Society Awards Round-Up
This year, each and every society here at Bristol has brought so much energy, dedication, creativity, and fun to our campus. From sports clubs to academic groups to cultural societies, and commitment to sustainability, our student societies have truly added to the university experience of each and every student.
Our Society Awards are all about recognising and celebrating each achievement and unique impact that our societies have had. Not only within the university but to each of its members. So much hard work, dedication, and collaboration goes into each activity, event, and initiative organised by our wonderful societies. They embrace each of the SU values and create spaces that are so important to the university experience.
You can read more about each award and winner here:
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Best New Society
The Best New Society Award is for the best new society considered to have gone the extra mile since affiliation. The winner will have shown a focused effort in gaining membership and securing the longevity of the society, holding multiple events to raise awareness of the society, and making evidence of their short-term and long-term aims!
WINNER: Bristol Collaborative Arts
A creative and exciting society at UOB, Bristol Collaborative Arts has been putting a lot of work into collaborating with students, pushing for new and innovative projects outside of the curriculum. After only setting up in Oct/Nov 2022, they have gained 100 members – with their first event even being a talk with Adam Buxton.
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Culture or Faith Society of the Year
This award is for a cultural or faith-focused society that truly had an outstanding year - over and above its peers! It celebrates a society that has accomplished a high volume of student involvement, a commitment to increased membership and community building, and had demonstrable successes or positive impact!
WINNER: The Malaysian Cultural Society
The Malaysian Cultural Society have become significantly more inclusive since changing from ‘Malay’ to ‘Malaysian Cultural Society’, doubling their membership. Their events have focused on building a community irrespective of ethnic differences. The society also had the highest turnout across all societies in the March 2023 Elections and supported their members who stood for elected roles!
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Most Inclusive Society
This important award highlights societies where everyone feels welcome and included. This may be a society that has done something to diversify its membership or to ensure all its members feel safe and a valued part of the society. Societies may have had initiatives to diversify membership or integrate new members, efforts to ensure society activity is accessible and enjoyable for all, and positive feedback from its members!
WINNER: The African Caribbean Society
The African Caribbean Society held their flagship Afrocentrik event, which was described as “a touching multi-media show that represented multiple different black cultures”. The show represented models of different skin tones, sizes, and disabled models from various distinct cultures to represent the diversity of black people. All organisers of the event (from technicians to stage managers and the director) were non-men.
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Most Sustainable Society
This award recognises a society that has made a strong commitment to running its group sustainably and encouraging its members to reduce their own environmental impact! It’s a new category for this year, for society’s that have shown initiative to reduce its carbon footprint, demonstrated a real commitment to making the society more sustainable, and showed an effort to educate members on the Climate Emergency.
WINNER: Engineers without Borders
Engineers without Borders aim to inspire globally responsible/sustainable engineers through design challenges, outreach, podcasts, and connecting students across years/courses. Supported by SU Sustainability Grant, the society ran a 6-week Designathon “Solve the Rainforest”, which had over 60 participants. This involved the groups designing innovative engineering solutions to real threats faced by Atlantic Rainforest, and a plant potting event in collaboration with PlantSoc.
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Academic or Careers Society of the Year
This award is for an academic, departmental, or career-focused society that have shown engagement across different years and cohorts, a strong relationship with relevant departments, demonstrable development opportunities for members, and a commitment to Bristol SU values.
WINNER: Bristol Banking and Investment Society
Bristol Banking and Investment Society have offered a variety of opportunities for networking, including meeting alumni and corporate sponsors, providing a great way for students to make connections. Additionally, they offer a wide range of opportunities, including internships with companies like Shaw & Co. Opportunities are available for all students, and the society provides support for students by offering CV workshops and application trackers for spring, summer, and graduate job applications.
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Society Event of the Year
This award is for a brilliant society event you’ve enjoyed putting on or taking part in. Whether it’s an amazing speaker, a great social, a cracking performance, or a stunning careers event.
WINNER: Bristol Sikh Soc
Bristol Sikh Soc hosted and ran The Langar on Campus – which was an extremely successful event with over 500 students attending and receiving a free hot meal. The event was a collaboration between work with the SU, local Sikh Gurdwaras in Bristol, and national organisations. Student volunteers from the society dedicated hours preparing for and running the event on the day – getting to the gurdwara at 5 am in the morning to make all the food from scratch!
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Campaigns and Causes Society of the Year
This Award is dedicated to campaigns, causes, or a politically focused society that has shown high levels of participation, widespread awareness and/or engaging materials and information, and demonstrable successes or positive impact.
WINNER: Bristol Raising and Giving
Bristol Raising and Giving have continued their hard work in a selfless field. They have worked on growing their membership by 400, collaborating and engaging with the local community and charities. They've hosted over 60 events and raised a lot of money for good causes. They've encouraged student fundraising by assisting societies and individual students with fundraising endeavors and hosting challenges as a fun way to fundraise. Bristol RAG has also collaborated with over 50 groups – and has estimated that they will fundraise £34,320 from challenges alone!
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Interests or Skills Society of the Year
This award celebrates a society that has shown commitment to beginners’ development and increased membership, provided opportunities for members of all ability levels, and demonstrated successes or positive impact.
WINNER: The Yoga Society
The Yoga Society has had an incredibly diverse and successful year, introduced a male instructor, and therefore targeted new male members. Society has had many new events – such as day retreats focusing on exam stress and women’s full moon circles. They have also increased their number of weekly classes from 2 to 5 classes a week to make the sessions accessible and have reduced their environmental impact by donating old equipment to a local yoga studio!
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Media Society of the Year
This award is for a media-focused society that has had high reach, appeal, and engagement online and produced informative or entertaining, original, high-quality content.
WINNER: UBTV.
UBTV have made a huge comeback this year post covid, whilst providing a place where members can develop their skills. UBTV has had multiple awards wins this year including NASTA and is also open to members of all abilities with workshops put on by more experienced members and committees.
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Performing Arts Society of the Year
This award is for a performance-focused society that has shown a real commitment to beginners’ development and increased membership and has provided opportunities for members of all ability levels!
WINNER: Symphonia
Symphonia, who have had a great 25th anniversary year, wants their platform to be revolutionary not only in the Bristol University community but in the musical community of Bristol and the orchestral community of the southwest. Bristol University Symphonia Symphony Orchestra had a year's program of music this year, exactly HALF of which were works composed by women. This is an achievement that less than 5% of orchestras in the entire world can say they've achieved.
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Individual Award for Outstanding Contribution
The Individual Award for Outstanding Contribution is for any member of a society who has shown particular dedication, enthusiasm, and commitment. This can be any one person, including committee members or other members in any leadership position.
WINNERS: Bader Al Sarraf and Noor Hussein
Bader Al Sarraf has transformed Trading Society into a place they've never been to before, while working really collaboratively with the SU Dev team. Bader has also negotiated lots of amazing external partnerships for the society, therefore providing opportunities for many students that they wouldn't have otherwise had.
Noor Hussein has gone above and beyond in her role of Sisters Vice President of ISoc and raised the standard for the experience of Muslim students. She took the lead on ISoc's Charity Week and Believe and Do Good Campaign, which raised thousands of pounds. She is also very active in championing Muslim students, such as in the SU's Islamophobia Awareness Month Public Forum, advocating for Muslim students' place in our community; juggling between these priorities through adversity and challenges to support the community she loves.
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Society of the Year
It’s the big one! This award is for a society that has committed to our Bristol SU values, especially if evidenced through the Balloon Accreditation Scheme, held innovative and creative methods to seek new members and increase participation in the activity, and positively impacted the student community outside of the Society’s core membership.
WINNER: Engineering Design Society
Engineering Design Society has gone above and beyond to enrich the university experience for engineering students have maintained member satisfaction at 96%!
The society was awarded the ‘Academic Society of the Year Award’ in 2022 by the University of Bristol Student Union. They have hosted catered for their members in an academic sense – with EngDes Talk Series, and Networking Event – as well a community sense (successful new outreach program, tree planting activities, Strava week for wellbeing and charity...) and a social sense (pub quiz, formals, wine and cheese night).
What an amazing year of student success! Congratulations to each and every one of you – you have had an incredible impact on your Students’ Union and student experience. See you next year!
