Start Your Own

Create Your Own Group

Ratification Process

There are two ways that an idea for a group is able to be ratified:

Through our Bright Ideas platform.

Head to our page to complete the submission.

At the point of a group idea being submitted to the Bright Ideas platform, and the relevant Sabbatical Officer, either the Vice President Societies & Media or Vice President of Sport, will be notified.

The individual who submitted the idea will be sent an email or notification asking if they wish to come in to speak to a member of the team, they are welcome to contact their relevant Sabbatical Officer.

Once the voting period is over, either the VP Societies & Media or VP Sport will be in contact about the result and offer appropriate support towards the next steps. The proposal/idea must receive 20 interactions/ up votes to move to move the next stage.

If successful, the group will be invited to present at Student Opportunities Committee meeting for the elected student representative to vote. While the committee meet every week, ratification meetings will be limited to once a term. You will have five minutes to present your proposed student group’s core activities, to which the committee will have time to ask any questions they may have regarding the application. Notification of the meeting outcome will be liaised through either VP Societies and Media or the VP Sport.

If the presentation was successful you will receive notification of the next steps to formally presenting the student group. If unsuccessful, this is nothing to worry about. The Student Opportunities team will work with you to amend any uncertainties and a new date will be offered to present before the committee.

Submit an application to the relevant Sabbatical Officer.

Once an application has been received by either VP Societies and Media or VP Sport, the relevant Sabbatical Officer will reach out the group for an initial meeting to help frame the idea and support with any questions.

The group will then be invited to a Student Opportunities Committee meeting for the elected student representative to vote. Whilst the committee meet every week, ratification meetings will be limited to once a term. You will have five minutes to present your proposed student group’s core activities, to which the committee will have time to ask any questions they may have regarding the application.

Notification of the meeting outcome will be liaised through either VP Societies and Media or the VP Sport. If the presentation was successful you will receive notification of the next steps to formally presenting the student group. If unsuccessful, this is nothing to worry about. The Student Opportunities team will work with you to amend any uncertainties and a new date will be offered to present before the committee.

Next Steps

When your idea for a new student group has been passed by the Student Opportunities Committee, the Student Opportunities Coordinators will create the following implements to get your group off the ground:

• Page on the RHSU website
• RHSU affiliated email address
• Access to online finance accounts
• Login to our Room Bookings website

Once you have been ratified, you will be invited to use and gain from all the occasions Student Opportunities has to offer. This includes committee training and leadership experience (recognised through our Passport and Employability scheme), a channel to advertise events through official RHSU medium, the opportunity to apply for funding to make a difference student life at Royal Holloway, and much more.

Finance

As a new group, you will be given £100 from the Students’ Union. This will be deposited into the group’s ‘Restricted Account’. This does not mean that you cannot access it – it is quite the opposite! This account is the main place to store group funds, to which the income will be spent on the core activities of the group. You will also have access to a ‘Social Account’, to which the account will be used to fund events or socials. There is also an option to use a third account called the ‘Other Account’. For sports clubs, this will become the transport account. Societies may use this account for a specific activity, whilst media groups may use it to hold their compliance costs. It is only the Restricted and Social accounts that tend to be active with most our student groups.

New groups will have the opportunity to apply for further funding through a development fund. If this is something you are interested in, please contact our Student Opportunities manager, Sophie Harrison at Sophie.Harrison@su.rhul.ac.uk. Revenue can also be generated through organised events and socials throughout the year. For assistance in organising an event or social, please refer to the Events page of the RHSU website, and/or contact studentopportunities@su.rhul.ac.uk.

Your finance accounts will be accessible through Google Docs and an individualised login for each student group. The Google Doc allows you to view the overall balance of the student group, as well as a break down on income and expenditure made throughout the year.