This section is covers:
- what you need to start up a NEW society;
- how EXISTING sports and societies need to re-register each year; and
- how EXISTING sports and societies can make changes.
Starting a NEW Society or Sport
Seen a gap?? Are we missing a society that you want to start up?
It is easy to start a new student group. You will need a couple of other students to form the initial committee, and to complete the template constitution and a risk assessment for you regular activity - templates below.
When you are ready, complete this form and upload your documents.
Think it through;
- Who is going to help me run my sports team or society?
- Is there already a sports team or society already organising the kinds of events that I want?
- Who is going to join my sports team or society? You will need at least 16 members within a few weeks of getting started.
Prepare;
- Define your idea for a club or society that does not already exist and set it out in a Constitution (using the template below)
- Gather at least three SOAS students to be committee members (president, treasurer and secretary); this committee leads the new group for the rest of the academic year
- Then submit a completed Constitution and risk assessment through the form.
The Templates:
And for those who hire instructors or coaches:
Your Committee Responsibilities (briefly)
All committees need to be aware of requirements and guidance on safeguarding, insurance, under 18's &c. We have a page on keeping your members safe. Other responsibilities are set out in the constitution template, and in the rest of this committee hub.
Approval
Once you complete these steps and are approved by the Co-President for Activities and Events, your group will officially become a society/sports team!
Approved societies
Once your society has been approved it will be added to several systems so you can do things like book spaces, bring in members and access funding.
All societies are set up with the following:
- a web page on this website
- a society SOAS email address (this can take a couple of weeks, but will be able to be used year to year as long as the society exists). The email is set up as a shared account which you access through your soas email. Guidance on shared accounts.
- access to the SU room booking system
- access to native, for ticketing events and posting them on the website and socials
Maintaining an existing society
Documents.
Existing Societies must renew their documents every year, including the coaching agreement for those who employ trainers.
Changing your committee?
If you need to swap someone out who stepped down, or otherwise make any change to the composition of your committee, please complete this form so staff can make the changes on our systems. Make sure your members know about the change if you have co-opted any new officer(s), and hold an election as soon as possible. You can get help with this from the SU.
Changes in Committee Composition Form - https://forms.office.com/e/D3hqbn1edV
It should take no longer than two weeks to change our existing system; changes to the society email may take a little longer.