The number of active societies at GCU Students' Association has grown significantly over the past year, reaching a record high of 60 societies. Membership numbers have also increased substantially, exceeding targets. A variety of initiatives helped boost recognition of societies and engagement with students. Events hosted by societies raised funds for charities while also promoting their activities. Feedback from society members was overall positive about the support and opportunities provided. The annual Star Awards celebrated top achievements of the year.

1. End of Year Report, 2013-2014
Steven Muir: Societies Intern
2013 has proven to be very successful for our societies at GCU Students’ Association. The following statistics and
information show how this year has been a great improvement on previous years.
Societies
GCU Students’ Association currently has the most active and affiliated societies it has ever had. With 60 affiliated
societies, numbers have increased from last year.
Please see Charts 1 and 2 for visual explanation of the growth.
Chart 1 Chart 2
In the past 4 years, the number of societies has grown from 34 to 60. This is an increase of 76%.
From this number, the target of 50 societies has been reached and exceeded, and 10 more societies have been
created in that time. As well as this, numerous societies are in the starter process to commence in September 2014.
This year, knowledge of societies has been greatly increased at GCU, with the VPA and Societies Intern working to
boost recognition. This has been achieved by:
 Approaching students and informing them of opportunities.
 Modifying, and producing a new society start up process
 Hosting a Societies Fayre in Week 7 of Trimester 1
 Attending Class Rep training and speaking to the course representatives
 Designing and producing a new flyer
 Providing more frequent updates on the Students’ Association website and social media
 Advertising society events and opportunities on plasma around campus, and via YouthWire
 Hosting a Re:Freshers Fayre in Week 1 of Trimester 2
 Celebrating success of societies, and informing of important news by implementing a fortnightly newsletter
 Increasing the knowledge and status of the Star Awards.

2. Societies Newsletter
This year seen the implementation of the fortnightly Societies Newsletter. This is sent to
society members, in consecutive weeks to the All Student Email.
The newsletter contains news, achievements, and events, and is all linked to the Students’ Association website.
This is a great way to alert society committees of any important information, such as minibus driver training, annual
general meetings, and committee elections, for example. As well as this, society members are made aware of the
diverse range of events and activities that every society offers on a weekly basis.
Membership
GCU Students’ Association currently has the most paid members it has ever had. With 2365 registered members at
the end of the year, the Students’ Association have exceeded the total number of members from the end of last
year, and reached the yearly target of 1660 members.
Please see Chart 3 below for a comparison on our membership numbers from 2009 to 2013. It can be seen that
there are fluctuations in membership over the past 5 years, with an increase every year except 2011. This year has
seen a 48% increase in the number of total members from last year.
Chart 3
By continuously promoting societies, and working closely with them to ensure they are reaching a large audience;
volunteers have promoted their societies well. This resulted in increased membership. The introduction of new
societies this year has also benefited overall membership numbers.
Number of Members
Period Membership Difference
2009-10 1336
2010-11 1400 +4.79%
2011-12 1056 -24.57%
2012-13 1591 +50.66%
2013-14 2365 +48.65%

3. New societies this year include:
 Accountancy  GCU Enactus  Poker
 Allister Boyd Legacy
Group
 GCU Ethical Hackers  Radiography
 Apna  GCU Glasgow
Marrow
 Radiotherapy &
Oncology
 Arab  GSBS International
Business and Society
Network
 Random
 Bright Futures  Hand Craft  Saudi Students
 Burns  Interconnect  Signs 4 Life
 Cheerleading, GCU
Jets
 Irish  Social Scientists
 Caledonian Model
United Nations
 Labour Students  Women’s Rights
 Dungeons and
Dragons
 Liberal  Yes Scotland GCU
 Environmental  Neuroscience  Youai Scotland
 Gaming  Occupational
Therapy
Actions to ensure membership is correct include ensuring that all societies registered committee members have paid
their membership fees, and monitoring memberships on a weekly basis.
Online membership is now active for all societies, and is optional for use. Society members can still become a
member of a society by registering at the Students’ Association Welcome Desk.
Volunteers
This year, due to the increased number of societies, there has also been an increase in the number of registered
volunteers.
Please see Table 1 for an update:
Table 1
Number of Volunteers
(registered)
Period Number of Volunteers Difference
2009-10 131
2010-11 211 +61.07%
2011-12 198 -6.16%
2012-13 200 +1.01%
2013-14 205 +2.5%
Volunteers are currently being encouraged to register before the deadline of the end of May. The portal will remain
open, but to avoid double tasking, a deadline has been set.
Volunteers Training Sessions
12 training sessions were hosted in Trimester 1, with a further 7 being hosted in Trimester 2, covering important
aspects such as risk assessment, society funding, bank accounts, health and safety, activities management, first aid
and minibus driver training, sponsorship information and equality and diversity. From these sessions, 197 people
have attended and completed the training.
No further statistics are available, as training was not compulsory last year.

4. Feedback was collected at the end of every session, anonymously, with 181 participants
completing the response sheet.
Respondents were asked to circle 6 words that described the training, circle their selection
when asked on how well the structure, training and activities were, and were then asked to provide qualitative
information on their experience, and possible developmental needs.
Table 2 shows a few responses:
Table 2
I found the session was: Response
Interesting 61%
Well presented 67%
Enjoyable 47%
Valuable 46%
Well guided 50%
My overall verdict for the training session: Response
Excellent 49%
Good 42%
Average 2%
Poor 0.5%
Society Events and Fundraising
Societies have also been keen to fundraise, and have hosted many fundraising events for charity and their society.
Not only raising funds for their own societies, volunteers have raised funds for numerous different charities.
Charities include Clic Sargent, Cancer Scotland and Live for Life.
Ranging from bake sales to “Blind Date”, the Spring Fling to the Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt, societies have been very
creative in the way they raise the profile of their society, and funds.
Numerous events have taken place throughout the year, including the Burns Supper, the GSBS IBSN Launch night in
the Hilton Grosvenor, the GCU Optics trip to Cardiff for OpFest and much more.

5. Volunteer Development
Only four 1-2-1 sessions have been carried out with societies. These are not compulsory
meetings, but recommended for societies to attend to review their yearly activities, finances,
and amend their constitutions. This year, the Societies Council added to the policy that every society must now have
at least one 1-2-1 meeting each academic year.
Societies now must submit a society pack detailing their year plan when registering to continue as a society. Failure
to do so will result in a society having to complete the society starter process again.
Membership Feedback
The membership feedback project is now complete, with a total response of 110 society members and committee
members. This represents a 4.65% response rate.
7 questions in total were asked; 5 quantitative and 2 qualitative. From this, the results were taken and analysed.
Questions were asked on overall satisfaction, leadership and organisation, awareness of events, and the quality of
activities. Overall satisfaction as an average was 76%, an overall positive result from the survey.
Individual feedback will be provided to all societies, with an overall recommendation on how societies can develop in
the next year.
Societies Council
The Societies Council is operating with 7 newly elected members. These members are from a variety of societies, all
taking on different roles within the committee.
The previous Societies Council met 8 times this year, with many decisions and changes taking place. These changes
included policy adaptations, and better ways of improving engagement and support.
The new Council has met once, and received a handover from the previous council at the last Council meeting of the
year. Plans to evolve the council are in place, with role descriptions being modified and formalised. This year saw
the introduction of Societies Council email address that each Council member can use to contact societies, and to
communicate with the Students’ Association.
The Star Awards
Hosted in the Student Bistro on the 26th
of March, over 150 guests attended the annual Star Awards, which included
a champagne reception, Indian buffet meal, and awards ceremony, entertainment from the Cheerleading and Drama
societies. This year, a ticket cost was introduced; costing each guest £3. Invited guests included the Awards
Committee, the Director of Campus Services, the University Secretary and the Principal and Pro Vice Chancellor.
Societies won the annual 5 awards; Caledonian Model United Nations Society winning Best New Society; Burns
Society winning Society Event of the Year for the Burns Supper; Alexandra Kuznetsova-Garrett from the GCU London
Luxury Society winning Volunteer of the Year; Kim Cleeve of the Occupational Therapy Society winning the Society
Lifetime Achievement; and the Psychology Society winning Society of the Year.

6. Societies Achievements
Societies this year have reached above and beyond, and the hard work has been recognised.
Our Caledonian Model United Nations Society was the runner up at the NUS Scotland Awards
2014, after being shortlisted for the Society of the Year. The CMUNS began in August 2013, and developed into a
large society with 50 members. Their achievements include taking 11 delegates to the Emirates Model United
Nations Conference in Dubai, and attending numerous other events in London and Edinburgh.
As well as this, GCU Students’ Association was shortlisted for the “WhatUni Student Choice Awards” for Clubs and
Societies. These results will be published soon.
Societies Accreditation Scheme
A societies and sports accreditation scheme has been devised this year, to pilot in September with the return of our
students. This accreditation scheme has been created in order to help our sports and societies develop, and become
more sustainable.
The scheme challenges societies to increase Level 1 student participation, host events, raise funds and work with
other student groups and communities, amongst other development criteria. The scheme has a number of benefits,
including 1 automatic nomination for Society of the Year, discounted tickets to the Awards Ball, and a certificate and
mini trophy.
Students’ Association Annual Survey
Students were asked several questions with regards to societies in the annual Students’ Association survey. The
closing date for the survey is Friday, 9th
of May, and these results will be communicated in a secondary report later in
the year.