at the end of the year (unless you have pre-arranged with your SU contact for some reason, e.g. planned equipment purchase).

This is the amount we recommend to help support the incoming committee over the Freshers period until the income of membership fees comes in during October.

Groups should not be carrying over large sums of money as the funds should be spent on the current members.

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Finance

Funding If your group is struggling for money, there is a number of pots that you can apply for to secure some extra funding.

The SU Student Opportunities Team is always around to read applications and offer advice.

Please check out the Committee Hub for information on additional SU funding opportunities and our guidance on sponsorship and fundraising.

Fundraising You may seek sponsorship from companies. We ask for you to keep your SU contact informed of conversations and to complete a contract. Information on approaching and drafting a contract can be found on the Committee Hub. Once almost ready to sign, please ask a member of The SU Student Opportunities Team to check it over and sign it off.

Sponsorship Some of our groups take the opportunity to raise some money for a charity that is of interest to their members. You can either run a series of fundraisers for different charities, or you can pick one charity that the majority of your fundraising will go to throughout the year. This is known as ‘Adopt a Charity’. When picking a charity, make sure they have a UK Charity number and make sure to tell the SU Student Opportunities Team the name of the charity and their charity number.

If you have any questions about fundraising, you can get in touch with Raise and Donate (RAD) or ask the SU Student Opportunities Team. If you would like some ideas on fundraisers, check out the Committee Hub page on the SU website.

Please check out the Committee Hub for information on additional SU funding opportunities and our guidance on sponsorship and fundraising.

Finance

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TOP TIPS FOR RUNNING YOUR STUDENT GROUP Help is always at hand!

The SU team is here to help. Get in touch if you have any issues.

If we don’t know about a problem, we can’t do anything to help.

Every group is different!

Each student group will operate in a slightly different way and has a variety of different structures and committee roles.

Identify your own group’s goals and plan how you can achieve them. If you need support, talk to your SU contact.

Know your role and responsibilities.

We have added some How To Guides for main committee roles on the Committee Hub, so please check this out. If you cannot see your role and are still unsure of what is expected of you, talk to your committee and your SU contact for clarification.

It is really important that you all know what your roles involve and what is expected of you whilst you are in post. Having clear guidelines and responsibilities can ensure the smooth running of your group and avoids leading to any duplication of tasks or one committee member taking on all responsibilities.

Managing your members’ personal data.

As committee members you have access to information about your members. Please make sure you have all read the “Managing your Members Personal Data” How To Guide on the Committee Hub, as this is a responsibility held by all committee members.

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Top Tips

Check out the How To Guides.

There is some additional documentation available online on the Committee Hub – How To Guides section. If there is an area you feel is not explained, please get in touch with your SU contact.

Communication is king!

Both with your fellow committee members and members and the SU staff team. We advise you to meet as much as you can in person with your group committee so everyone can contribute to plans and hear updates. If a committee member cannot make a meeting, make sure they are updated with minutes of what was discussed. You should also be checking in with your SU contact at least once a term if we don’t see you regularly.

Collaborations This is a great opportunity to get to know other groups, meet new people, increase engagement and share skills and expertise.

Please read your email updates The SO Team will send regular email updates to you and your committee. We try to ensure only essential and relevant info is sent to you, as we don’t want to bombard you with too many emails.

Join the Facebook groups

There are Facebook groups for committee members to join.

This platform is available for you to share events, ideas and have discussions.

Top Tips

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WANT TO BE THE BEST GROUP? There are different ways to be recognised for all the hours you put in to support your group. We will update and remind you throughout the year but here are a few:

Legends

Log your hours! You are giving up your personal time to volunteer for your student group. Please make sure you are logging your hours on the volunteering platform. Not only are there rewards for the more hours you log, this looks great on your CV when you start applying for jobs.

Awards night

The SO Team hosts an annual awards night at the start of term three, where we celebrate all of your amazing achievements.

Nominations open in term two, so keep an eye out for updates from your SO contact.

National Awards

There are a variety of national awards committees can apply for. The team will update you on when these take place.

Personal development

What skills am I gaining from being on a committee?

Decision making You will be developing a wide range of interpersonal skills, including creativity, logical thinking, assertiveness and sensitivity to others.

Project & time management As a committee, you will be managing your activity and balancing your degree and any other commitments simultaneously. This is a fundamental skill to have for future

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Want To Be The Best Group?

employment. You will gain an understanding of the concept of time management, be able to prioritise workload, and meet goals.

Financial The ability to manage budgets and finances will not only be useful in future employment but in everyday life managing your own finances.

Teamwork You will need to work together to achieve your aims and to run your group successfully. In the workplace you are rarely able to carry out your role without working with others.

Leadership As the committee of a group, you are the leaders and ultimately responsible for your group achieving their goals.

The ability to lead a group is valued by potential employers.

Marketing You will be marketing your group to the wider student population in order to gain more membership and awareness.

Networking You may have the opportunity to network with similar interest groups to develop your group. As a committee, you will be expected to network with other sports clubs and societies.

Organisation Managing a group’s paperwork can include meeting minutes, keeping record of student numbers, completing risk assessments and dealing with all group correspondence.

Want To Be The Best Group?

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AGMs, ELECTIONS & HANDOVERS The SO Team will provide further information on these processes at the start of term two when you will be beginning to think about the following year.

Elections & AGMs

The SU is a democratic organisation and it relies on your group to be just as democratic. So that every student has a fair chance of being involved, all groups hold an AGM. It is a requirement that all student group elections take place on The SU website and an AGM held during term two.

Please check out the Election & AGM guidance on the Committee Hub for step-by-step guidance, which the President will need to be able to set up and manage your group’s election.

Handovers The nature of student groups means that the committee is likely to change year on year, and each committee will influence how your group is run. A structured and thorough handover ensures continuity, generates new ideas and enables new students to take responsibility for the running of their group. It provides an opportunity to transfer past successes, review the year, and to highlight any pitfalls to ensure that past mistakes are not repeated.

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AGMs, Elections & Handovers

Outgoing committee

STEP ONE

STEP TWO

Holding your AGM & online Elections

Meet with the new committee and give a good handover

STEP THREE

STEP FOUR

Help the new committee complete affiliation docs

Ensure you return all group equipment

A good handover is one of the last and most important responsibilities you have, and your advice and knowledge will ensure your new incoming committee will be given the best chance for a successful year ahead. For more info, please check out the ‘How To Section’ on the Committee Hub.

Incoming committee Your incoming committee will be expected to complete affiliation documents with guidance and support from the outgoing committee (some sections can only be completed by outgoing). They will then begin the process again and the SU will be in contact with them. It is really important that affiliation documents are submitted by the deadline that the SU sets to ensure the future affiliation of your student group.

AGMs, Elections & Handovers

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We would like to wish you all a final good luck and hope you enjoy your year ahead!