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Chester University Counsellors’ Community (CHUCC).
The Guide to your NEW society 2014-15
Is there going to be a counsellors society continuing at the University? The Answer is YES.
It was clear from the feedback you gave us that there is sufficient support to run the society
and we have based the society on your feedback.
The society will hold 6 meetings from October to May. There will be four evening meetings
and two workshops held on a Saturday by popular demand.
The meetings will be held on Thursday evenings, coffee/tea available from 6.15 pm, start at
6.30 with an 8.00 finish. (Please note this is the new time following a vote from the
members). The room will be CBB117 (Best Building) unless notified otherwise.
The Society Calendar is as follows:
Thursday 16th October - 5.45 for 6.00pm.
Saturday 29th November 9.30 coffee/tea for 10.00 – 1.00pm
Thursday 8th January – 6.15 for 6.30pm – 8.00pm New times from here.
Thursday 19th February – 6.15 for 6.30 – 8.00pm
Thursday 26th March- 6.15 for 6.30pm – 8.00 (Meeting and AGM)
Saturday 9th May 9.30 - tbc.
Please note that dates may be subject to change particularly where it involves speaker
availability (workshops) but we will endeavour to notify you of the change as soon as
possible.
As outlined in the consultation the Thursday evening meeting format could include:
 Coffee/Tea at 6.15pm for 6.30 start.
 A presentation from students who have completed their dissertations or
 A presentation from local relevant organizations/individuals
 A group discussion on counselling ‘hot’ topics or dilemmas.
 Books etc ‘not to be missed’ recommended by group members.
 Information sharing.
 ‘Bring and Buy’ book table to sell on/buy pre-loved counselling books
 Leaflets promoting any workshops of yours etc.
This is only a suggested initial format, the group can create its own according to the needs
of the group.
The Saturday workshop will be an opportunity to invite a speaker from further afield on an
identified topic. This may be a morning or an all day session depending on the topic and
finances!
Both the meetings and the workshops count as CPD and certificates will be issued. We will
send you out a reminder for each session and ask you to email us back to indicate your
intention to come for catering and administration purposes.
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Our Aims in a nutshell.
We aim to provide a forum for current and past students/staff to: extend knowledge and
practical awareness of a range of issues/topics relevant to counselling; provide an
opportunity for informal discussion; and to foster a community.
Who can join?
Any current or past student/staff member of Chester University.
How to join?
Every member of the society needs to pay a membership fee annually to join. Membership
is vital to the sustainability of the society. The cost is £10. This is a key contribution to
financing our meetings/workshops and insurance. Also the CSU financial contribution is
dependent on us having enough members to make a society viable.
To join the society go to http://www.sudb.co.uk/shop and then click on Chester Societies,
CHUCC is on the right 4 rows down to pay your membership/duty of care (DOC) online. It
takes only a few minutes.
In addition to the above CHUCC membership card, past students/staff will need to get a Life
Membership of Chester Students’ Union. This is a one off payment of £10. You get this by
going to www.chestersu.com , click on first red icon ‘Your Union’, 2nd column click on Life
Membership and then click on Application for Life Membership. Members tell me this bit of
the process is taking about a week.
If you do encounter any difficulties contact Sarah Latham on s.latham@chester.ac.uk or
01244 513395 to report the problem and let me know at the same time so I too can pursue
it on your behalf.
How much will the meetings cost?
The Thursday evening meetings will be £5 per meeting for each member and includes
refreshments. Each meeting will count as 1.5 hours of CPD.
A Saturday morning workshop will be £10 per workshop for each member and will count as
3 hours CPD. If it’s an all day event this would require some increase in the cost depending
on the speaker and will count as 5 hours approximately. Both would include refreshments
but not lunch.
We hope you feel that this is good value, affordable CPD.
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*We are very grateful to the CSU for supporting us financially. They have been generous in
helping us as a society to get started with the caveat that in January they want to review the
society to ensure it is viable. We now have sufficient ‘card-carrying’ members so providing
we have reasonable attendance at the first 3 sessions we will have demonstrated that we
are a viable society and therefore they will continue to financially support us for the
remaining half of the society year (3 sessions).
At the inaugural meeting on Thursday 16th October 2014 we presented members with the
financial details of expected expenditure and income including the CSU grant in the interests
of transparency and ownership.
Since it’s launch where is the society up to?
We had a very successful and well-attended inaugural meeting and the ‘bite-size’
dissertation presentation from our very own Suzie Hewitt entitled The Unfolding Heart about courage in the therapeutic domain, was riveting and thought provoking.
Our next meeting is our Saturday seminar on 29th November 9.30 refreshments for a 10.00
start and 1.00 pm finish. Room CBB117 (Best Building) unless notified of a change due to
larger numbers. Our speaker is Dr Andrew Reeves and the members have voted for the
seminar ‘Ethical Thinking in Counselling and Psychotherapy’. Members pay £10 – bargain!
Who are the committee members?
At the moment we are an enthusiastic duo.
Veronica Colam – President and Communications Officer.
Angela Fox - Vice-President.
However we welcome anyone who would like to join us and contribute in some way. We
are particularly short of a ‘Techy’ officer.
Who to contact?
Please contact Veronica Colam at 1124854@chester.ac.uk or
unicounsellorssoc@outlook.com if you have any queries about the society.
November 2014.