An AGM doesn't sound like the msot exciting of events, so think about how you're going to encourage people to attend. At least 50 percent of your overall membership should be in attendance for your AGM to be valid. Some groups order in pizza, some hold their AGM during one of their events. What will work for you?

Student Groups should include the following in their AGM. Remember, EGMs do not require a financial or annual report.

Annual Report

A review of the last year, highlighting the group's main achievements, the issues that the committee have faced, and anything else worth noting. Allow members to ask questions before a vote to accept of reject the report.

An example report can be found here.

 

Financial Report

The Treasurer should review the finances for the last academic year. A financial report should include the following.

Balances for all accounts at the beginning of the year

Current account balances

Income from membership fees, sponsorships, etc.,

Any grants awarded by the Student's Union and how these were spent

Expenditure for key events or trips

Any other information you think is important

Allow members to ask questions before a vote to accept or reject the Financial Report.

An example report can be found here

 

Constitutional Amendments

Members can propose an amendment to a group’s constitution, which must be passed at an AGM or EGM. Proposals should be submitted to the committe in advance of the meeting, but you can take proposals during the meeting if you wish.

A discussion of proposals should include the following.

Introductory speech from the proposer of the action

Speech against the motion, if someone wants to speak against it

Further rounds of speeches, at the discretion of the chair

Questions and discussion amongst members

Vote through simple raising of hands

You must check that any successfull proposals are valid– contact the SU if you need this checking.

 

Approving the Constitution

Your constitution is the agreement your group makes when they affiliate to the SU. Without this, you cannot be an affiliated group and therefore would fold. Make sure at the end of your AGM you vote whether to approve the updated constitution or not. If approved, submit this as part of your handover

 

Any Other Business

Any other business–AOB– allows members to have their say on any issues relating to the group. You should allow time for this at the end of your AGM.

 

Afterwards, the Student’s Union needs a copy of your updated constitution. Let us know if anything needs updating, e.g., group name change, or roles added.

Committee members are elected by your members to lead the group, arrange activities, and represent the group’s needs. All Student Groups must run their elections through our website– this allows your members the opportunity to run for a committee position and vote for who they want to lead the group. Find ut more about running an election here.

Committee Elections Guidelines

Groups should follow the below procedure to set up and run their elections. You can also find a step–by–step guide in the committee handbook , which all groups should follow. From 2025, there are regulations for both societies and sports clubs to follow. You can see the committee elections guidelines here.

 

The Nominations Period

 

When setting up your election, the nomination period should last a minimum of one week. This gives all members time to consider running in the election. If there s someone who you think would be a great committee member, tell them. Your encouragement could persuade someone to run.

Elections appear on your group s webpage. Contact your coordinator if you can t find your election. Share the links to your social media and in emails to all members so that everyone hears about the election.

 

The Candidates

 

When nominations close, you need to approve the candidates list before voting can open. Head over to the Elections Admin to do this. Make sure you leave enough time between nominations closing and voting oepning to do this.

When setting up your election, you can allow candidates to submit manifestos, pictures and slogans to help with their campaign.

Only those with a standard membership can run and vote in the election, but they can join your group at any point in the year. Committee members can upload candidates if they are unable to do so themselves. This cannot be used to avoid paying membership fees, however.

 

The Voting Period

 

The voting period should last at least one week and you should share the election link on your social media, and via email during this period. Don t forget to remind people to vote during events.

 

Election Results

 

Email your coordinator to get your election results. These will be emailed out for you to announce as you wish.

 

By–Elections

 

Sometimes you need to hold a by-election during the year if you were unable to elect certain positions– if you have not elected a full core committee, you will need to hold a by–election ASAP. You can also hold a by–election after an EGM if you create a new position. By–elections are run the same way. Please note that all groups must have filled the three core committee roles–President, Secretary and Treasurer.

A good Handover can make all the difference for a new committee coming in. It can support them as they learn how to complete their new roles and ensures knowledge that you have learnt over your time on committee isn't lost at the end of the year. This page will help you to build a strong handover.

 

Handover Document

Creating a Handover Document is a great way to support new committee members long after you have left the committee. It is a record of the things that you have done throughout the year and reviews what worked and what didn’t. It means committee members don’t start from scratch and can learn from your experiences.

You can create your Handover Document however you like, although we recommend using a Google Document as multiple people can access and edit the document at the same time and can be easily updated passed over each year.

 

Things to include in a Handover Document:

 

• Descriptions of each role and their responsibilities
• Key Contacts in the SU and University and for sponsors, venues, coaches, etc.
• List of events you have run, descriptions of how they were organised, what went well and what didn’t
• Usernames and passwords for social media and other accounts
• Group-specific information

 

Shadowing

New committee members officially take over your Society on 1^st August, although they may be given access slightly earlier to start making arrangements for the new academic year. Once elected, new committee members can start shadowing the current committee and start learning how to do their new roles.

Things you can do during shadowing include:

• Invite new committee members to Committee Meetings and other meetings
• Include new committee members in organising events and activities
• Support new committee members to lead regular sessions or activities
• Allow new Treasurer to help submit finance requests – these must still be signed off by the current Treasurer!
• Introduce new committee members to SU Staff, University Staff, sponsors, venues, coaches, etc.

 

Core Documents

Your handover must include the following three core documents. The templates for these can be found on the Committee Resources home page.

Constitution

This is the agreement made between your group and the SU when affiliated, which needs to be updated each year at an AGM. New committee members should familiarise themselves with this, as it gives information about group aims and objectives, committee strcutures, etc. This document must be passed down to new committees, and groups shoud avoid creating new documents each year.

Guild of Societies Constitution Template - ENG

Athletic Union Constitution Template - ENG

Equipment Inventory

A list of all equipment owned by the group, including time of purchase, value and location. All equipment owned by the group is also owned by the Student’s Union, meaning it can be covered by our insurance. The inventory helps us monitor this and also helps new committee members track their equipment. Use our template to create your inventory. If your group own's no equipment, we will need a blank copy of the template with your group's name.

Risk Assesment

This risk assessment should cover all of the activities which your group will be planning to do on a regular basis. All group activity needs to have been risk assessed, so having one thorough document for regular activities means that they are all covered. The more detailed and thorough your general risk assessment, the less work you have to do in the future. Use our template to complete this.

 

More Hints and Tips

Here are some more ideas for Handover:

 

Hold one–to–one meetings or discussions for each committee role– allow the incoming committee member the chance to ask questions

For Societies– encourage them to create a Development Planand give ideas about how to achieve their targets

Advise them on how to run a committee meeting

Remind all committee members to purchase their membership when it comes on sale– they’ll be removed otherwise!

The Transport desk is located on the third floor of the Students Union and operated between 09:00 and 16:00. Vehicle access can be arranged here as well as driver training.

Vehicles are currently leased for Club and Society use for official trips. We currenly operate with 6x 9-seater vehicles and 2x 17-seater vehicles

In cases where all SU vehicles are allocated, clubs, societies, and other entities may still access vehicles at the full cost. Individuals eligible to drive these vehicles must pass a MiDAS test, with specific tests for different vehicle classes. For test details and registration, please visit the Student Portal.

Please schedule meetings or use the email below to contact Julian due to the ongoing vehicle testing and checks

[email protected]

 

How to book and return an SU vehicle

Request a Vehicle using this link- https://cardiffstudents.typeform.com/to/F8TL2mHl

Please ensure vehicles are requested in advance to avoid dissapointment - Weekends and Wednesdays are incredibly busy

Trip Forms are required when leaving the Cardif area with the details for all passengers traveling in the SU Vehicle,Trip Packs are required if the trip is longer than a day

 

How to book an External Hire

All hired vehicles for clubs and societies come under the Students Union regulations and these must be adhered too. It is possible that additional charges will apply if the vehicles returned are dirty or damaged. There will be a £5.00 admin fee to the Union for all hires.

Please return the fuel level to where it was at the start of your journey.

Hire vehicles are for SU use only and must not be used for any other business, otherwise the insurance cover may be null and void with the driver committing offences under the Road Traffic Act.

 

How to book a test

Please contact [email protected] to express interest in a test, you will be added to a Drivers Test teams page for you to choose your date and time

9-Seater vehicles (Classed as a CAT B - Car) require drivers to be 18+ with 1 year of driving experience. Prior to the test, your licence will undergo DVLA checks and those with more than 4 points will not be eligable

17-Seaters vehicles require MiDAS theory training which takes pace onlne via the CTA, once completed, the driver will take the practical test driver. Drivers must be 21+ with 2 years of driving experience

Trip Forms are required when leaving the Cardif area with the details for all passengers traveling in the SU Vehicle,Trip Packs are required if the trip is longer than a day

Tests cost £25 (9 seater) and £45 (MiDAS course) payable by the Club/Society

 

Vehicle Costs and Milage

Milage costs: Fuel is charged at 0.70p per mile (subject to change depending on the UK fuel price)

9-Seater Hire cost: outside Cardiff £70 (local £25) per day and 70p per mile

17-Seaters Hire cost outside Cardiff £70 (local £25) per day and 70p per mile

 

When traveling outside of the Cardiff area, please complete and return the relevant below forms to your Club/Society contact in advance of the Trip

Please also be mindful that some trips may require their own Risk Assesemnt, please ensure you have communiucated your trip to your contact to this can be diascussed

Trip Form Template (For day trips only) - Please return to staff contact 1 working day prior to departure

Trip Pack Template (For overnight trips only) - Please return to your staff contact 2 working days prior to departure

Participant Pack Template - Send to club members attending your trip to be aware of itinerary, trip information, emergency contacts etc.

Tours and Big Trips Guidance

 

Y Plas

Included: 

- Cafe style tables and chairs

- Plug and play screen

Optional Additions:

- Technical Crew for audio and lighting

- Bar

- Specific Furniture, such as round tables. Setup and packdown staff are compulsory

- Technical Equipment, such as microphones, wedges, staging, etc

Best For:

- Showcases, Balls, Small dance competitions, Awards, Talks, Live Music

Capacities:

- 150 attendees maximum seated

- 500 attendees maximum standing

The Great Hall

Included: 

- Empty room

Optional Additions: 

- Technical Crew for audio and lighting

- Bar

- Any furniture. Setup and packdown staff compulsory

- Technical Equipment, such as microphones, wedges, staging, etc

- Screen. The Great Hall does not have one as standard

Best For:

- Large dance competitions

- Large awards, balls, functions or dinners

Capacities:

- 250 attendees maximum seated

- 600 attendees maximum standing

Other

The Lodge and The Globe Room

- Plug and play screen

- Standard furniture for 30 attendees

 

Below are some of the event types we offer, with resource booking suggestions based on each event.

Event Types

Showcases:

Awards:

Balls:

Competitions:

Live Music:

Custom:

Additional Services

Advertising and Promotional Support:

Table Dressing:

 

Student groups can make room booking requests for SU meeting rooms and studio space using the Room Booking System. Groups can also view, manage and remove their bookings in this system. 

All Groups have their own login to this system using the Club/Society @cardiff email and a password set and passed down through committees, get in touch with your staff contact if you do not know yours.

Please read below to see what SU rooms are available

 

Affiliated student groups can make room booking requests for meeting rooms using our Room Booking System. All student groups have their own login - get in touch with your staff contact if you cannot find yours. Before you make a booking, make sure you read the Terms of Use.

Meeting Rooms

All Students’ Union meeting rooms come with a projector and networked computer. To use the projector, you must bring your own laptop and ask for a ‘connector’ at the Welcome Centre on Level 2. 

Room 3A: Larger meeting room with chairs and tables perfect for classroom style activity. 3A is fitted with a mirrored wall and a dance floor so can also be used as a small studio space. 

Room 3B: Boardroom style meeting room with a fixed table.

Room 3C/Room 3D: Larger meeting room fitted with a mirrored wall and dance floor. Perfect for performance rehearsals but can also be used as a meeting room. Room 3C and 3D are separated by a dividable wall which can be opened by Students’ Union staff to make a bigger space.

Please note: bigger space of 3C/D combined is only available on Wednesdays, Fridays and Weekends.

Room 3E/Room F/Room G: Standard meeting room with chairs and tables perfect for classroom style activity. 

Studio Space

Room 3A: Larger meeting room with chairs and tables perfect for classroom style activity. 3A is fitted with a mirrored wall and a dance floor so can also be used as a small studio space.

Room 3C/Room 3D: Larger meeting room fitted with a mirrored wall and dance floor. Perfect for performance rehearsals but can also be used as a meeting room. Room 3C and 3D are separated by a dividable wall which can be opened by Students’ Union staff to make a bigger space.

Y Stiwdio: Y Stiwdio is a multi-purpose activities space and includes a sprung floor and a mirrored wall. This space is perfect for performance rehearsals, fitness sessions, Aerial Fitness and Boxing.  

Commercial Space

Commercial space can be booked on behalf of student groups by their staff contact. To use the space with no additional requirements is free but groups will be charged for additional requirements such as tech support, a stage set up, security, or having the bar open. Get in touch with your staff contact to book these spaces.

Y Plas: Y Plas is the Students’ Union’s club night/event space which is available for student groups to book for gigs, showcases, or balls.  

The Lodge: The Lodge is a smaller event space but perfect for student group activities such as small celebration events.  

The Great Hall: The Great Hall is one of the largest music venues in Cardiff and has hosted big name acts in recent years. Student groups can use this venue for huge events such as charity dinners, balls, and inter-university competitions. 

The Globe Room: The Globe Room can be booked as a small event or social space. This space is located between 3E, F and G and The Lounge. Student groups should be aware this space cannot be completely closed off. 

Venues Requirement Form. Complete this form to book a commercial venue and request additional requirement such as technical crew. This form will be used to generate your quote.

Stalls

Student groups can book stalls in the Students’ Union building or at the IV lounge at the Heath Park campus. Stalls can be used to fundraise, promote an event or run a campaign. Get in touch with your staff contact to book a stall. 

 

Affiliated student groups can request rooms for their activity across the Students’ Union. When requesting a room, you are agreeing to adhere to the following terms of use:

• Requests can be made up to 4 weeks in advance on the and cannot be made less than 3 days in advance, so get planning.
   
• You must have a booking to use the space - if you turn up without a booking, you may be turned away.
   
• If you no longer need a booking, you must remove it from the system or email your staff contact to cancel it. If we find that you are not using your bookings and failing to remove them from the system or tell us, we will remove all future bookings.  

• You must leave the rooms clean and tidy, neatly store all furniture in the room, and bin all rubbish or take it with you. If we find this is not happening, we will remove your future bookings. If you find rooms are not being left this way, please let us know.

• Bookings are subject to change and may need to be moved. If your booking changes you will be notified by email however please check the system regularly.
   
• All Students’ Union meeting rooms come with a projector and networked computer. To use the projector, you must bring your own laptop and ask for a ‘connector’ at the Welcome Centre on Level 2. There is no IT support in the evening or at weekends.
   
• Report to the Welcome Centre on level two before your booking and return the key at the end of your booking.

• Be polite and respectful towards all other room users, staff, and students.   

• Regular room bookings run back-to-back from 5pm-10/11pm so you must be cleared up and out of the room as soon as your booking ends.  

• There should be no eating hot food in the SU meeting/studio rooms and absolutely no alcohol should be brought onto the premises under any circumstances.  

• If you encounter an urgent problem with your room booking outside of office hours (9-5), please contact security on the 2nd floor.   

Booking privileges may be limited if any of the above is not adhered to. 

 

University Room Bookings

The University is moving towards a new room booking system called 'Reserve', which is in the works currently, and will be launching in the 2025/26 academic year. Under the previous system 'Resource Booker', student groups have had access to a selection of spaces across the University, subject to building opening hours:

- John Percival- 07:30-21:00

- Glamorgan- 08:00-20:00

- Sir Martin Evans- 08:00-20:00

- Redwood- 07:30-18:30

If you would like to request a one-off or regular booking in any of these buildings, please email your booking details to your staff contact directly, and they can make a request for you- this should include, your group, description, capacity, Please note all bookings are subject to approval. 

Unfortunately, Heath Park rooms are not available for societies to request, ask your staff contact if you would like to request a Heath Park room. 

Making a request does not confirm your booking, you will receive confirmation when the room is booked.

 

University Sports Facilities

Student Groups can hire University Sport Facilities at any of the following sites (depending on availability):

• Cardiff University Sports Training Village - Talybont
• Cardiff University Fitness and Squash Centre - Senghennydd Road
• Cardiff University Strength and Conditioning Centre - Park Place
• Cardiff University Sports Fields - Llanrumney

Further information on each facility can be found here.

If you'd like to make an enquiry about a booking within the next 7 days you should contact the relevant centre reception. If you'd like to make an enquiry about a booking beyond 7 days you can email [email protected]. 

Please note that all bookings will be charged at student rates and bookees are responsible for making payment.*

 

*Sports Clubs don't need to pay for any of their regular bookings for training and BUCS fixtures.

 

Student Groups can request regular/reoccurring room bookings in the Students’ Union using the Regular Room Booking Request Form. This form will be circulated to committee members before the start of each semester. You will not be able to request regular or reoccurring room bookings on the SU Room Booking System.

If you want to request University Rooms on a regular basis, presidents and secretaries can use the University Resource Booker linked above.

Regular bookings can be made at any point in the year subject to availability. Please contact your staff contact for more information.

 

Guest Speakers

A guest or external speaker is anyone invited onto campus who is not a current Cardiff University student or Cardiff University lecturer.

Guest speakers at any of your events must be declared to the Students' Union using a Guest Speaker Form at least 21 days before the proposed event. Send the form to your staff contact for review and approval.

Arrangements cannot be made with your guest speaker until they have been approved by the University.

 

Event and Guest Speaker Booking Form - Use this form to declare Guest Speakers to the SU. Return completed forms to Your Societies and Volunteering Coordinator at least 21 days before the event.

 

Film Screenings

It is against the law to show a film to the public without a valid film license, this includes club and society film nights. Please see government guidance and where to purchase a license here.

 

Food in SU facilities

if Food is being provided and consumed within SU facilities such as a film night or bake sale, please contact your Club/Society Coordinator to let them know

Food Hygiene Disclaimer Notice - Use this template if you are providing food at a fair or group event, and email this to your staff contact.

 

Storage

Within the SU, there are storage oppetunities for student groups in the form of lockers and large secure cages. Storage is limited and allocated on a first-come-first-served basis and when it's all filled up, groups can be added to a waitlist for when one is next available

Equiptment

Here at the Union we have several pieces of general equipment which your society can use for free. This includes a boombox, a PA system and a projector.

Speak to your Societies and Volunteering Coordinator and let us know why and when you would need the equipment and we will see what we can do!

 

How Can I Pay for Something Using Society or Club Money?

If you are a President or Treasurer of a society or sports club, then you will be able to access the Finance Portal via the Student Portal. Please refer to Committee Resources and the Committee Handbook for details on how to access this.

When you are inputting a finance request, please ensure that the reference is identifiable for the recipient, e.g., an invoice number.

You should also outline how you have generated the income to cover this purchase, and evidence this with receipts or booking confirmation.

Finance Request Queries:

Paid request on the portal but it hasn’t been received?

The payment will be received 2 working days from the date the request was paid. If it has not been received after this time, then please email [email protected].

Why Hasn’t My Finance Request Been Approved?

Finance requests are not approved by the Finance Team; they are approved by your society or club coordinator. If you receive comments on your request, please get in touch with them with further evidence.

[email protected] | [email protected]

Once approved, requests are then processed by the Finance Team, which can take between 3–5 working days.

 

Refunding Members

Any purchases made through the Students’ Union website can be refunded without you handling cash or having to take bank details from your members. To arrange this, you should download the ‘Purchasers’ Report’ from your Students’ Union Website Admin Tools and email it to [email protected], clearly showing the transactions to be refunded and explaining the reasons why.

 

Statements

Account statements are made available to you via the Committee Portal.

Please note, transactions will take up to 3 days to reflect in your statement. If you require an up–to–date statement, then please email [email protected], and we can manually generate one.

If you are unsure of any of the transactions on your statement, please get in touch with us.

 

Card Machines and QR codes

Societies and sports clubs can hire out card machines and cash buckets to take payments at events. If you require a card machine you can fill out this Card Machine Request form. Or get in touch via email to request the machine. We only have a certain number of card machines that are shared between all student groups so please make sure to book machines in advance to ensure they are available.

If you would like a QR code payment link set up please email [email protected].

 

Generating an Invoice

If you need to request payment from a sponsor/university/company, you can fill out this Invoice Request form.

 

Need to pay a company but there is no bank transfer option to make a finance request?

You would need to get in touch with your club contact/society coordinator, and they can make the payment on the group’s behalf using an equal’s card.

[email protected] | [email protected]

Use this form to request a card machine from the Finance Office. You can only request one machine per booking per group.

Please submit booking requests at least three working days in advance.

Your booking is subject to availability and is not confirmed until Finance have emailed you to say so.

Use this form to request an invoice from the Finance Office. Please only request one invoice per form and allow 1-3 working days for it to be raised.

Once created, the finance team will send the invoice to the committee member. It is your responsibility to send this invoice across to the company/sponsor.

Invoice Template - Use this template to produce an invoice for your Society or Sports Club e.g. for paying for an instructor.

AU Funding Policy

Societies Funding Policy

Associate Membership Form Non-Cardiff University students can apply to join Societies as an Associate Member by completing this

 

Accident Report / Near Miss Form

Damage and Lost Form

Risk Assessment Template

Operating Procedures Template

Societies Risk Assessment Matrix Template

Food Hygiene Disclaimer Notice

Health and Safety - Introduction Handout

Duty of Care

Activities Emergency Procedure

First Aid Kit Contents

 

Activities Laws - The Activities Laws are a detailed guide to how the Activities Department supports your Group and how you should lead your Group.

Committee Handbook - this is your in-depth guide to help your run your student group.

Cardiff Student Media Code (ENG)

Cardiff Students' Union Activities Code of Conduct Policy

AU Members Behaviour in Students Union Licensed Premises

 

The following Insurance documents apply to all affiliated Sports Clubs and Societies.

Athletic Union Members - Elite Personal Accident Policy Summary

Guild of Societies Members - Personal Accident Policy Summary

Public Liability 2025

If you have any queries regarding either of these policies, please contact our Activities Safety Coordinator.

 

Social Media

If you use social media effectively, it can become your greatest tool when it comes to marketing your events.

All groups should have a presence on social media – it is a quick and easy way for you to engage with existing and potential members. You can even add links to your social media accounts on your webpage. Head to the little hammer in the top-right of your window (bottom on mobile) to add your links.

Make sure what you're posting is interesting and relevant! If you already have a Facebook group, consider using a Facebook page as well. Pages get high rankings in search engine results which can increase traffic to the page. Pages also appear at the top of Facebook search results.

Be engaging! Social media should not be used solely for broadcasting promotional information. Most people find this annoying and it'll do your society no favours. Building a good reputation with audiences earns long-term trust and outweighs the short-term benefits of a few extra clicks to a link.

How to be engaging...

• Asking and answering questions.
• Posting other media (e.g. photos, videos, links).
• Revealing “behind the scenes” activity.
• Rewards for engagement (eg. Discounts or Competitions).

 

SU Social Media Platforms

The Students’ Union has over 65 different Social Media Accounts across Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok and more.  You can contact any of the Officers to ask them to advertise any of your events, or contact the AU or the Guild of Societies if you want to advertise on their pages. The best posts may even be picked up by our other accounts!  

Here at Cardiff University we have a thriving community of Welsh speaking students. Your Society could benefit and appeal to a wider range of audience using bilingual promotion. We encourage all societies to use the Welsh Language within their communications.

What sort of stuff could you translate?

 

• Social Media posts (Posting some key messages in both languages)
• Posters / Screens around the building
• Power points at major events
• Promotional material for Freshers’ Fayres such as leaflets or posters.

At the Students’ Union we have a Welsh Language Policy and we are here to facilitate committees and societies to use the Welsh Language within the society.

We offer a free translation service (up to 500 words) to clubs, societies, associations and student led services for publicity materials:

Key words and sentences in Welsh for sports clubs

Welsh Sports Clubs Key Words

Welsh Societies Key Words

This document contains some of the key words and sentences you use as a sports club or society. Please download this document and try to use it when you create your social media posts or other shared materials.

If there is something not included here, you can follow the process below to use our free translation service.

The process of receiving translations

 

1. Send your translation to [email protected] with the subject (Society Name – Translation Request)
2. For anything under 50 words, you will receive back in 2 working days. For anything between 50 – 100 words you will receive in 3 working days. Up to 500 words you will receive in 5 working days.
3. To avoid disappointment (if our Welsh Translator is away on annual leave) please send the translation 7 days in advance.
4. There will be no charge for your society/club for this service.

Additionally, if you would like us to proof-read a translation that you may already have for your society, please use the same process above.

Gair Rhydd

Gair Rhydd is Cardiff University's award-winning independent student newspaper. With dedicated sports and societies sections, you can get your amazing events and acheivements out to the thousands of readers every week!

Xpress Radio

Just like the newspaper, Xpress Radio is our award winning radio station based in the SU. Whether you're looking for a short advert or an interview on one of the entertainment shows, Xpress can help you spread the word about your events.

CUTV

Cardiff Union TV, as the name suggests, is our very own TV channel! With enough notice and planning, you can get your event broadcast to the thousands of students at Cardiff University. What an opportunity!

Quench

Quench is Cardiff University's award-winning arts and culture magazine whihc is written, designed and edited solely by students. The magazine was developed in 2003 and publishes an issue approximately every month. In April 2024, Quench won Best Digital Publication in the Student Publication Association Awards!

Stairwell Screens

Did you know you can use the screens in the Students' Union to advertise your event?! With a footfall of thousands every week, this is a great marketing tool which you can use completely free of charge as a society!

All you need to do is send a JPEG image, 1920 x 1080 pixels (Instagram Story on Canva) to [email protected] if you are a society or [email protected] if you are a sports club.

Sponsorship Agreement Template - Use this form if you want to arrange a sponsourship agreement and have been asked to write the agreement yourself. Please Return this form to Societies Team or AU Team we must check any agreement before it is confirmed.

Sponsorship Invoices Form - Use this form if you have confirmed sponsorship. Return this form to SU Finance and the money you are receiving will be paid directly into your Club/Society Account.

As groups that are run by students, for students, Clubs and Societies should strive to be accessible to as many students as possible. These groups can stop students feeling isolated and, in extreme cases, can keep students on their course. Often, students facing barriers to participating in Club and Society activities are most vulnerable to feeling isolated and most likely to drop out of their course. Therefore, Committees should work to break down barriers to participation in their activities.

A Widening Access Policy should act as a working document to help Committee Members identify the barriers faced by different students and create action points to break down these barriers. Some initiatives may be aimed at breaking down barriers for specific groups of students, such as Erasmus students, student parents and students who do not drink alcohol. Other initiatives may focus on helping individual members with specific needs. Each initiative that you create should be specific to the activities of your group. It is unreasonable to expect this Policy to remove every barrier from every event; instead, it should help all members get value from their membership, in one way or another.

We recommend that you identify 2-3 different points in your Widening Access Policy, looking at different aspects about what your Club or Society does and how you can improve. 

This Widening Access Policy Template can be used to create your own Policy for your Club or Society. If you're not sure where to begin, here are three examples, or you can email [email protected] with any questions.

The General Data Protection Regulation or GDPR came into effect in the 2017-2018 academic year. This impacts on how personal data is collected and used by organisations, including the University, the Students’ Union and our student groups. There will be an increase in penalties for organisations (data controllers) and, more notably, for individuals (data processors). The SU has made changes to the way it operates over the summer to comply with the GDPR and all student groups must also be ready to do so from Freshers 2017.

Due to the GDPR, we highly recommend that you do not collect personal information under any circumstance, instead using the information you are given access to through the sale of memberships and tickets. Directing people to a Facebook Group is an easy alternative to collecting email addresses and other data. However, if you do collect personal data, please read and follow the below information.

 

What is Persoal Data?

Personal data includes any information that relates to an “identified or identifiable” person. Within student groups, examples of personal data include the names, email addresses, student numbers and phone numbers of members and non-members that you may collect or are given access to via cardiffstudents.com, plus any data collected that is specific to the activities of your student group.

 

What do you need to do differenly?

If you collect personal data from individuals, you must get their explicit permission for everything you will do with the data you collect. This can be done by simply asking an extra question when producing surveys. For example, if you are collecting information for an additional mailing list, you may ask…

“I give consent for this information to be used to contact me regarding events and trips, membership, offers and news from the xxxxx Society.”

You would also need a tick box or drop-down option for individuals to explicitly agree to this. You cannot get implicit permission (i.e. “By submitting this survey I give permission for my data to be used…).

We recommend using Google Forms or similar to collect personal information. This can explicitly ask for permission and hides data from people submitting data. It will also timestamp when the survey is submitted, creating an audit trail in case complaints are made.

Once you have collected the information, it must only be used for the purposes it was collected. You must also promptly respond to requests for data to be removed from your records or for individuals to unsubscribe from mailing lists. You should include unsubscribe instructions in all email communications.

 

Third Parties

The Students’ Union, your group or individuals using data may be fined by the Information Commissioner for the misuse of data. This includes making data available – intentionally or accidentally – to third parties, including sponsors, other organisations and anyone who is not a committee member. Therefore, you should not give sponsors any personal data from your records or sell any personal data to another organisation.  This may be considered a disciplinary offense.

When contacting people via email, always use the BCC option. This means that recipients will not be able to see other recipients email address and therefore prevents them from capturing and misusing this data. We highly recommend using the Mailing function under your admin tools on cardiffstudents.com to contact individuals, as this automatically BCCs all recipients for you.

 

Data Security

Storing data securely is another important part of proper data use. Make sure that data is stored on devices with suitable passwords and do not store data on a shared device. When transferring data on USB sticks or other devices, make sure they are kept securely and are not left behind in a shared computer or in a public place.

 

How could this affect you?

As a committee member, you are a data processor and therefore have a responsibility to handle personal data in an appropriate way in line with GDPR. Failure to follow this guidance may result in disciplinary action from the Students’ Union and/or the University as well as potential fines from the Information Commissioner’s Office.