This is your go-to page for training, forms, risk assessment templates and much more! Check out the FAQs at bottom to see if someone else has already asked what you want to find out.
START A NEW SPORTS CLUB
EVENTS
Use this for outside events on squares and University grounds – having a single table/fundraising stall on Square 3 just requires a table booking to be made, not an event permission form.
If you are making your own food to serve, someone supervising must have a Food hygiene certificate. Sign up to the online food hygiene course here.
You must display all allergens for food being served in line with Natasha’s law.
Keep the original food packaging for any food purchased, or make signs for home made food.
For external catering we must have the following emailed to blades@essex.ac.uk in advance of us approving your room booking/event:
- Name of catering company
- Copy of their Public Liability Insurance (£5million minimum)
- Copy of their food hygiene certificate
General info about booking a card machine:
- Societies/Sports clubs/VTeam projects may request to borrow a card machine if they are planning to raise money for their own society/Sports club/VTeam project. You can also request to borrow a card machine if you are raising money for an external charity.
- To request a card machine, an exec member will need to read the SU PCI DSS Training and fill in the Card Machine Hire form. This completed form will need to be sent to blades@essex.ac.uk. Card machines will be allocated on a first come, first served basis and we cannot guarantee that they will be available.
Booking a card machine to raise money for an external charity – specific information:
- - If you are raising money for an external charity, you will need to also send a completed RAG Form with the details of your charity. This must be sent in advance of your fundraiser. We will not be able to confirm a card machine booking until we have received the completed RAG form.
- To request a card machine, an exec member will need to read the SU PCI DSS Training and fill in the Card Machine Hire form. This completed form will need to be sent to blades@essex.ac.uk. Card machines will be allocated on a first come, first served basis and we cannot guarantee that they will be available.
If you’re having someone speak at any event on campus who isn’t a University of Essex staff member or student then you will need to complete an external speaker notification form. A short moodle module will need to be completed before you are able to submit a notification. You must give at least 15 working days notice prior to your event.
Before you invite a speaker, please check that they aren't associated with any of the organisations on this list of proscribed terrorist groups
Click here to complete the external speaker notification.
To help share your event, tag @essexbladessu in your Instagram posts and we can share, or DM us the details to help promote.
Contact Rebel if you would like your event covered (e.g. photography, media, article, music). Email rebel@essex.ac.uk to ask. Please note that Rebel are all student volunteers and so it depends on availability of the students.
You can always email us at blades@essex.ac.ukor alternatively contact us on the Blades/BUCS phone (07935 134538). We will aim to respond to you within 5 working days. Alternatively, if you want to come and talk to us you can drop into the Essex Blades Office. You can find this on Findyourway@Essex under “5.02”.
University rooms can be booked by filling in this form: Rooms can only be booked outside of teaching hours. You must make sure you have previously sent in a completed risk assessment that covers the event that the room is for. The Societies department will get in contact with you if we believe that you do not have a risk assessment that complies with the room booking request.
To book The Atrium, fill in this form.
To book Sub Zero or The In-between, find out more here.
Please email blades@essex.ac.uk and we will contact the relevant individuals at Essex Sport for you and request an additional session for you.
Make sure you have logged in to the Essex student website, select Opportunities, then Sport and then select your relevant sports club. In the top right-hand corner of the screen there should be a pencil icon, select this and then select ‘Edit Page’. This will enable to edit your webpage. If the edit page function is not visible to you, please contact blades@essex.ac.uk.
To appoint new members to a society’s Executive committee an election must take place. To organise one of these or to find out more information, please email us at blades@essex.ac.uk or come and speak to us. If any of your exec step down, elections will be required to replace that position as well. The person stepping down will need to email blades@essex.ac.uk to confirm their decision in writing and then we can put a timeline in place for your online elections.
In order to add an event to the What’s On page, you must first ensure that you have obtained admin rights. If you do not have admin rights or you are unsure, please email us at blades@essex.ac.uk. From your club's webpage, click the ‘page admin’ drop-down menu on the top banner and then select ‘[your society] admin tools’ --> Click ‘Events’ (calendar icon) --> Click ‘Add new event’ --> Fill in the details as required. You can find a how-to guide here.
Socials are supposed to be a positive, safe, and enjoyable experience for everyone. Clubs must ensure discriminatory language, chanting and behaviour (e.g. racist, homophobic, sexist, xenophobic, anti-Semitic) is banned/avoided. Please consider the implications of any fancy dress themes. You may not deem them as offensive, but others may do. A list of some potentially offensive themes are below:
- White T-Shirts - BANNED. These are banned by the Students’ Union and all SU venues due to the often discriminatory language written on the T-Shirts. Clubs found to be engaging in this social event will be subject to disciplinary action.
- ‘Gender Bender’ - avoid using offensive terms such as these to label your social event.
- Cultural themes (e.g. Greek/Toga’s, Mexican) - We have a very diverse, international campus and students may be offended seeing their culture associated with drinking, nudity, anti-social behaviour etc.
Initiations are also a banned activity, as per the Students' Union Alcohol Policy.
A walkover essentially means conceding the match to the opposition. This results in penalties from BUCS. The minimum penalty for conceding a walkover is -3 league points and losing 50% of BUCS points earned by that team, however this can increase to fines up to £750. Clubs conceding walkovers in BUCS matches will also be subject to a club fine.
No, All communication related to BUCS fixtures must be completed by Students’ Union staff members, if you have concerns about a fixture and would potentially like it rescheduled or the time changed, please contact bucs@essex.ac.uk, the BUCS/Blades phone (07935 134538) or SU reception (01206 863211).