Societies are one of the best ways to make your life at university more exciting. They're a great way to meet new people who share similar interests and widen your social network beyond just your course mates or the people you live with. As a BNU student, you're automatically a member of the Students’ Union which means that joining a society is completely free - thanks to The Big Deal.
To join to a society, all you need to do is sign up for a free membership on the society’s page and once you've done that, you're officially a member of that society. A member of the committee will reach out to let you know what events and sessions they have coming up and how you can get involved. The best part is that, no matter how you study, you can join as many societies as you like – whenever you like!
Want to start your own society? Even though we have a huge range of societies, we understand and appreciate that we don’t have every society. If it doesn't exist, why not start it? All you need to do is find 3 people who are interested (one can be yourself) and contact susocieties@bnu.ac.uk.
As a society, you can apply for up to £500 to assist with the development of your society, from organising events, attending trips or inviting guest speakers which can give you new perspectives, outside of what you might be learning in lectures. We also have Societies Council, which meets once a month to discuss any issues you may face as a society. It also provides an opportunity for societies to advertise any events they have coming up and to discuss collaborations with other societies on various projects.
If you have any questions about any of the societies on offer, or you can’t see the society you’re interested in, feel free to email us at susocieties@bnu.ac.uk.
If you see this crown, it means that the society has been rewarded for all their hard work over the past year and been crowned Society of the Year 2023-24. This year, that title has gone to the Musical Theatre.
If you see a rosette, then the society is one of our accredited societies and has engaged in the wider Students' Union and worked their way through the accreditation scheme.These societies are eligible to apply for up to £750.