1. Societies Forum Agenda
1. Union Update 2. Action Learning Sets a. Skills sharing b. Cathedral partnership c. Training Any other business

2. Societies Forum presentation-
3 February 2015

3. So what’s going on in the Union?
General Election fever!
Voter registration day (5th February)
Women’s Week (2nd-6th March)
Student safety campaign (now recruiting street angels)
Officer elections
-We’re building up to the general election in a big way. We will campaigning on 7 issues that are important to students in Durham. We are working in partnership with several local Further Education institutions.
If you haven’t registered to vote in the general election, your big opportunity is coming on 5th February. We’ll be running a voter registration booth outside the library.
Women’s week- We are working with the University to put on a week of events which both celebrate the achievement of women and recognise the challenges they face in 21st century. There will be three strands to this: women in academia, women in leadership and women’s health. If you are interested in getting involved please do send me an .
As you know the student union has been focussing on student safety this term. I won’t talk about it too much here as there are more appropiate arenas for these discussions but if you would like to volunteer in our street angels scheme you can sign up on the Durham Su website
The election race for next year’s officers has begun, you can have a say in who will lead your students’ union by voting in the election from 10th-13th Feburary.

4. What I’ve been up to…
Regular updates on this Action Plan at Assembly (held 3 times a term)
This is my very condensed action plan for the year. You can see the full version on the Durham su website. These are just some of the areas I’ve been working on this year.
Skills sharing- come back to this in a bit. I need your help to launch this
Give it a Go- Over 20 societies have signed up to hold sessions this term. We’ve tried to roll out this service in the colleges to develop a better relationship with the Common Rooms. By having a better relationship with the common rooms we can ensure that student societies are promoted through more channels. This is turn will lead to more students joining groups, coming to taster events and coming to society fairs. So far 13 colleges of the 14 Durham colleges have signed up. We are running a different service for Queen’s.
Media- working with media committee to develop a model for student media. If you’re interested come to assembly to find out more

5. Other things… Room Bookings
Queen’s Campus office hours and competition
Grant allocations review (with help from Societies Committee and Grant Allocations committee).
Reviewed both Union Fairs
Raise your voice
Room bookings has been a key area under review this year. I had a meeting with Student Registry today and we clarified some things important to students. FYI student registry don’t control college room bookings. If you’ve had trouble with college room bookings please could you let me know asap with who you’ve booked with. I think there is also the chance that we’ve persuaded them to look into alternatives to the training sessions which exec members have to go to.
We reviewed the Union’s room booking system with societies committee, thank you to everyone who filled in the feedback form
QC- established a presence in Queen’s. Thank you to everyone who has entered the competition. Staff down there every week
Grant allocations committee- we are currently reviewing this process. Trying to remove some of the beauracy that surrounds it and make the form more accessible
Reviewed both Union Fairs- with societies committee. Feed into next year
Raise your voice- the student officers now go out every week to talk to students and ask them specific questions on things we are currently working on. There is always a question dedicated to student groups and societies, which will help influence the way we work in the coming years.

6. Other things
Sit on the Durham Events Forum and have met with Cathedral and SCA to create new opportunities for student groups
Helping to write Union’s new strategy
I’ll talk a little more about these potential exciting partnerships in the action learning sets
The Union is coming to the end of a 3year strategy. We are currently in the process of writing a new one for the next 3-5years. Student groups will very much be at the heart of this plan. You will receive more information soon but I hope that you will all contribute to the sessions that will inform the strategy. Shape your Union.

7. Action Learning Sets Network of other student leaders
Go to each other for support
Chaired by Society Committee Rep
It’s almost time to break off into smaller groups so you can catch up and talk about the issues that are important to you.
I have some specific matters I would like you talk about.
Here’s mine!

8. a) Skills sharing
How can we ensure that student group execs have the right skills they need to run efficiently
Take a look at the models on the handouts and feedback!
Do you think a skills sharing scheme would work?
How would you like to see it implemented?

9. b) Cathedral partnership
The Cathedral has approached the Union about creating opportunities for student groups and a potential partnership.
The exact details haven’t been pinned down yet but we want to know what you would like to get out of a potential partnership.
Use of the rooms and gardens? Volunteer opportunities? Something else?

10. c) Student group training
What soft skills would you like to learn, and why would they be useful? (Rank the top three)
What hard (operational) skills would you like to learn, and why would they be useful? (Rank the top three)
Why did you not come to training in November?

11. Society groupings 1. Academic 2. Active 3. Arts 4. Culture and Faith
5. Hobbies and Games
6. Music
7. Political and Causes
8. Outdoors

12. Action Learning Sets
How could a skills sharing scheme work in our student groups? (see information sheet)
How would you like a potential partnership with the Cathedral to work?
Student group training questions
Any other business or questions? Please write them on the flipchart paper at the front. We will answer them at the end.

13. Questions and Points