| Institution | University of Bristol |
|---|---|
| Location | Queen's Rd, Clifton, Bristol, England |
| Established | 1908 |
| President | Gus Baker [1] |
| Other sabbatical officers |
Josh Alford (Vice-President Education) Sophie Bennett (Vice-President Welfare & Equality) Max Wakefield (Vice-President Community) Chris Ruff (Vice-President Activities) Dom Oliver (Vice-President Sports & Health) |
| Members | c. 18,000 |
| Affiliations | National Union of Students, Aldwych Group, National Postgraduate Committee, British Universities & Colleges Sport |
| Website | www.ubu.org.uk |
The University of Bristol Students' Union (UBU) is the students' union of University of Bristol, England. It is among the oldest of the UK students' unions and was a founding member of the NUS.
Contents |
Former Union presidents have included the broadcaster, Sue Lawley, St Lucia's foreign minister and ambassador to the United Nations, George W. Odlum and Lembit Öpik[2] - Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats. The current UBU President is Labour Students member Gus Baker.
A fire at the building on 15 September 2009 caused its closure. Canoes and other water sporting equipment in a storage area in front of the building caught light and by 9am was sending "thick black smoke" along the road.[3] The building sustained some minor damage, in particular to the swimming pool windows. While most of the building was due to be closed for approximately 2 days, the swimming pool was closed until mid-December.[3][4]
For two days, starting 24 November 2010, a room of the building was occupied by students following the protests in Bristol on the same day. Among other things, the students claimed the union was failing to represent them on issues such as government funding for higher education, and rises to tuition fees. The union was also criticised for not holding an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) to discuss these issues. The occupation was ended when the union agreed to calling an EGM, which resulted in motions mandating the Union to support students opposing tuition fees and cuts in funding to higher education.[5][6]
The Union was originally housed in the grand Victoria Rooms on the corner of Queen's Road and Whiteladies Road.[7] Today this building houses Bristol University's music department. The current building stands on Queen's Road, Clifton. There are plans for a major multimillion pound refurbishment of this building, set to begin work in the early part of 2011. Initial consultation with students, staff and local residents was held in May 2010. www.ubu.org.uk/build
The current Union is one of the largest students' union buildings in Great Britain. It houses the Anson Rooms (a large concert hall); Mandela Bar; Avon Gorge Bar; Bar 100; The Wicked Coffee and Juice Bar; the 200-seat Winston Theatre; the Burst Studio; Laundrette; Dark Rooms; Print Shop; Computer Room; Epigram (student newspaper) offices; various meeting rooms and society headquarters.
The Students' Union at Bristol plays host to one of the largest and most active RAGs (Raise and Give) in the country. Last year it raised over £194,000 for local, national and international charities, not only does Bristol RAG hold weekly street collections, but also runs many fundraising events over the year, including its Jailbreak (where students have 36 hours to get as far away from Bristol as possible without spending any money), the annual RAG Ball, a sponsored expedition to Kilimanjaro, and its now infamous BARMY Bar Crawl, which sees 1,500 students raise £7,500 in a single night.
UBU has a strong reputation for community engagement and voluntary work. Bristol Student Community Action (SCA)[8] has over 30 student run community projects and around 1000 volunteers helping all over the city. In addition to running community projects SCA also organises a number of events such as the Kid’s Christmas Party, an Elderly Dinner Dance, and an SCA Week.
The University of Bristol Students' Union currently offers around 170 societies and 53 Sports Clubs covering a wide range of activities. All Societies and Clubs are entirely student-run by their elected committees, and are supported by the Union.
| City of license | Bristol |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Online |
| First air date | 1998 |
| Format | Music & Speech |
| Owner | University of Bristol Union |
| Website | www.burstradio.org.uk |
BURST or Bristol University Radio Station[9] is a student-run radio station, based in the University of Bristol broadcast online from the university's student union building,[10] and occasionally via FM[10] with a Restricted Service Licence. The station also holds an AM licence,[11] and plans to begin broadcasting on the frequency in the near future. The station also broadcasts on DAB digital radio.[11]
BURST was born out of Fresh FM, a station run jointly by students from Bristol University and the University of the West of England (UWE) in 1995.[12]
After Fresh FM ceased to exist, BURST FM was conceived by Bristol University students in 1997. When sufficient funds had been raised, a one month licence to broadcast on 106.6 FM was awarded for March 1998.[13] Housed in St Paul's Church in Clifton.[14]
However, the unavailability of further FM licences due to the launch of a new full time station (The Eagle, now renamed Star)[14] prevented further broadcasts. In early 2000 speakers were installed within the Union building, and broadcasts mounted for during Fresh (Bristol University's freshers' week) 2000. At the same time, a grant from the Alumni foundation allowed BURST to stream programming onto the internet around campus.[14]
An application was made for a further FM licence for Autumn 2000, the subsequent award of this meant that BURST was back on 106.6 FM.[14] An application was made for another one-month licence in Summer 2001. This licence was also awarded, as well as a subsequent one in November 2001.
Notable former broadcasters include the comedian Marcus Brigstocke, Classic FM's Nicola Bonn and GWR Bristol breakfast host Paris Troy.
| Bristol Student Community Action | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | SCA |
| Motto | eSCApe the student bubble |
| Formation | 1970 |
| Location | Bristol |
| Website | www.bristolsca.org.uk |
Bristol Student Community Action (SCA) has over 1000 members volunteering with over 30 student run projects in the local community. Projects involve helping disadvantaged children, helping out in schools, helping elderly people, the homeless, people with disabilities, refugees, environmental projects and various other community support services. SCA also runs a number of events throughout the year including SCA Week, the Kids Christmas Party, the Elderly Dinner Dance and the SCA Sleepout.
The Union has been criticised for its distance from the main university precinct and large halls of residence campus in Stoke Bishop.[15] A report of the Student Union's accounts in October 2007 revealed that the organisation is facing a cost deficit of over £70,000. This has been largely attributed to the ailing Union shop which has now been shut down pending a review of the service. This has now re-opened and merchandise for the Union - now in the hands of Leanne Bramall - is doing very well. [16]
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||