Societies Handbook
2015/16
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Contents
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Welcome Message
Introduction
The Benefits of Starting a Society
2.1 Practical benefits
2.2 Personal Benefits
Setting up your Society
3.1 Criteria for a new Society
3.2 What do I need to do to set up a NEW Society
3.3 Unregistered Society
Membership
4.1 Membership fees for Societies
4.1.1 How do students pay their membership fee?
4.1.2 What happens if I pay my membership fee for a Society and there is no
activity all year?
4.2 Students’ Union Membership
4.2.1 What is the Student Council?
4.2.2 Society Forum
Training
5.1 Compulsory training sessions
Annual General Meeting & Electing Society Officers
6.1 At your Annual General Meeting
Constitution and Code of conduct
7.1 Renewing your Society each Academic Year
Recruiting Members
8.1 Registration
8.2. Promotion
8.2.1: Society websites and web promotion
8.3. Fresher’s Fairs
Organising Activities for your Society
9.1 Society Meetings
9.2 Organising Events
9.2.1 Planning
9.3 Hiring the Rocket Complex for an event
9.3.1 How to Book the Rocket
9.4 Hiring Other Space in the University
9.4.1 Booking rooms
9.4.2 External Guest speakers
9.5 External guests
9.6 Working with External Companies and Voluntary Organizations
9.7 Trips/conferences away from the University
9.8 Stall booking
9.9 Publicity
9.10 External Events
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Fundraising
10.1 Societies and Charity collection
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Finance
11.1 Membership Fees and Funding
11.2 Spending money from your Society Budget
11.3 What can/cannot be covered by the funding?
11.4 How you receive the money
11.5 Event Profit
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Social Media- Facebook, Twitter
Students’ Union and Other Services
13.1 Photocopying
13.2 Post
13.3 Phone calls
13.4 Student Magazine
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Health and Safety
14.1 Duty of Care
14.2 Risk Assessment
14.2.1 How to do a Risk Assessment
14.2.2 When a Society must do a Risk Assessment
14.2.3 Risk Assessment for external events and trips
14.3 Insurance
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Equality and Diversity
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Introduction
The Students’ Union and University encourage participation in student activities as an
excellent way to develop personally and academically, meet new friends, share common
interests with other students and staff, and have some fun outside the classroom.
Staff working in the Students’ Union will assist societies, i.e. Academic Associations, Clubs
and Societies in creating and implementing quality events and activities that enhance
leadership and organisational skills and help fulfil their goals. Through its administrative
service, the SU is committed to assisting student groups in becoming a positive force
within the University community.
This handbook is for students who have registered a Society and are part of the societies
elected committee. It gives an overview of the rules and regulations and lays out key
information for effectively managing the Society. All elected committee members will be
required to read and adhere to the information laid out in this handbook.
If you have any queries that have not been addressed in this handbook or would just like
to speak to someone please contact the Students’ Union.
CONTACT US:
CONTACT
Students’ Union Reception
TELEPHONE
020 7133 4171
EMAIL
studentsunion@londonmet.ac.uk
WHERE ARE WE?
NORTH CAMPUS
Students’ Union
Room TMG-75
Tower Building
166 – 220 Holloway Road
N7 8DB
(Nearest tube Holloway Road)
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The Benefits of Starting a Society
2.1
Practical Benefits
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2.2
You can book rooms for meetings and guest speakers.
You can access 1-to-1 support from experienced Students’ Union staff in areas such as
events management, financial planning, managing meetings and publicity.
You can access specialist training to help you to run your Society and develop your
professional and personal skills.
If you have more than 8 members, you can access funding for events and other
activities.
Subsidised hire of the Rocket Complex.
Use of Students’ Union facilities including photocopying, telephones, and internet.
Representation from the Students’ Union on various committees and boards across the
university.
Personal Benefits
There are many personal benefits of starting a Society:
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Develop new abilities and leadership skills
Work within a team of peers
Satisfaction of setting and meeting goals
Make new friends
Put on campus-wide events or activities
Share talents or interests with the University community
Receive training on managing a budget, committee/meeting etiquette, event planning &
fundraising
Gain new skills – through special Skills training
Most importantly – HAVE FUN
In addition, students find that the more they become involved, the more they will benefit
from their overall university experience.
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Setting up your Society
3.1
Criteria for setting up a New Society
Societies should be considered beneficial to the development and social welfare of
students at London Met.
New Societies may not overlap with any activities of existing Societies. The current full list
of Societies is available from http://www.londonmetsu.org.uk/societies/
The activities of the new Society must be practical for the Students’ Union to support with
its resources.
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The new Society must not conflict with the Students’ Union’s constitution which is available
from http://www.londonmetsu.org.uk/studentcouncil/constitution/
Every new Society must be open and available to all members of London Metropolitan
University.
3.2
What do I need to do to set up a NEW Society?
a. Register your Society at: http://www.londonmetsu.org.uk/societies/registeraSociety/
from the Societies registration page. Fill in the Society Registration Form page. You will
need contact details for three members and will need to decide on your membership
fee and write a purpose statement.
b. Attend compulsory training sessions provided by the Students’ Union.
c. Elect a minimum of three Society Officers.
d. Complete and sign the Society Constitution and Code of Conduct.
3.3
Unregistered Society
If you have not completed all of the requirements in Section 3 above, your Society will not
be fully registered and therefore will be unable to access funds or support from the SU
until all of the above have been completed. It is in your interest to register your Society
(see benefits above 2.1 and 2.2).
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Membership
4.1
Membership fees for Societies
Society Membership lasts for one academic year. The membership fee is reviewed on a
yearly basis.
The minimum Society membership fee is £2.50 but you can charge more, up to £10. The
amount set at the time of registration will remain fixed for the whole academic year and
cannot be changed. The Students’ Union will fund match membership fees up to £50 per
Society.
Deciding how much membership fee to charge:
It is important that you think carefully about how much to charge your members. Your
membership fees will make up the majority of your budget therefore you need to choose
an amount that will be suitable for your Society and balance the need to recruit members
and have a sustainable budget for your Society.
Think about the following:
- How many members do you expect to recruit?
- How much do you think your target audience are prepared to pay for your Society?
- What activities/events/benefits are you providing to justify your chosen membership
fee?
- What events to plan to this year and do these events require any budget?
- Do you need to purchase any Society merchandise/printing?
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All these questions should inform how much you want to charge for you membership fee.
If you need any further guidance, please contact the Students’ Union.
4.1.1 How do students pay their membership fee?
There are three ways to pay the Society membership fee:
Cash
Students can pay by cash or card in the Students’ Union offices at North campus.
Once students have paid their membership fee they will be able to collect a membership
card from the Students’ Union at the City and North campus. In order to receive the
membership card, students will be required to provide a copy of the Society membership
fee receipt.
You can also collect membership at meetings but you must bring member details and cash
to the SU office within 5 working days
4.1.2 What happens if I pay my membership fee for a Society and there is no
activity all year?
Once you are a registered member of a Society you are considered an active member and
should encourage your Society Officers to put on activities with your support. If for some
reason, the three elected Society Officers are not compliant or fail to respond, please
contact the Students’ Union for advice as soon as possible. The Students’ Union will be
unable to act or return money if we are not made aware. Membership fees will only be
returned if the Students’ Union is notified four weeks after registration with the Society and
it is confirmed that the Society will remain inactive.
4.2
Students’ Union Membership
All students at London Met are automatically members of the London Met Students’ Union.
Once your Society has eight members you will have the opportunity to gain a seat on the
Student Council.
4.2.1 What is the Student Council?
The Student Council hold the Full and Part Time Executive Officers to account and
establish Union policy. It is made up of the elected SU officers, independent Student
Council members, and representatives from Societies, StARs and up to four co-opted
representatives.
There are currently 24 seats on the Student Council for Society representatives.
What is your role (as a Society) in the Student Council?
Society Officers sitting on Student Council have the opportunity to represent the interests
of Societies at the council, to influence the policies and direction of the Students’ Union
and wider University policies.
Please contact us if you would like more information about Student Council. More
information will also be provided at your training session.
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4.2.2 Society Forum/ council
The Societies Forum is a democratic body that decides on the policies that govern how
societies run and discusses issues that affect societies as a whole. It will be held at least
four times a year and is made up of all the current societies. It will give society members
and officers the opportunity to come together and discuss issues, conduct business as well
as acting as a forum for feedback and development.
It is compulsory for a representative from each society to attend the Societies Forum
meetings. This is usually the President, but a representative of the society should attend if
the President is unavailable.
As the Societies Forum develops it shall assume the following remit:
a. Ratify budgets
b. Agree the allocation of development funds
c. To make recommendations to Trustees and Executive committees
d. Approval of new Societies
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All society members are permitted to attend the forum and shall have the right to speak.
Each Society shall hold one vote via their president or nominee.
Societies Council shall be chaired by a member of the council elected at the first meeting.
The quorum for Societies council shall be 50% plus 1 of the eligible member societies.
Executive officers with a societies remit will be an officer member to a maximum of two.
The General Manager, Trustees, societies and staff have attendance and speaking rights.
If a society does not attend or send apologies to a Societies Council meeting a
£10 fine will be imposed on their appropriate account. If two consecutive
Societies Council meetings are not attended, the offending Society funds will be frozen.
Training
There will be a compulsory training session provided to each Society which requires a
minimum of two Society members to attend. Regardless of whether you are a new or
existing Society, you will be required to attend each year.
5.1
Compulsory Training Session: This session will take place after your Society
registration.
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Introduction to Societies & Planning your budget – The trainer will give you
information about running a Society and you will have the opportunity to ask questions.
At the end of this session, you will be required to sign the Code of Conduct and
Constitution if you have not done so already. You will be given in depth information
about the process for applying for funding and managing your budget. The trainer will
studentsunion@londonmet.ac.uk
take you through this handbook and give you a detailed outline of the procedures you
are required to follow.
Please note, once your Society has attended the training session it will be your
responsibility to disseminate this information to the rest of your members.
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Annual General Meeting & Electing Society Officers
Once 10 members have been recruited and your Society is registered with the Students’
Union, you will be required to hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM). This must be held
in March to elect a minimum of three Society officers for the following academic year.
Once you have elected your officers you must provide the SU with the officers details by
returning the AGM form.
The three Society Officers are:
1. President – This role plays a key part in the running of the Society. It is the
responsibility of the Society President to ensure that:
a. The Society is running according to its Constitution
b. Regular meetings take place
c. Budgets are adhered to
d. Members are kept informed regularly
e. Call general meetings and ensure an election for the following years committee
is held
f. The guidelines set out in this handbook are adhered to by all Society members
g. London Met policies and procedures are followed
h. There is regular contact with the Students’ Union
2. Secretary – This role ensures that the administration functions of the Society are kept
up to date and are well organised. Duties include:
b. Setting Agendas
c. Minute taking at Meetings
d. Sending regular updates to members
e. Liaising with the Students’ Union
f. Ensuring publicity for the Society is kept up to date
3. Treasurer – This role is responsible for looking after the budget, this includes:
a. Ensuring that the appropriate finance forms are completed on time and returned
to the Students’ Union
b. Keeping a spreadsheet of costs incurred and income generated
c. Ensuring that there is no overspend, in liaison with the Student’ Union
d. Ensuring that all expenditure is agreed in advance by the Students’ Union
e. Collate and submit receipts for all expenditure for submission to the Students’
Union
f. Abide by the financial regulations of the University
g. Inform the Students’ Union of all income generated as soon as possible
NB: If for some reason, the Officers are inactive for a period of more than one
month, the Students’ Union can intervene to call a new meeting and elect new
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Officers. The Students’ Union will only act once a verified complaint has been made
by a registered member.
6.1
At your Annual General Meeting
Here you can decide on important decisions which affect your Society and where you
should democratically elect your Society Officers and pass your Society constitution. It is a
requirement that a member of the Student Union attends this. Please contact the Students’
Union studentsunion@londonmet.ac.uk for help with arranging your AGM and inviting an
SU representative.
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Constitution and Code of conduct
Please see Appendix 1 for a copy of the Code of Conduct and Appendix 4 for a Model
Constitution to be edited to suit your Societies’ needs. This needs to be signed by all
Societies prior to being fully registered. The three Society Officers will be required to sign
the document and return it to the Students’ Union. Once you have 10 members or more
and have had your elections for elected Society Officers, this form will need to be resigned. The form will have to be signed every academic year.
7.1
Renewing your Society each Academic Year
All registered Societies will automatically ‘roll over’ to the next academic year and will not
need to re-register. However the following must be completed by each Society on an
annual basis to ensure access to funding and functional support from the Students Union.
- Re-signing of the Code of Conduct
- Repayment of the three Officers of the Society
- Attendance at the Society training by at least two members
Please note that Society membership only lasts for one academic year so all members will
need to repay.
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Recruiting Members
8.1
Registration
Students who want to register to become a member of your Society can do so in the
Students Union by making a cash or card payment. You will receive confirmation of your
new members once a week from Students’ Union staff.
8.2.
Promotion
Effective promotion and publicity is fundamental to the success of your Society. It is
common sense really – if you want people to get involved you need to let them know what
is going on!
Here are some ideas of ways you can promote your Society:
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a. Tell friends and people on your course. People you already know are more likely to
be interested than strangers.
b. Posters and flyers –There are various notice boards where posters can be
displayed, please ask the Students’ Union for more details. Also remember that
these will cost money so you need to make sure that the funding has also been
agreed by the Students’ Union.
c. Hold a stall in the Piazza at North or in Calcutta House at City to let people know
about your Society.
d. Create an email list of all your members – Collect your members email addresses
when they sign up and create a mailing list for your Society.
e. Use the Students’ Union website – The Student Officers at the Students’ Union
will help you to keep your information up to date with whatever events and meetings
you have planned.
8.2.1 Society websites and web promotion
An area will be allocated within the Students’ Union website in order for you to promote
your activities and events. The creation of an external website that uses the University
name or logo without permission could result in the Society being de-registered and
potential disciplinary action being taken. All Sites must comply with the Code of Conduct
and are monitored.
NB: Before publicity materials can be distributed it must be approved and stamped
(using the official Students’ Union stamp) by the Students’ Union. If they are not
they will be removed by members of University staff. It is therefore essential that
you show the publicity design to the Students’ Union staff/email a copy for approval
at studentsunion@londonmet.ac.uk before it goes to print or you could end up losing
lots of money in reprint charges.
8.3.
Fresher’s Fairs
Freshers Fairs are held at the beginning of each semester and consist of a range of stalls
representing University departments, Societies, the Students’ Union and a number of
external organisations.
This is your big opportunity to sign up lots of members and publicise your Society. Make
your stall as interesting as possible to attract people to it. Here are a few ideas of how to
grab people’s attention:
a. Prepare materials for your stall as early as possible.
b. Set up the stall well in advance.
c. Make your stall as attractive and eye catching as possible - Use posters, leaflets,
balloons, pictures, photographs and whatever else you can think of to make your
stall look as interesting as you can – This will attract people to come over and have
a look at what you are doing.
d. Have several members available to staff your stall - Take it in turns to be at the
stall.
e. Be proactive! Don’t just sit behind your stall and wait for people to come to you.
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f. And finally… Smile! This might seem obvious but it really does help.
REMEMBER - If you do not keep people keen in the first few weeks they will lose
interest in your Society. Plan a programme of events, introductory meetings, etc. to
keep people as interested as they were at the Freshers Fair.
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Organising Activities for your Society
9.1
Society Meetings
Apart from being the main activity for some societies, meetings are useful for all societies
for:
a. Passing on and clarifying information
b. Agreeing decisions / actions to be taken
c. Discussing / generating ideas
d. Checking progress of a project / plan
e. Evaluating an event
For a meeting to be successful there are two important things to do:
a. Invite all the relevant people and tell them where and when it will be. It is
probably easiest to do this by email. You should try to inform people about
the meeting well in advance, about three weeks beforehand if possible. If you
do this people are more likely to be able to attend.
b. Write an agenda for the meeting. The agenda can be sent to members
before the meeting (so people can familiarise themselves with the topics of
discussion) or can be handed out at the beginning of the meeting.
c. Take minutes to record decisions made.
9.2
Organising Events
Organising events is what societies are all about. The activities or events that you organise
for your members can include events at the Rocket, talks by guest speakers, trips to
exhibitions and Society related conferences. As well as being great fun, they are a good
way of promoting your Society to students currently not involved.
9.2.1 Planning
The key to a successful event is good planning. Excellent preparations will ensure that
your event runs smoothly and that you can relax on the day and enjoy what you have
planned, knowing that all the details have been thought of and covered.
9.3
Hiring the Rocket Complex for an event
All Societies are able to propose events at the Rocket Complex. The University venues
actively encourage Society events and staff will be on hand to support you with the
planning and logistics.
9.3.1 How to Book the Rocket:
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a. Please email studentsunion@londonmet.ac.uk to arrange a meeting with a
Students Union staff.
b. Download the Event Proposal Form ()
NB: Please note that if you run an event in the Rocket which has not been agreed in
advance by the Students’ Union, you will be personally responsible for covering all
costs incurred at the event.
9.4
Hiring other space in the University
9.4.1 Booking rooms
You can book rooms free of charge through the Students’ Union for:
a. External guest speakers to come in
b. To hold AGMs and regular meetings
c. Small events/sessions/fairs/etc.
In order to book a room please download the Roombooking form
http://www.londonmetsu.org.uk/societies/events/
and
email
it
to
studentsunion@londonmet.ac.uk at least two weeks prior to the room being required.
9.4.2 External Guest speakers
Guest Speaker Permission Form: If you are planning on having an external guest speaker
for a meeting or event, one of the Society Officers will be required to fill in a Guest
Speaker Form http://www.londonmetsu.org.uk/societies/events/ The form must be, signed,
dated and either brought to the Students’ Union office at North Campus (Room TMG-75).
Or you can email the from to studentsunion@londonmet.ac.uk
The University has a freedom of speech code of practice that you must show to your guest
speaker and that they must abide by (http://www.londonmetsu.org.uk/societies/events/
NB: You are not permitted to publicise the event or book a room until you have had
confirmation that the Guest Speaker has been authorised. This is a necessary procedure
to protect the students and staff of the University.
9.5
External guests
If you would like to have external guests (other than London Met staff or students) attend
your event/meeting please email the list of your external guest who will attend you event
two days before your event to the Students’ Union to studentsunion@londonmet.ac.uk.
The Students’ Union will provide the list to the security desk in the entrance of the campus.
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9.6
Working with External Companies and Voluntary Organisations
If you are considering inviting employers or voluntary organisations into the University for
Partnership Events or fairs, please contact the Students’ Union prior to approaching these
organisations.
9.7
Trips/conferences away from the University
If you would like to arrange a Society related external trip for your Society members or
attendance at a relevant Society conference, please contact the Students’ Union for more
information.
9.8
Stall booking
You can request to book a promotional stall for your Society within the University. Please
submit a Stall Booking Form if you would like to hold a stall.
9.9
Publicity (see also 8.2)
It is the responsibility of the Society to arrange publicity for all events. Free publicity is
available on the website. If you would like to print posters and flyers please ensure that the
costs for this are included in your budget proposal. The Students’ Union can arrange to
have them printed if you so wish.
9.10
External events
We encourage societies to do a full range of events and recognise that some societies
may wish to conduct events off site. Even when operating off site you are still bound by the
same code of conduct and the University and Union still has an obligation four you safety
and wellbeing.
Therefore
 Societies wishing to organise events of site will need to give 21 days working notice
of the event to studentsunion@londonmet.ac.uk and complete the relevant external
event / speaker form
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If the event involves a residential element or activity we will need to see a risk
assessment for the event and appropriate Health and Safety certification for the
accommodation and / or associated activity.
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If you are travelling for the event we would need details of this and a list of those
attending along with any requested risk assessments of Health and Safety details
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If you intend to have speakers at your event these are still subject to the code of
conduct and approval
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Fundraising
Societies are able to fundraise for external charities and for the Society itself. However
please note that all proceeds will be calculated once all costs have been accounted for. All
monies collected will need to be processed by the Students’ Union and will need to be
handed in within a week of the fundraising activity having taken place. If the money was for
a charity, the Students’ Union will bank the money and arrange payment (by raising a
cheque or bank transfer) on your behalf. If it was money for your Society funds, the
Students’ Union will bank it and add it to your budget income. If you do not hand in the
money to the Students’ Union, you will be in serious breach of the financial regulations of
the Union and University and as such will be subject to formal proceedings.
10.1
Societies and Charity collection
We encourage Societies to work for the good of the wider community and we would
therefore support any activity that raises money for charity groups. However to ensure we
meet our own obligation we need to ensure the following:
1. All charity collection must be notified to the SU 10 working days prior to the event
by email by the President of the Society to studentsunion@londonmet.ac.uk
2. All collections must be made in sealed and registered collecting tins issued by the
charity / the SU. These tins must be checked by the Students’ Union prior to the
commencement of any collection.
3. Charity collecting tins must be picked up and returned to the Students’ Union (Via
reception) on a daily basis.
4. Charities wishing to collect overnight or outside of office hours will need to contact
the Students’ Union via studentsunion@londonmet.ac.uk and agree a suitable
arrangement.
5. At the end of the coalition period tins will be opened and counted in the SU in a
suitable secure space.
6. Once counted the amount will be banked with the University via its cashier and a
cheque raised from the charity
7. Any street collection on University premises are subject to local authority rules and
will need their agreement. Please contact the SU if this is something you wish to
pursue.
8. Societies may also conduct events to raise amounts for charity (cake sale, social
etc.), however costs cannot be covered from SU or Society funds. Details of these
events need to be given ten days or more in advance and certain restrictions may
apply to catering and sales of goods.
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9. The SU will keep a record of all amounts raised and these will be published as part
of its annual report.
10. Collections must be for charities registered in the UK whose objects are consistent
with those of the SU and wider University, please include details when you email
us.
Please note that:
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Fundraising can only be done on behalf of the Society and registered
charities that support the aims of the Society and Students’ Union.
Fund raising for non-charities and political organisations in most cases is not
allowed
Please let us know if you have any questions.
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Finance
Funding is only available for activities that are broadly educational and are deemed
beneficial to the development and social welfare of students at London Met.
11.1
Membership Fees and Funding
All members will need to pay the membership fee set by the Society to join a Society. This
money will be added to your Society budget.
The Students Union will match fund membership money up to £50.
All Societies are also allocated £25 at the start of the academic year/or on registering the
Society.
11.2
Spending money from your Society Budget
You will need to request prior-agreement for spending from your Society budget.
Applying for additional funding
There is also an opportunity to apply for ad hoc funding for one off special requests or
towards events for your Society.
For each event that you are applying for funding, you must complete a Funding Application
form http://www.londonmetsu.org.uk/societies/events/ along with a Room Booking form
depending on the type of event you are wishing to hold, these must be handed in to the
Students’ Union at least 3 weeks before you require the funding detailing all the expenses
that your event will incur.
Students’ Union will notify you as to whether your application has been successful or not. If
your application is turned down you will be notified of the reasons and given the
opportunity to resubmit if appropriate.
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11.3
What can/cannot be covered by the funding?
In your budget proposal you can apply for any expenses that your event will incur.
HOWEVER the following expenses will NOT be agreed.
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11.4
Flights
Accommodation for speakers
External Society websites expenses and development
How you receive the money
Once your budget has been agreed there are a number of ways in which services can be
paid for.
If Societies want invoices to be paid (e.g. paying a service provider directly), then you will
need to contact the SU office to fill out a purchase order form. If this is not done then the
SU will not be able to pay any invoices.
Students can also make payments themselves and then submit the receipts to the
Students’ Union for a refund. If the total cost is more than £50 the student will be refunded
via a BACS transfer and this can take between 2-4 weeks. If less than £50 you will be able
to claim petty cash straight away. Without receipts you will not receive any refunds.
Please note that students within a Society are not able to claim for any work done
personally towards or for the event.
Remember: any money spent by a member of a Society that has not been approved,
will not be refunded. So make sure you follow the above guidelines before spending
any of your own money.
11.5
Event Profit
If your event makes a profit this will be added to your budget for any future events that you
choose to run throughout the year.
11.6 Donations
The Students’ Union is a registered charity and bound by various government legislations.
You must get approval from the Students’ Union before you accept any donations from
business and commercial organisations. Proposals for donations will be decided on a case
by case basis.
Donations form University faculties are welcome. However, please inform us about the
donation beforehand so that the necessary arrangement can be put in place.
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Social Media - Facebook, Twitter
studentsunion@londonmet.ac.uk
The Students’ Union has strict guidelines regarding social media. Please read the Code of
Conduct and Social Media guideline http://www.londonmetsu.org.uk/societies/events/
before you set up your Facebook and/or twitter account.
You must adhere to the Society Code of Conduct at all times and the posting of any
controversial information on a Society page will have consequences.
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Students’ Union and Other Services
13.1
Photocopying
The Students’ Union will be able to do your first 50 photocopies (A4 not colour) for free.
After that you will need to submit photocopying request and all printing costs need to be
covered by the Society budget. Please email studentsunion@londonmet.ac.uk with your
photocopying request. Please allow 48 hours for photocopying.
13.2
Post
The Students’ Union at North Campus will store post for Societies. Please contact the
receptions to collect your post. Please note that post will only be stored for one academic
year. Please make sure you check regularly.
13.3
Phone calls
Society Officer can make Society related phone calls from the Students’ Union. Please ask
a member of reception staff first.
13.4
Student Magazine
Why not place an advert promoting your Society or write an article about an event you
have had and how that went. It is a great way to raise the profile of your Society and it
costs nothing! To place these in the Verve Magazine, please email
studentsunion@londonmet.ac.uk and we will pass your request on to the Verve team.
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Health and Safety
14.1
Duty of Care
This is a legal obligation to take reasonable care to prevent foreseeable harm. It exists
whenever any organisation, group or individual is responsible for organising an
event/activity where other people are involved.
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studentsunion@londonmet.ac.uk
Society Officers have a duty of care towards members and everyone who may be affected
by Society activities/events. You are responsible for ensuring that your activities are well
organised and that the health and safety of your members are not put at risk.
14.2
Risk Assessment
The most effective way of fulfilling this duty of care is to carry out a risk assessment. A risk
assessment is a careful examination of your activities in order to identify and reduce the
risks involved. Risk assessments demonstrate that accidents have been considered and
that actions were taken to prevent them. If something does go wrong because you can
show that you have taken reasonable precautions, you should not be held responsible for
it.
14.2.1 How to do a Risk Assessment
The first rule of doing a risk assessment is do not panic! Although it sounds like a very
complicated procedure, it is actually very straightforward and the key to doing it well is to
keep it simple. It is also a skill you need in most jobs, so it is valuable experience. Advice
is available from the Students’ Union and we are happy to work with you to complete the
Risk Assessment.
Please see the following link for the University’s Health and Safety policy and guidance as
well as a form for completing your risk assessment http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/services/safety/university-health-&-safety-forms/home.cfm
14.2.2
When a Society must do a Risk Assessment
To meet legal obligations, all societies are required to carry out a risk assessment of their
activities each academic year. One-off events are likely to have a different set of risks so
you may find it easier to risk assess these separately.
Risk Assessments are working documents that should be constantly checked and
reviewed. Once you have done your Risk Assessment you will need to review it every
three to six months and modify it as necessary (e.g. if new equipment is purchased or new
activities are introduced).
14.2.3 Risk Assessment for external events and trips
When taking a group of students outside the University it is imperative that you carry out a
Risk Assessment. Please contact the Students’ Union for more information.
14.3
Insurance
Most Society activities are covered by the University’s insurance policy, but some higher
risk activities will not be covered. If you are organising anything that is not part of your
usual, day-to-day activities (as authorised), you should check that the insurance covers it.
If it does not we may be able to arrange for additional cover for you.
For more details on what the insurance policy covers, or to make a claim, contact the
Students’ Union.
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studentsunion@londonmet.ac.uk
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Equality and Diversity
All Societies must abide by the Equality and Diversity Policy of the University. For the full
policy, please see:
https://intranet.londonmet.ac.uk/studentservices/policies-and-procedures/equality-anddiversity.cfm
If you have any queries, please contact the Students’ Union.
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studentsunion@londonmet.ac.uk