We’re Independent from the University
We’re a separate organisation to the university, led and run by our student members.
This ensures that we remain entirely focused on your needs.
We’re not for profit, just for students
Every penny we make goes back into the SU. So, when you buy a meal deal from The Store, a pint in SU Bar, a coffee from The Kitchen, that money is re-invested back into funding student services.
We’re a Registered charity
Essex Students’ Union is registered as a charity in England and Wales. Our regulator is the Charity Commission. (Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own charity regulatory bodies). Our charity number is 1140278.
Being a charity means that:
- We are not-for-profit: any income we generate from our commercial services goes straight back into funding student services.
- We’re governed by charity law: which has some implications on how we can spend our money – making sure it’s spent on students, for example.
- We’re accountable to our members: which means we’re constantly looking to help students better understand what we do, and how we spend our money.
How we’re funded
We’re funded through an annual block grant from the University and revenue from our shops and services.
How we’re led
So, who’s in charge of the Students’ Union? Students are – specifically the seven Student Leaders who are elected each year, by you, to run the place.
The Student Leaders are recent graduates or students, just like you, taking a year out of studies to work full-time (paid) and represent Essex students. They cover; Welfare, Education, Community & Engagement, Student Experience, International and Southend.
Supporting the Student Leaders is the CEO and Director Team.
As a charity, our activities are overseen by a board of trustees, including:
- Student Leaders (elected by students)
- Student Trustees
- External Trustees
SU Council
This is where elected representatives from the three campuses meet to vote on policies and shape the direction of the SU. SU Council meets once a month. At these meetings, the representatives also hold the elected officers, to account and ensure that issues are raised and addressed in the appropriate manner.
Representatives are volunteering students that are elected by their fellow students, to represent the communities that they are part of. This way we try to ensure that all the communities are represented and have a voice in our SU.