Micro-Communities

Pop-up virtual communities, bringing people together around a common interest, event or topic. Micro-Communities are free, casual, temporary and online. 

Search the noticeboard below for something that interests you. Each notice has a link which will take you to where the Community is hosted and/or where you join. You may have to create an account but you will never have to pay!

Search the noticeboard

Remember: Micro-Communities are not regulated by the SU, we are providing a listing service and do not take responsibility for the activities of these independent student communities.

Start a Micro-Community

How do I start a Micro-Community? 

Just fill in the application form below. Bristol SU will give your idea a quick check and, all being well, your idea will be added to the noticeboard above. Here’s a checklist to help your application go smoothly: 

• Check https://www.bristolsu.org.uk/micro-communities and https://www.bristolsu.org.uk/activities/societies to make sure that your idea is not already being carried out by a Micro-Community or Bristol SU Student Group. 

• Decide on a platform for your community members to meet. Is a Facebook group useful, or Whatsapp, or HouseParty? Check what the limitations are for each platform.

• How will you keep people safe?

• Work out a name for your community and come up with a sentence or two that summarises what it will do. 

What’s the difference between a Micro-Community and a Bristol SU Student Group? 

Micro-communities are more casual than an affiliated Bristol SU Student Group (e.g. Clubs, Societies and Volunteering Projects), the key differences being:  

• They are open to all, no membership and no cost  
• They are temporary or one-off (micro-communities will expire at the end of the academic year) 
• They can be for smaller groups (less than 30)  
• After set-up, communities run autonomously, without SU support   

Can a Bristol SU Student Group setup a Micro-Community? 

Yes - Bristol SU Student Groups can use Micro-Communities to test new ideas, attract new members etc.  

Can my Micro-Community become a Bristol SU Student Group if it goes well? 

Yes – Micro-Communities are a good way to test ideas. If yours goes well then you’ll be in a good position to affiliate to BristolSU and become a Society, a Sports Club or a Volunteering Project. You would still need to follow the Affiliation process here: https://www.bristolsu.org.uk/tools-to-run-your-group/start-a-new-group

Are there any restrictions on what micro-communities the SU can list? 

Yes - Unfortunately, there are some types of micro-community that we are not able to list and promote, including:

• Groups that are open to the wider public
• Groups that organise large, special or ticketed events (including external speaker talks)
• Groups that organise extreme or dangerous sports
• Groups that require funds to be paid to another member or organiser of the group
• Groups that participate in activism
• Groups for which the activity needs to be externally regulated

For some of the above, there will be affiliated SU societies you can get involved in – you can use our find a group tool, or get in touch with our student services team to enquire bristolsu@bristol.ac.uk 

There may also be opportunities to do these things in your community, you may want to check listings on Facebook and Gumtree.

Micro-Community Application Form