Clubs and Societies

Start a New Club or Society | Administrative & Governance Forms

A list of Clubs & Societies

Clubs and societies are an integral part of the Students’ Union, run by elected committees of club or society student members. Clubs & Socs (as they affectionately get called) are open to any student at Birkbeck College and others who are in other Students’ Union membership categories – this means that you will meet alumni (former students who become life members) and associates (College and University staff and students from other institutions of further and higher education. Any student at Birkbeck College has the right to join any Club or Society (there can be no restrictions on membership to clubs and societies).

As the Students’ Union is a registered charity, all activities that are undertaken by the Clubs & Socs must be charitable and in compliance with the Students’ Union’s rules. The central Students’ Union may make grants to each Club and Soc based on an activity plan and a budget. In addition, each Club and Soc committee will ask members for contributions for the running of the club or society - based on what the members of the Clubs & Socs agree at each members’ meeting. All Clubs & Socs are run by Ordinary Members of the Students’ Union who are members of that Club or Soc (and Ordinary Member is a student at Birkbeck who has not opted-out of the Students’ Union – on registration with the College, you automatically become an SU member).

With over, 20,000 members, there are many, many different areas of activity and interest that members get involved in. If you find there is no current Club or Society that caters for your interest, you have the right under the rules to create one! In a nutshell, you need two other students along with you to form an “interim committee” to start up the new club or society. You should then contact the SU Office and speak with Richard Rowley, who looks after the administration and support for clubs and societies. In order to be fully constituted, each club and society will need to have a committee, a compliant constitution (listing the purpose and objects of the club or society), an agreed activity plan and by the end of the first year of operation, at least twenty members.

Clubs and Societies are an integral part of student life at Birkbeck, and the range and diversity of them continues to expand. All clubs and societies are member-run democratic autonomous bodies of Birkbeck students, staff and alumni. Under the rules, only the student members get the vote, but all members (including staff and alumni) can participate in club and society activities.  

Key Contact: richard@birkbeckunion.org