Spotlight | ‘People drop whatever they’re doing and run’: In Conversation with the 20 Minute Society

By Anna Luna Biddle, Fourth Year, Film and TV

Have you ever heard of a society that gives you twenty minutes to drop whatever you're doing and run? If you haven't, we're here to introduce you to the University of Bristol's 20 Minute Society – arguably one of the more unique groups on campus.

The premise of the group is that once a week on a random day, at a random time, the society sends out a message revealing a location. Members then have twenty minutes to reach the spot for a surprise social event. To gain a better understanding of this elusive society, Epigram sat down with third-year Zoology student and president of the 20 Minute Society, Alfie Dickens.

When asked to describe people’s responses to the society’s sudden invitations, Aflie remarks: ‘People drop whatever they're doing and run. They leave lectures, stop cooking, sometimes they bring flatmates’, he explains enthusiastically. He adds, jokingly, that although no one has brought a lecturer yet, it’s something they’ve encouraged.

The origin story of 20 Minutes is one of both misfortune and serendipity – along with a commendable amount of commitment. After initially being rejected by the University of Bristol, Alfie began his Freshers' Week at Newcastle University. However, a week later, he was informed that the University of Bristol had made an error and that he had been accepted after all. He then made the move south to complete the remainder of his studies.

However, Alfie did not leave Newcastle empty-handed; he now had the knowledge of the 20 Minute Society that they had and decided to start one in Bristol. ‘They were really helpful in the setting up process’ he explains, ‘They gave us some social ideas and tips’.

The society’s success, however, was far from straightforward. It collapsed after its first term and was nearly disbanded, a move even encouraged by the Students’ Union. Despite this, Alfie remained determined and continued to run the society as a one-man committee. By the time the Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held, many members were eager to get involved, and the society now operates with a full committee. It has also become the only official 20 Minute Society in the country, as the original Newcastle chapter is no longer affiliated with its university. With the first group chat maxed out at 1,000 members, a second one has since been created.

When reminiscing about some of the society’s best socials, Alfie recounts their ‘handcuffed pub crawl’, a collaboration with last year’s pub society, in which over 60 students participated. Another notable event was their ambitious attempt to recreate a ‘real-life Mario Kart’ experience featuring Tier scooters, banana peels, and a multi-story car park, with participants fully immersed by dressing as characters from the game. In addition to these, the society has also organised visits to the Coronation Tap to complete the infamous ‘10 before 10,’ as well as a ghost tour of the Wills Memorial Building. This last one emerged from a friendship between Alfie and the building’s security guard, who insisted it is haunted and aimed to prove so through a guided tour. 

The most recent social, which was secret at the time of writing but has since taken place, was what Alfie calls The Great Baguette Run. When discussing with Epigram, he outlined the plan for the event: ‘People are going to meet in Berkeley Square. We're going to give them a baguette, and then they have two hours to get as far away from Bristol as possible. Every twenty minutes they'll receive a challenge to complete with the baguette’. In true 20 Minute Society fashion, the event captured the spirit of spontaneity: ‘You don't know what's going on. You don't know who you're going to meet’, continues Alfie, ‘So you can't come with any preconceptions about what you're going to get. We've had plenty of people who made friends through 20 minutes, and then hung out together’. Evidently, an open mind is the only requirement to participate.

Tackling Seasonal Blues

Single-use costumes: The fastest fashion?

Although the society is known almost exclusively for socials, the committee is working on expanding the scope of the group to turn it into ‘A force for good’. They aim to do this by collaborating with smaller societies to spotlight them, and by raising money for charity in the coming months. In Alfie’s words, the society plans on ‘Using the publicity we’ve gotten off the really dumb events to do some quite cool things’ – this includes a fundraising ‘sleep out’ for the homeless.

Although Alfie will no longer be president next year, he hopes his legacy will continue with a new generation of self-identified ‘20-minuters’. For those interested in joining, membership costs six pounds for the year and can be found on the SU website. Membership offers early access to event locations and gives members a voice in decision-making through exclusive polls.

Featured Image courtesy of the 20 Minute Society

Will you be giving Bristol's 20 Minute Society a go?