Got a special interest? Play a sport? Want to find like-minded students?

We can help! We have over 200 Student Communities available for you to join. These are student-lead groups designed to bring people together over a shared interest or hobby. From hosting quiz nights in the SU to fundraising for a chosen charity, Student Communities are about loads more than getting together with your mates!

What Are Clubs and Societies (Socs)?

Clubs and Societies (Socs) are groups of like-minded students who share a common interest. These range from sports clubs to hobby-based collectives – such as gardening and gaming – to religious, political, or nationality-focused communities.

Each club or soc has a committee structure; a team of students who will lead for the year. There are four core committee roles that every group must have to operate, these are:

• Chair 
• Health & Safety Officer 
• Secretary 
• Treasurer

There are additional committee roles, such as Social Secretary or Social Media Officer, but these are optional.

Committee positions are elected each year at an AGM (Annual General Meeting) for the academic year ahead. You must be a member of the club or soc to apply for a committee position – but they look great on your CV, so you should definitely consider it!

The committee are responsible for hosting meetings, planning events, managing fixtures and organising socials for your group throughout the year. Please remember the SU is a student space and is available to host any and all activities. Whether it’s training in the Gym, a social in the Little Room, or a drop-in coffee morning in The Hive – your SU is for you to use.

How Can I Join A Club or Society?

For Plymouth Freshers Week 2026, we’re hosting two Fairs where you can explore the clubs and socs available to you! This is a great opportunity to get a taste of each group, meet the people involved, and decide if you’d like to join:

If you’re interested in joining a club or soc, make sure to follow them on socials; many of them will host meetups, trials, and workshops during Freshers. These can be a fun, informal way to get involved.

Already know which community you want to join?

Find their page on the UPSU website; each group will have a list of contact details. We usually suggest sending them an email and/or a DM on Instagram. Express your interest in joining, and they’ll guide you through the rest.

What Commitment Is Involved in Student Communities?

Financial

As student groups are membership-based, there is a financial commitment to take part.

Each member must pay a subscription fee. This comes to the Students’ Union and covers the cost of running communities. We don’t make a profit on it; everything paid in by student groups is put towards helping you. For societies, this fee is £5 per person, per year. For sports clubs it’s £30 per person per year, due to higher associated costs like sports kit.

On top of this, each club or society can charge annual membership fees. These are at the discretion of each committee and range from free to around £100.

There may be costs involved throughout the year for ticketed events, but these will be organised and communicated by your committee.

Meetings and Socials

There isn’t a minimum requirement for how many times our clubs and socs meet. Some of them get together weekly, for others it’s less frequent. However, it’s important that members get good value for money from their annual fees and your meeting & social calendar should reflect this.

There are mandatory meetings once per year, called AGMs (Annual General Meetings) and this is when the committee for the following year will be elected. All members will be notified of when and where the AGM is taking place. Any member can run for any committee position, and each role will be voted for by the rest of the group.

How Are Clubs and Societies Funded?

While we have some funding budget available – which is given out via an application process – each community has their own pot of money to use throughout term.

This money comes from your membership fees, plus any other fundraising or sponsorship money you make. This can be used to cover group costs like materials, equipment, transport, or guest speakers.

You can fundraise for your own club or society, but most also choose a charity to support. We encourage you to get together to organise fundraising activities that benefit your chosen charities, for example each group is expected to host a Friday Quiz Night in the SU once per year in honour of their chosen charity. Be sure to log your fundraising activities, as this contributes to the Extra Mile awards.

You may want to consider seeking sponsorship from, for example, a local business. Please protect yourselves by using our standard Sponsorship Agreement.

How Do I Start A Club or Society?

Can’t find your place in our existing communities? Start your own! You can find a list of dormant student groups that are available to restart online. If you still can’t see a community for you, you can email us to set up a brand new one.

You don’t need to go through an elections process to decide your start-up committee, however you will need at least the four core roles fulfilled.

An informal meeting will be set up with our Student Communities team to help you get established. They will also have to take new start-up groups to a panel with our elected sabbatical officers for approval.

What Help Is Available To Clubs and Societies?

Our Student Communities team are dedicated to supporting our students. They are an impartial third party who can offer general guidance and support on things relating to your group.

Whether it’s funding questions, health and safety concerns, meeting support, or committee help, our team have many years’ experience in supporting clubs and socs. They won’t plan events for you but can support you through regular meetings to make sure you’ve got what you need, including room bookings.

Need transport for an event or sports fixture? Contact the team! Even if they aren’t booking your transport for you (like with BUCs), as Union we have pre-existing relationships with trusted providers who will give you a fair deal. We can also help with insurance to cover one-off trips. We always advise you to use your own cars where possible to save money but if you need transport, please book through us.

Don’t forget to tell us what you get up to this year!

We love hearing about all the amazing things our Clubs & Socs get up to in the year, and always want to celebrate your successes. We don’t always hear about your events, fundraising or socials – so we rely on members to share success stories with us.

If your club or society do something cool that you want to shout about, tell us! Use this simple form to let us know what happened, who was involved, and send any photos you’re happy to share. That way, we can shout you out on social media to make sure your members get the recognition they deserve.

Anything unclear? Check our Student Group Resources for more detailed information.