A Student Group is a network of students with a shared interest or goal who have been officially recognised by UCLan SU. We have over 50+ societies which you can join to connect with a variety of different students, develop your skills and enhance your university experience.
If you can’t find an existing society to match your vibe, why not set one up yourself?
Check out our Join a Student Group page to see what we currently have on offer or continue reading for more information about setting up a new group.
If you have any further questions, email us at StudentGroups@uclan.ac.uk for more information and enquires.
If you wish to start a new group ahead of Welcome Week 2025, please see the following key dates:
- 9am, Monday 18th August - Applications Open
- 9am, Monday 1st September - Applications Close
After the closing date, you will be invited to meet with a member of staff who will talk you through the next steps. You must be available to meet with them before Friday 12th September for your group to be set up in time for Welcome Week.
You will need to attend in-person committee training on one of these dates:
- Tuesday 16th September
- Wednesday 17th September
- Thursday 18th September
Click here to access the form once applications open.
Please note we are unable to accept applications for new Medical Societies at this time.
Founding a Student Group can not only help yourself and others find their community or new friends, but it can be a great boost to your future through the transferrable skills learnt as a student volunteer (committee member).
A few benefits you get from your affiliation to us include:
- A page on our SU website which can be personalised yourself to fit your group.
- A financial account to store your group funds.
- Access to our Student Group Committee Teams Chat and Mailing List for all the important updates and reminders
- Access to grants and free university room bookings.
- Ability to borrow equipment and resources.
- Opportunities to promote your society at our fairs, welcome events and more.
- Access to committee training resources and development opportunities.
- Help and support from the SU Community Engagement Team to facilitate the smooth running of your society (including advice with elections, budgeting, event planning, training, conflict resolution and more)
To gain approval, an application must meet all the following criteria:
- The hobby/belief/interest/activity proposed must not already be represented by another group or SU department.
- The group must have a minimum of three unique committee members.
- The group must be led by current University of Lancashire Students.
If the application is rejected, it will likely be because of one or more of the following reasons:
- The application was not made by a current member of the Students' Union (i.e., A student at the University of Lancashire)
- It is a duplicate of an existing group activity. However, branches of existing groups can be started at different campuses.
- The application was too brief or didn’t go into enough detail for us to fully understand the aims and purpose of the group.
- Its objects and proposed activities are unlawful or counter Union policy.
- It discriminates against those defined by Government legislation as having a protected characteristic.
- Formation - Decide on the purpose, aims and objectives of your Student Group and find three unique UCLan students ready to be on committee. Try to think about how popular you expect your group to be and what kinds of events or activities you’d like to hold.
- Application - If your group meets all the criteria listed above, fill out and submit the appropriate application form before the deadline. Make sure you are as detailed as possible to increase your chances of approval.
- Review - When applications close, staff will review all applications and decide which ones will be provisionally accepted. This may take some time, depending on how many applications we receive and the availability of staff.
- Documentation - You will be invited to meet with an SU staff member who will talk you through the next steps.You will need to complete some forms for us so that we can set you up, and we will also direct you to Committee Training.
- Get started - By this point you should be ready to go! Remember to get in touch if you need any help or advice.