By Imogen Horton, News Editor
Epigram has investigated reports that the University has outgrown the Richmond Building, talking to societies affected and SU Union Affairs Officer, Stanford.
Despite the SU fulfilling their pledge to give societies unable to use a free local space a minimum of two hours per week in the Richmond Building, some have been forced to hire external venues using extra funding.
The SU has a complex process for room bookings, which is split into two categories: special events and regular bookings. In both cases, Stanford explained the SU is ‘oversubscribed relative to the space we have.’ For regular bookings, the problem has been worsened because, this year ‘as part of trying to increase the resource for student led special events we altered the availability of the Anson Rooms.’
Funding was therefore given to groups which had lost the most hours ‘relative to the hours they received last year’ or relative ‘to what they would have received if the Anson Rooms were still open to regular bookings’
Photo by Epigram / Cameron Scheijde
BULABDS, Bristol University Latin and Ballroom Dance Society, has asserted they believe ‘the SU has moved to thinking about students second. Their move to reserve more space in the SU for events is purely a financial decision by the University, who own the building.’
However, Stanford wants to reassure students that for any ‘revenue generated bookings’ the SU ‘prioritises events students would enjoy going to’. He also said: ‘If there’s one thing to hold the SU to account to, is that special events need to be about students, otherwise we’ve lost regular room space for no gain.’
Stanford also explained: ‘In the case of special events and in the case of regular room bookings, there is more demand than space, and that’s not new, it’s been the case for years.’
If there’s one thing to hold the SU to account to, is that special events need to be about students, otherwise we’ve lost regular room space for no gain.
In response, societies have questioned why the SU hasn’t acted sooner. Alasdair Peachy, President of BULABDS commented: ‘I am a little confused as to why the SU hasn't recognised this drain on student societies and taken a long-term view of this issue and purchased additional buildings.’
Among all societies there is a general grievance that external venues do not have the same space as SU rooms, such as the Anson Rooms, Bristol Kickboxing Society admitted that ‘having access to the SU facilities does allow us to hold larger sessions of up to 100 members which is essential.’
Photo by Epigram / Imogen Horton
Bristol Judo Society told Epigram another downfall of external venues is extra costs. As they are hiring a room in the University Sports Centre, members are required to have a sports pass, ‘an extra cost that may impact our membership numbers’. Bristol Muay Thai also expressed concern over the impact on membership: ‘we understand that the SU want to give all societies a booking, but it is frustrating that as a society that is growing exponentially each year in popularity we have had our hours cut so aggressively.’
It is frustrating that as a society that is growing exponentially each year in popularity we have had our hours cut so aggressively.
For some societies the impact may be greater than a decrease in membership numbers. Spending approximately £5,500 on room bookings, BULABDS have accepted that it is a ‘realistic position that after over 40 years of the society at Bristol University we may be forced to fold at the end of the year due to financial issues caused by lack of space in the SU.’
Despite the negative feedback Epigram has received from the societies affected, Bristol Kickboxing Society has highlighted the ability extra funding gives them to access specialist equipment: ‘The quality of our external training is actually better than in the SU because the floors in the Anson Rooms aren’t really suitable or safe for what we do.’
‘Considering the limited space in the Richmond Building, the SU’s decision to financially support clubs in finding external venues has been a positive thing. It allows clubs to source their own, more suitable venues to train, and relieves pressure on the room booking system in the Richmond Building.’
If I could click my fingers in terms of solution generation, I would magic up a Bristol SU dojo and Bristol SU dance studio.
Photo by Epigram / Cameron Scheijde
Stanford also stressed he’s ‘working really hard to get some improvements to the situation’ and, ‘if students have feedback, that can go through me and I can try and manage that internally as I have over the past year and a half. If that balance is unsatisfactory for students, then they can pass policy on this at student council, but in either case, I would remind people that there is more demand than there is space.’
‘The University are doing constructions and refurbishments, so I’m doing everything I can to try and maximise usable space by students in the refurbishment’. He also spoke of looking into how specialised spaces, such as for martial arts, could ‘potentially be put into some of the University’s new spaces’.
Some of the dream solutions are quite costly for the SU but they’re not implausible to the point of impossibility.
‘If I could click my fingers in terms of solution generation, I would magic up a Bristol SU dojo and Bristol SU dance studio because that would completely change the nature of this problem. Some of the dream solutions are quite costly for the SU but they’re not implausible to the point of impossibility.’
As for the future, the SU will be holding a consultation with student group leaders about the room booking system. Stanford emphasised that the SU ‘are open to improvements’ and want to hear ‘if there’s a fairer way to do it, a more practical way, or a more efficient way’.
Featured Image: Epigram / Cameron Scheijde
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