BUCS Handbook

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British Universities & Colleges Sport

BUCS Guide / 3

Introduction & Points of Contactpg 04

Joining BUCSpg 05

BUCS LeaguesPg 06

Squad Memberspg 06

Who Pays for What?pg 07

BUCS Website & Supportpg 08

Roles of Officerspg 09

Membership & Affiliationpg 10

www.ucsu.me

Contents

Health & Safetypg 12

Responsible Adult - Supervision for Under 18s Playing in BUCSpg 13

Captains Dutiespg 14

Financepg 16

UCSU Discipline Policy & Procedurepg 16

Student Group Fair Factsheetpg 17

Fundraising & Sponsorshippg 18

Insurance & Membership Feespg 18

Tripspg 19

Transportpg 19

Contactspg 19

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The University of Cumbria Students’ Union (UCSU) have a Student Group Support & Development Facilitator who is responsible for the decisions regarding entries made into British Universities & Colleges Sports (BUCS).

At present that person is Allan Stavert who is based on the Lancaster Campus and he can be contacted in the office on 01524 590819, by his mobile on 07946542870, or via email: [email protected]. Allan is also responsible for the support & development of Student Groups.

Throughout the year each of the University of Cumbria Students’ Union Student Groups play an array of competitive matches in a variety of sports across the North West and further a-field. The decision as to whether to take those next steps into the BUCS Leagues comes initially from the players, Coach and Captain of that team.

www.ucsu.me

Each Student Group has the opportunity to apply for BUCS entry towards the end of the academic year (April/May). This process must be completed before a decision can be made. The decision ultimately lies with the Student Group Support & Development Facilitator, who will liaise with the Student Groups as to how the submitted teams have the potential to perform in the up and coming academic year. A route of appeal is available through the Volunteering Development & Support Manager.

A BUCS Entry Proposal form must be submitted to the Student Group Support & Development Facilitator. This can be completed by your club’s Captain, Secretary or Coach on behalf of the rest of the team but it must be a joint decision not solely based on one person’s perspectives or wishes as ultimately it will be a TEAM partnership, participating week-in week-out.

Introduction & Points of Contact


BUCS Guide / 5

The information which needs to be identified and submitted on the proposal is;

• Current number of players who are 1st and 2nd year students• Commitment of the team to travel to away matches• Committee structure of the team• Availability of home playing facilities• Availability of qualified officials for home games• Achievements of the team in recent years• Financial running of the team• Any other supporting information to support your case

These proposals will be discussed so it is vital that you submit as much supporting information which stands you a-side from the rest of the applicants. Exhibit your achievements; explain why YOUR team should be entered into the BUCS League for the following year.

You will be representing the University of Cumbria across the Country playing against the Universities most prestigious sports teams so the decision to enter your team will be looked at in great detail.

A University of Cumbria Students’ Union notification will be sent to those applicants who are successfully being entered into BUCS for the next academic year. This will outline key dates and contacts to be aware of and if there are any next steps to take.

The Student Group Support & Development Facilitator will relay to BUCS Officials which teams are to be entered into their leagues. BUCS will then confirm each Institution’s sports teams and initiate a league for each sports team to be entered into.

Joining BUCS

Above: Allan Stavert, the head of Student Groups and Emma Egglestone, The Volunteering manager.

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BUCS Leagues are divided into various levels depending on ability and success. There are various tiers which are divided regionally or nationally depending upon how they performed throughout the previous year.

The leagues we are concentrating on are North East/North West Regional Leagues and playing against Universities in this locality.

Leagues are generally divided into groups of 6. If there are 2 or 3 teams left to tier, they get divided between the lower tiers. Then it is decided whether to play EITHER home OR away rather than both, so that all matches can be played within the season. The season runs from OCTOBER to APRIL with 5 home and 5 away matches, plus the Cup games (up-to 6 matches) making a potential 16 weeks.

It is necessary to have enough squad members to cover the unfortunate event of injury, illness, placement, other commitments or likewise. Therefore squad size is essential to BUCS entry. There needs to be a sensible amount of players ready to cover in the event of the above.

A great time to recruit new team members is through Welcome Induction Week, where each of the Student Groups will be required to have a stall at the Welcome Activities Fayre and promote their sport to the new students. You can also recruit participants through the Students’ Union website www.ucsu.me

The most important factor with regards to BUCS is TO PLAY EVERY GAME which is usually held on a Wednesday afternoon although there may be exceptions depending upon your team. It is much better to field a team with missing players than to not field a team at all. The latter will result in what is called a WALKOVER where the opposition are awarded the 3 match points and your team will be DEDUCTED 3 points.

The ethos of the University of Cumbria Students’ Union Student Groups should be:-

C.O.M.P.E.T.E. to Win

Communicate with your oppositionOrganise fixtureManage any problemsPlay all fixturesEntertain oppositionThank OfficialsEnter results promptly

www.ucsu.me

BUCS Leagues

Squad Members

The tiers are:

Premier League Championship:• Northern• South Eastern• Western• Midlands• Scottish

Conference Based:• North West• North East• South Eastern• Western• Midlands• Scottish


BUCS Guide / 7

UCSU have agreed upon a new fair structure to the BUCS finances and who pays for what. The new financial structure will be based upon potential Squad numbers. Each BUCS team will be required to contribute and this contribution can come in the form of donations, fundraising, sponsorship, or from the actual members personally paying this amount.

So the new structure, based on squad members contribution, means that teams will pay the following amounts for the 2012/13 season;

BadmintonBasketballNetballFootballHockeyRugby

UCSU will pay for the following in full;

• BUCS Entry fees• Essential Affiliation fees to other Associations• Transport to and from BUCS AWAY fixtures• Venue hire for BUCS HOME fixtures• 1 hour of training per week for each BUCS team during the BUCS season.

The BUCS Student Group will be expected to pay for the following;

• Match Officials• Kit laundering• Any friendlies, pre-season, post-season matches• Additional training times• Kit purchase

For further information please seek the advice of the Student Group Support & Development Facilitator.

www.ucsu.me

Who Pays for What?

£175£225£225£275£275£325

10 squad members12 squad members12 squad members16 squad members16 squad members 20 squad members

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The BUCS website for all information and to view your team’s league positions or University standings is www.BUCS.org.uk

BUCS Vision is to enhance the University sport experience through the provision of sporting excellence across three key themes:

• Performance• Participation• Competition

Each of the teams entered into BUCS will be supplied with an official Handbook. Captains should familiarise themselves with the general regulations as well as their own sport specific regulations. BUCS Essentials is a weekly online means of communication and Captains should be checking this regularly on the BUCS website.

All the BUCS sports teams may have a provisional training slot timetabled in with the Sports Centre and they should have a venue arranged for where they will play their HOME games. This may be off-site but it needs to be

reliable and available on request or through prior consent once fixture dates have been announced and available at short notice for rearranged fixtures. If at all possible, facilities should be booked once the fixtures are announced and a confirmation letter or email should be provided to safeguard any mishaps from occurring. The booking and payment for all facilities must be completed and authorised by the Student Group Support & Development Facilitator.

All the BUCS sports teams will know by September which league they are playing in and which Universities they will compete against. The Student Group Support & Development Facilitator will have confirmed on the BUCScore website which venues you will beusing for each game. Communication is VITAL throughout the BUCS process and if for ANY reason you need any extra help or support please do not hesitate to call into your Students’ Union Office and speak with the staff. It is YOUR responsibility to ensure the matches run smoothly and are PLAYED every week.

BUCS Website & Support

www.ucsu.me


BUCS Guide / 9

This section outlines how your team should go about forming your committee, the officers that need to be selected and the jobs they are expected to carry out. As described in the constitution all these roles must be formally elected by the membership of the Student Group at their Annual General Meeting and last for twelve months. Officers can stand for re-election.

Captain

The Captain is responsible for organising the team on and off the playing field, unless these duties are split between the Captain and Vice Captain, and the general day to day running of the team. Captains must keep in contact with the Student Group Support & Development Facilitator on a regular basis, via email, phone, pigeonholes or in person.

Vice Captains

The Vice Captain is to assist the captain, and carry out the Captain’s role if they are unable to do so. Vice Captains can also be delegated to carry out other jobs within the team.

Social Secretary/Secretary

This is probably one of the most demanding roles as the social secretary is responsible for keeping everyone happy and raising much needed funds through social events, fund raisers and sponsorship. The secretary will be responsible for ensuring that all members have completed a Student Group Insurance Information Form They will also be responsible for taking minutes of team meetings, ensuring that the team accident book is kept up to date and the Student Group Support & Development Facilitator informed of all events.

Roles of Officers

Treasurer

The treasurer’s job will involve ensuring that membership & sub fees are collected in and handed to the Student Group Support & Development Facilitator as soon as possible after receiving them, and that any funds required by the team are withdrawn correctly. It is also important that the treasurer monitors the team accounts to ensure that your Groups account does not become overdrawn.

Fundraising

An important part of your treasurer and committee’s roles is to ensure the team has enough funds to operate. As a committee you should actively seek sponsorship from local shops, pubs and businesses. Another good form of fundraising is holding events, it gets everyone involved and becomes an important part of your calendar.

Student Group Insurance

If you want any details of the insurance then please ask at the UCSU Offices.

Safety Officer

An equally important role in a Student Group is that of Safety Officer. Their role is to ensure that the Health and Safety policy of the Students’ Union is followed, risk assessments and relevant paperwork are completed, and First Aid Kits are always kept full. The Safety officer is also responsible for ensuring that the contact details of a trained first-aider are available at all activities and socials that the Student Group are involved with, in the absence of a trained first-aider being present.

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It is important not only financially for your teams to collect membership, but also as a matter of health and safety. When a student becomes a member of your Student Group, they automatically become insured but only if they submit the Insurance Information Record to the Students’ Union.

For teams playing in BUCS your members must be full or part time students of the University of Cumbria. Graduates and members of other institutions are not allowed to play for your team in BUCS competitions.

Any team found breaking this rule would be subject to disciplinary procedure not only from our Students’ Union but also BUCS. There can be huge legal implications if the player is injured or injures a member of the opposition.

Affiliation to BUCS

Any team or individual who competes at University level is always affiliated to the British Universities & Colleges Sports who are responsible for coordinating the whole of University & College sport.

Also as an incentive to all teams to complete fixtures, be aware that any team, which misses three consecutive fixtures without good reason, will be immediately withdrawn from BUCS without discussion. Any costs incurred to the Union will be deducted from the team’s account in this instance.

Membership & Affiliation

www.ucsu.me


BUCS Guide / 11

Above: Newton Rigg Men’s Rugby team.

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It is necessary for all students to be aware of the health and safety policy of the Union, not only for legal reasons but also to safeguard yourselves as participants, other University of Cumbria students and members of the general public.

Whilst the Union recognises that injury to people and damage to property occurs randomly, it is extremely important that risks are thoroughly thought through and appropriate action has been taken to reduce the likelihood of them occurring.

The majority of accidents can be avoided with adequate attention to risk, and it is for this reason the Union requires a risk assessment to be completed for everyday activities/events and one-off activities/events conducted by your team.

Risk Assessments must be carried out for every activity/event, anywhere, and must compliment the relevant site/venue arrangements and assessments i.e. your team’s emergency procedure for exiting a building in the event of a fire, must not clash with that of the venue.

Generic assessments are acceptable however a new form must be completed for each new venue where that type of activity/event is held, and for each new type of activity/event, even at if it’s at the same venue.

Affiliated Student Group Risk Assessment completing, review and reporting structure:

• Club Safety Officer • Chairperson/ Captain • Student Group Support & Development Facilitator • Dept Manager • H&S Committee • Executive Committee • Trustee Board

If your Student Group does not consider the possible hazards and an incident does occur, the Committee of your Group, and UCSU may become liable for any damages.

For Risk Assessments you must IDENTIFY the risk then MANAGE the risk by putting in adequate measures to avoid any incident or accident from occurring.

Hazards – Anything that has the potential to cause damage, loss or harm.Risk - The likelihood of a hazard causing damage, loss or harm.Control Measures – Practical Steps to eliminate or control risk.

These are not difficult, they are simply a documentation of common sense. They are essential and it is simply not acceptable to think about hazards/risks without expressly documenting it in a risk assessment form and acting to resolve/mitigate those identified risks. For further details on how to write Risk Assessments or where to acquire the relevant forms or information please contact your Student Group Support & Development Facilitator or visit www.ucsu.me

Important Information on Initiations

UCSU will not condone any form of bullying, harassment or pressure, direct or subtle, being applied to encourage any student to do something they are not comfortable doing.

Any students being found to be pressurising another student or students to do so, will be disciplined under the member discipline rules of UCSU and a complaint will be made to the University where bullying and harassment policies can invoke serious sanctions including ultimate disqualification from the University altogether.

The Students’ Union will not tolerate such behaviour and Student Groups may face financial sanctions from the Union as well as individual sanctions on those involved. This applies regardless of the location of social activities – not just on UCSU premises.

Health & Safety

www.ucsu.me


BUCS Guide / 13

If there are any under 18s playing in your BUCS team, you must ensure there is a named ‘Responsible Adult’ present, who must take on the duties as listed below;

• Attend sports fixtures where there is an Under 18 present, to include travel to away fixtures.• To remain in attendance at the fixture until the UCSU Activity is deemed to have finished. i.e. the end of the match or the return of the transport for away matches.• To be aware of the location and activity of the minor at all times throughout the UCSU Activity.• To be in attendance throughout any medical attention, to include any travel to hospital if required.• To have in their possession the team list with emergency contact details. To contact the parent or guardian of the minor and the campus should an incident occur. To keep parent guardian up to date with the development of any incident.• To refrain from consuming alcohol.• To have the full address of the training/fixture venue for emergency purposes.• To highlight the name of the individual acting as ‘Responsible Adult’ on the team sheet and also the name of 2 other individuals who may attend hospital if required.• To have a designated 1st aider with the group for training and fixtures. Again to be highlighted on the trip form.• A form is available which must be completed and signed prior to the event where parties agree to the above roles and responsibilities. • For every 10 under18 participants you must ensure there is at least 1 ‘Responsible Adult’ present.

Responsible Adult- Supervision for Under 18s Playing in BUCS

www.ucsu.me

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As Captain you have overall responsibility for your team. This includes:

Fixtures: On the Thursday/Friday before a game there will be information in your pigeonhole/tray in the Students’ Union office or via email confirming match time, venue, transport and maps for away fixtures. The Universities you are playing, either home or away, will have been contacted and all details confirmed by the Student Group Support & Development Facilitator. Captains should note that dates of fixtures are regulated by BUCS and are published on the BUCScore website during the summer. There is sometimes scope to re-arrange fixtures prior to the beginning of the season but Captains should make themselves aware of half-term dates, reading and exam weeks as fixtures could be scheduled and it is your responsibility to make sure that your team competes.

You should: Get a team. If you can’t get out a full team then please let the Student Group Support & Development Facilitator know as soon as possible (which does not mean Tuesday/Wednesday morning) and we will try and rearrange the fixture. However as there is usually little scope for re-arranging fixtures, the onus is on you to make sure you have a team. Book a referee/umpire (Home Matches): Certain sports affiliate to agencies which supply umpires/referees (Hockey & Rugby) and the Captain should liaise with the Student Group Support & Development Facilitator to confirm these prior to commencement. Others need to check the fixture lists and organise referees/umpires for all home fixtures.

Again, if you have problems with these contact the Student Group Support & Development Facilitator, but the responsibility lies with you to book the officials.

Confirm Venue (Home Matches): If the weather is poor the Student Group Support & Development Facilitator will confirm the venues. If the pitch is unplayable they will phone you. It is your responsibility to inform your team.

Turn up on time: You should arrange for your team to meet in plenty of time to travel to your venue. Any delays may cause you to be penalised. However, if you are unavoidably detained on your journey contact the Student Group Support & Development Facilitator who will contact your opposition to let them know you will be late. You MUST take your map/directions with you to prevent yourselves getting lost.

Transport: For BUCS away fixtures, transport will be arranged for you by the Student Group Support & Development Facilitator and the information will be in your pigeonhole/tray in the Students’ Union office or via email on the Thursday/Friday before the game. Transport for home fixtures and non BUCS fixtures is your responsibility, but it can be arranged through the Student Group Support & Development Facilitator. However the team will have to cover these costs in full and it will be deducted from the team’s account.

You should: Tell us if transport is not required or needs changing due to cancellations etc. Failure to do so will result in extra costs for the Students’ Union and this will result in the extra cost being charged to your team account.

Captains Duties

www.ucsu.me


BUCS Guide / 15

Food: Food will not be provided for any HOME games. For away games your opposition may provide food but you should check with your opposing Captain.

You should: If you have an external sponsor who provides your food as part of the deal then it is your responsibility to sort this out with them.

Training: Training facilities are provided by the Students’ Union at various Sports Centres.

You should: Training times may be arranged, but if you are unhappy about anything then you should discuss it with the Student Group Support & Development Facilitator. Your training time is paid for by the Students’ Union and failure to turn up for training without giving the Students’ Union/Sports Centre notice will result in the cost being charged to your team account.

Friendlies: These are your responsibility to arrange. Your team must fund and organise friendlies and tournaments themselves, which includes entry fees, transport and accommodation.

Publicity: For your team to be a success you need to communicate information to your members. There are various ways that this can be achieved. Each team has access to the Students’ Union Website where information, selection, results and match reports can be announced. This will act as a central point of information, a point for recruitment and to signpost students to any of your other sites/webpages (e.g. facebook groups).

Finally Posters and flyers can be utilised to supply information. The guideline is that all posters/flyers must have the official UCSU stamp thereon. Any posted without the UCSU logo will be removed.

Results: These have to be inputted onto the BUCS Website before 10am on the Thursday following the matches. Therefore make sure that you inform the Student Group Support & Development Facilitator before the 10am deadline, either in person, email or phone on the number provided at the start of this handbook. Alternatively you can text results through via the mobile phone number to the Student Group Support & Development Facilitator.

Kit: For the 2012/13 season, UCSU has provided Kits for some teams. We have corporate colours and logo, which should be used on all items purchased through UCSU. It will mean that all our teams are instantly recognisable in both match kits and leisurewear. This will be carried across all sites presenting a unified University of Cumbria front to the outside world. The colours to be used are Black, Green and White and the logo is available to go on leisure/playing kits.

Playing Under Protest: BUCS has introduced a ‘Playing under Protest’ form. Each Captain should be in possession of a copy of this form at each game. The form should be used as soon as the issue arises, whether before, at the start or during a fixture. The reasons for playing the fixture under protest must be stated and the form signed by both Captains. If an opposing Captain hands you a form, read it, write your comments on it and then sign the form.

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Your team account is run for you through UCSU however at your team’s AGM it will be necessary to elect a Treasurer who will look after your team’s money. Under UCSU financial regulations Student Groups are not allowed to go overdrawn. Your contact is the Student Group Support & Development Facilitator who will liaise with Elaine Reeves (Finance Officer). She will provide you with statements of your account on request.

Student Group Insurance

All students participating in BUCS activities through the Students’ Union must have Student Group Insurance. At the beginning of the Academic Year, it is a requirement of every team to charge and collect £2 Insurance Contribution from every member who signs for that particular BUCS Student Group. Monies should be paid into the Students’ Union via the Student Group Support & Development Facilitator as soon as possible. An Insurance Information Record must be completed by each member.

Subs

It is up to your team when and how much to charge your team for subs. It is advisable to form a team policy for subs to avoid any misunderstandings. Remember that your team

UCSU has in place a discipline policy which should be read in conjunction with this handbook.

cannot do anything without money. Subs once collected should be paid into your Student Group Support & Development Facilitator as soon as possible. Paying in Money

To pay your subs or any other money into your team account you must bring the money to the Students’ Union and complete a ‘Paying-In’ slip. Cheques are acceptable made payable to Cumbria Students’ Union. A copy of this paying-in slip will be sent to the Finance Officer, one to be kept by the Students’ Union Office and one to be given to the team for your own records.

Withdrawing Money

To withdraw money from your account you must complete a cheque/cash requisition form. The Student Group Support & Development Facilitator, a Sabbatical Officer and either the Finance Officer or General Manager, will sign these. Please attach receipts and fill in as many details as possible.

Socials

A well-organised social is an extremely good way of raising funds for your team.

Finance

UCSU Discipline Policy & Procedure

www.ucsu.me

The main points are as follows:-

• The Code of Conduct sets out expectation of behaviour.• Allegations will be treated with confidentiality.• There are time limits on reporting breaches and the investigation. • Allegations of a breach will be investigated.• Where proven, sanctions will be applied.• There are grounds for appeal.


BUCS Guide / 17

You are representing your Student Group. It is your opportunity to promote what you do and what you stand for in order to recruit new members from the new intake of students. Just remember you want them to join as much as they want to be involved!

Produce a fact sheet to hand out to the new students telling them about your Student Group, telling them what you do, when you meet, play and train. Let them know what your core values are, which competitions you get involved in, how much it costs to join the Student Group and the benefits (give them your UoC email/Facebook contact so they can come back to you at a later date if they don’t wish to make a decision straight away).

Decorate your stall, making it exciting, eyecatching and relevant. Plan your first meeting, it will be good if you can let your potential members know when this is going to be (you could include this on your fact sheet).

Student Group Fair Factsheet

www.ucsu.me

Have a membership list at hand so you will be able to sign up new members on the day. If you collect membership money at the fair, confirm it on the membership list that money has been paid. Any cheques must be made payable to ‘Cumbria SU’.

Insurance is essential for everyone wishing to join/participate in a BUCS Student Group. A Student Group Insurance Information Record Form must be completed by all BUCS Student Group members. In addition a Summary of Cover form must be given out to everyone as it is a legal requirement.

Any person under the age of 18 must have parental consent to join a Student Group. Make sure to check their age otherwise you are breaching the Insurance legislation and they will not be covered.

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The Student Group budget does not have provision to support all of its participants in full. In view of this, rather than expecting our Student Groups, to source an unrealistic amount of donations and sponsorship, the cost of the Student Group Insurance has been set for 2012/13 at £2 per person. This amount is payable by all BUCS Student Group members.

In addition, individuals who wish to compete in BUCS Individual events will have to pay £10 per person and BUCS teams will have an addition amount dependant on their squad numbers.

Fundraising events need to be carefully planned out and organised and can be a great way to have fun and recruit new members (e.g. raffles, BBQ’s and parties).

If you are fundraising for a charitable cause, you need to make contact with the R.A.G. Student Group so that all monies raised are directed towards your intended charity.

For sponsorship, any agreements have to be in writing and need to be checked with a member of the UCSU staff team prior to signing. You need to be aware that any ‘sponsorship’ money you raise will be liable for VAT deductions. One way to get round this is to class any monies raised as ‘donations’ rather than ‘sponsorship’, so you are not liable for VAT.

UCSU has a website where you can have space to tell people about what you do, what you stand

for and how to contact you and also space for you to put any logos from organisations/companies who have made donations to you. There is also a Students’ Union member of staff (Research & Communications Facilitator) who may be able to help you promote what you are doing and celebrate your achievements.

There are also pots of money from Funders which you may be able to access. It is worth spending a little time researching these on the internet to familiarise yourself with their requirements and whether they would consider funding your Student Group.

Speak to your Student Group Support & Development Facilitator if you have any queries regarding fundraising, sponsorship or donations.

Fundraising & Sponsorship

www.ucsu.me

Insurance & Membership Fees

There is now no minimum membership charge although it is down to the individual Student Group to decide how much they charge as a contribution to their own Student Group Account.

It is also important for Student Groups to collect Subs on a regular basis and organise fundraisers to raise their profile and generate funds.


BUCS Guide / 19

Emma EgglestoneT: 01524 590819 (Internal Ex 2737)E: [email protected]

Contact Us

Trips Transport

Allan StavertT: 01524 590819 (Internal Ex 2730)E: [email protected]

Kati BrownT: 01228 616164E: [email protected]

If private cars are to be used for a trip, a UCSU private car usage form must be completed, which can be collected from your Student Group Support & Development Facilitator.

Holding a trip for your Student Group is a responsible job which has to be done correctly, but can be a great way to have fun and will encourage your members to stay involved.

The forms are available from your Student Group Support & Development Facilitator or from the UCSU Offices. The UCSU representative will go over the criteria, details, risk assessments and the rules about taking participants, with you prior to your planning.

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Documents

BUCS Handbook