SU Funding Guide
Erica Ramos, VP Union DevelopmentCharlotte Britton-Stevens, Development Consultant
Feat. Catherine Lymer, Student Activities Manager from Bucks SUCatherine Shipman, Student Engagement Manager at South Eastern Regional College SU
Welcome!
Your hosts today
Erica Ramos
NUS VP Union Development
Charlotte Britton-Stevens
NUS Development Consultant
With special guests:
Catherine Lymer
Student Activities Manager at Bucks SU
Catherine Shipman
Student Engagement Manager at South Eastern Regional College SU
Contents
Introduction
Block grant funding
• Why we used QSU areas
• Relationships and partnerships
• Strategy
• Representation and campaigning
• Insight and learning
Services and trading
Student opportunities (societies and sports clubs)
• Free student activities – in depth case study with Catherine Lymer,Student Activities Manager from Bucks SU
Students’ unions campaigns and liberation
• Making the case for students’ union funding – liberation
• External funding for welfare projects – in depth case study with Catherine Shipman, Student Engagement Manager at South Eastern Regional College SU
Q&A
The SU Funding Guide
Available on NUS Connect
27 unions contributed to the guide!
Northumbria Students' UnionNottingham Students' UnionOxford University Student UnionRoehampton Students' UnionSouth East Regional College Students' UnionStrathclyde Students' Union Students' Union UCLTrinity Saint David Students' UnionUnion of Kingston Students University East Anglia Students' UnionUniversity of West London Students' UnionWest Lothian College Student Association
Anglia Ruskin Students' UnionBangor Students' UnionBishops Grosseteste Students' UnionBournemouth University Students' UnionBucks Students' UnionChester Students' UnionChrist Church Students' UnionCity of Glasgow College Students' AssociationColeg Gwent Students' UnionCoventry Students' UnionEdge Hill Students' UnionHighland and Island Students' Association Liverpool GuildLiverpool Hope Students' UnionNational Student Fundraising Association
Block grants
• Why we used Quality Students’ Unions areas
Areas from QSU we focused on:
• Relationships and partnerships
• Strategy
• Representation and campaigning
• Insight and learning
Block grants: Relationships and partnerships
• Relationship with members – knowing your students inside out
• Relationship with your institution – identifying common aims
• Key stakeholders – creating allies
Case study: HISA
• In 4 years they increased their block grant from £300,000 to £806,000
• Strategic plans of institution, working out who held the power
Block grants: Strategy
• A good strategy takes into account your current situation and the evidenced needs of students
• Creates trust that you know what you’re doing!
• Take into account the institution’s strategy & risk register – are there similar aims you could work on together?
Case study: UCLan
• Suggested 3 year funding plan in line with SU strategy
• Creates certainty and trust
Block grants: Representation and campaigning
• Represent your students at every level
• Prepare: make sure your representations are evidence based, accurate and tactful. Avoid “winging it”!
• Understand the motivations of other decision makers
Case study: Bishops Grosseteste SU
• Uni wanted the SU to cut staff – so SU put together a report to evidence why they actually needed more staff, not less!
• President was prepared & respectful
Block grants: Insight and learning
• Monitor your internal effectiveness – show how well you know your own SU, and confidently explain how more funding could support and enhance
• Continually examine the wants and needs of your students
• Measure the impact your activity has
Case study: West Lothian College SA
• Gathers data on how their activity supports the retention of students – something the college is very focused on
Services and trading
• Cost price inflation and increased competition in the food and beverage sector is making things difficult for SUs but premium fast food continues to grow
• NUS Trading Support can help
Case Study: Coventry SU
• No “traditional” commercial services
• Creative and digital agencies
• Delivering academic courses (like BSL and study skills)
• Events management – city’s half marathon
Student opportunities (Societies and sports clubs)
• Access to student opportunities are an equality and retention issue
• Wonkhe research: 54% of private school students are part of a society, compared to 43% of those from state school
• BAME students are less likely to be involved in student opportunities than white students, especially with night-time socials
• Students that were not involved in any kind of activities are twice as likely to not feel confident about their HE degree (11% compared to 6%)
Free student activities
Catherine LymerStudent Activities Manager
Bucks SU
Students’ union campaigns and liberation
• Making the case for funding – liberation campaigns
• Institutions should have equality and inclusion targets – do your research
• External funding can be a fantastic way to collaborate
External funding for welfare projects
Catherine ShipmanStudent Engagement Manager
South Eastern Regional College SU
Q&A
Erica RamosCatherine LymerCatherine Shipman
Feel free to write your Qs in thechat box
Thank you
We would love your feedback!