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!