Bristol Student Union are threatening the orienteering club with disaffiliation due to lack of membership.
Over the past few years the club has always hovered around the magic 30 members but this year with 24 registered members the SU has decided that we should be disaffiliated.
The primary benefit to being affiliated is the invitation to attend the Freshers' Fair which is the main way that we have recruited members (including myself three years ago). Without access to this resource it will not be feasible for the club to continue. Another consequence of disaffiliation is losing the club's funds which have to be stored in a bank account managed by the SU.
As there are already so few active orienteering clubs in the country, it is a shame that one of the active clubs is at risk of being shut down against the wishes of its members.
UBOC threatened with disaffiliation
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Re: UBOC threatened with disaffiliation
Perhaps you could request a moratorium due to Coronavirus - would give you a bit of time to boost numbers?
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Mrs H - god
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Re: UBOC threatened with disaffiliation
That's a shame.
You need to get creative. Sign up six flatmates (won't be the first time membership numbers have been fudged by a society, although I in no way condone that kind of behaviour).
Seek a short-term merger with another society with similar aims - does Bristol have a fell-running club?
Or, as Mrs H suggests, go on bended knee to the Sports Union and promise to recruit heavily next semester.
Point out to the Sports Union that your BUCS championship got Coronaed, and that you would have had some extra members if the championship had gone ahead. Also play up the important role that the orienteering club has played in the past in bringing success to the university.
You need to get creative. Sign up six flatmates (won't be the first time membership numbers have been fudged by a society, although I in no way condone that kind of behaviour).
Seek a short-term merger with another society with similar aims - does Bristol have a fell-running club?
Or, as Mrs H suggests, go on bended knee to the Sports Union and promise to recruit heavily next semester.
Point out to the Sports Union that your BUCS championship got Coronaed, and that you would have had some extra members if the championship had gone ahead. Also play up the important role that the orienteering club has played in the past in bringing success to the university.
Do not poke the badger, particularly with a spoon.
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Auld Badger - white
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Re: UBOC threatened with disaffiliation
Let them know, for an orienteer, it might be the deciding factor in accepting an offer, which is no exaggeration. They might lose a fair chunk of income otherwise!
Last edited by maprun on Tue Mar 31, 2020 1:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- maprun
- diehard
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Re: UBOC threatened with disaffiliation
At Warwick, orienteering is now part of the Mountaineering and Hiking club.
- Snail
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Re: UBOC threatened with disaffiliation
Is that 30 threshold common at other universities? I’m sure i’ve seen plenty that have fewer members than that (active members at least).
- Duncan
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Re: UBOC threatened with disaffiliation
Some, like where I work expect a minimum of 20 for any sports club.
The staff do try and work with clubs failing to meet that, and often highlight other struggling clubs with similar aims. Martial arts clubs are going through this at the moment. It hasn’t been helped at my Uni with the demographic trough we are currently in.
The staff do try and work with clubs failing to meet that, and often highlight other struggling clubs with similar aims. Martial arts clubs are going through this at the moment. It hasn’t been helped at my Uni with the demographic trough we are currently in.
Is not all he seems
- lucy
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Re: UBOC threatened with disaffiliation
What’s wrong with having a club with 5 members?
- Arnold
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Re: UBOC threatened with disaffiliation
The captain of the club has submitted an appeal to the student union with the support of BOF and BOK so we will see what happens. The club is now also up to 30 (legitimate..) members so surely one of the biggest university orienteering clubs in the country! I think we had 13 people down to go to BUCS and there are other active members who weren't signed up so quite a high proportion of the club is active.
As Lucy points out, other universities do also have these kinds of limits but they don't seem to be enforced if the club is actually active and providing value for their members. The club has arranged activities the whole year, including multiple weekend trips and had scheduled a trip to OOCup this summer as well. I have not found it particularly helpful having to deal with this threat of disaffiliation every year as it makes planning in the longer term difficult.
We are also looking into other options such as incorporating into the mountaineering club but it's not really a preferred option for anyone.
As Lucy points out, other universities do also have these kinds of limits but they don't seem to be enforced if the club is actually active and providing value for their members. The club has arranged activities the whole year, including multiple weekend trips and had scheduled a trip to OOCup this summer as well. I have not found it particularly helpful having to deal with this threat of disaffiliation every year as it makes planning in the longer term difficult.
We are also looking into other options such as incorporating into the mountaineering club but it's not really a preferred option for anyone.
- mattp
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Re: UBOC threatened with disaffiliation
We have a team of 3 staff supporting between 50-60 sport clubs. So it’s often a matter of resources in terms of staff and funding, setting a minimum number is a matter policing that. I personally would like to see a second tier for those more niche sports, so they can get support especially if they have a proven track record.
There isn’t a limitless pot of money so tough decisions have to be taken a lot depends on the uni and their approach to funding sport.
There isn’t a limitless pot of money so tough decisions have to be taken a lot depends on the uni and their approach to funding sport.
Is not all he seems
- lucy
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Re: UBOC threatened with disaffiliation
It sounds like the situation in Bristol is a bit different because we almost solely deal with the Student Union, who manage all clubs including sports clubs.
The only money that we routinely receive from anyone is a grant for BUCS every year but apart from that we are self-sufficient. We make money from organising races, typically one forest race and one urban race a year. There is the possibility of applying for grants from the SU but we haven't needed to do that in recent years.
The only money that we routinely receive from anyone is a grant for BUCS every year but apart from that we are self-sufficient. We make money from organising races, typically one forest race and one urban race a year. There is the possibility of applying for grants from the SU but we haven't needed to do that in recent years.
- mattp
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Re: UBOC threatened with disaffiliation
Sorry my fault I confused the situation by saying Uni, when I work for the Students’ Union. However Students’ Unions are generally funded through a block grant from there institution and income from any commercial operations they have, so the Universities approach to sport is key. I don’t understand when a club is independently viable, ie generating enough funds to operate without SU funding they would want to stop that club from running.
On another note I know BOF have limited funds, and Supporting Uni clubs isn’t a priority but couldn’t BOF waive the levy on Uni club events, up to a set amount each academic year to help support those clubs.
On another note I know BOF have limited funds, and Supporting Uni clubs isn’t a priority but couldn’t BOF waive the levy on Uni club events, up to a set amount each academic year to help support those clubs.
Is not all he seems
- lucy
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Re: UBOC threatened with disaffiliation
Exactly. No financial or admin support is one thing, disaffiliation quite another.
Lucky for me that rule wasn’t around when I was in the Uni Star Trek society...
Lucky for me that rule wasn’t around when I was in the Uni Star Trek society...
- Arnold
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Re: UBOC threatened with disaffiliation
Hasn't Bristol has had a "minimum of 30 members" requirement for some time, so the SU stance isn't really a surprise?
You could argue that coronavirus restrictions make it difficult to attract new members at present, so it is unreasonable to threaten disaffiliation until things are more back to normal.
The UBOC website could perhaps do with a bit of work. eg:
- "Training timetable for 2018/19" ?
- no "News" since early November ?
- the "Outdoor City" page appears to encourage people to join the Cross Country club!
Perhaps students don't even look at websites nowadays, but if they do some of this may not be the best way to attract new members!
You could argue that coronavirus restrictions make it difficult to attract new members at present, so it is unreasonable to threaten disaffiliation until things are more back to normal.
The UBOC website could perhaps do with a bit of work. eg:
- "Training timetable for 2018/19" ?
- no "News" since early November ?
- the "Outdoor City" page appears to encourage people to join the Cross Country club!
Perhaps students don't even look at websites nowadays, but if they do some of this may not be the best way to attract new members!
- Snail
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Re: UBOC threatened with disaffiliation
The appeal to the SU was unsuccessful and the club will be disaffiliated. We are now looking into options to merge into the mountaineering club.
- mattp
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