APPLICATION WINDOWS FOR 2026/27
Autumn Term
- Applications Open = Friday 11 September (12pm)
- Applications Close = Monday 12 October (9am)
Winter Term
SETTING UP A NEW LSESU STUDENT GROUP
If you have an idea for a new student-led community which isn't already covered by one of our existing Clubs or Societies, we can support you in setting it up as an official LSESU Student Group.
- If your application is successful, you'll then receive support from the Students' Union with regards to initial training on being a committee member and leading a Student Group, plus everything else that comes with being affiliated as an official LSESU Club/Society, including a finance account, and the ability to organise and host activities and events for members.
- In leading a Student Group, you'll also develop a wealth of transferrable skills and experience that will enhance your overall LSE experience, and which prospective employers will look favourably on!
TYPES OF STUDENT GROUP
- Sports Club: A physical activity with the potential to compete, or a recognised sport by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) - see the current list of Sports Clubs here.
- Society: Any other activity or interest group - see the current list of Societies here.
BRINGING YOUR IDEA TO LIFE
When it comes to applying to become a new Student Group, there are 3 key things to consider, which you'll be required to demonstrate via the application process:
- Does your proposed idea meet the New LSESU Club/Society Criteria?
- Have you got enough people (4) to form a founding core committee?
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Is there proven interest from LSE students in this Club/Society being set up?
FURTHER CONSIDERATIONS
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What regular activities and events will you be offering to your members?
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How much will these cost to run sustainably? What financial resource will be required?
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What spaces and/or equipment will you need in order to run these activities and events?
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Will your Club/Society be able to last sustainably itself, in term of longer-term engagement?
THE APPLICATION PROCESS
Once you've considered all of the above, and your idea for a New Group is fully formed, you'll be able to start thinking about getting your application submitted for review in one of our application windows.
- Our application windows are set to align around the Club and Society Election periods in each academic year - once for the Autumn Term Elections in September/October, and another for the Winter Term Elections in March/April. This allows us to combine the onboarding and training of newly elected committee members for existing Student Groups, with that of the founding committee members for approved New Groups.
- Once applications are open, all you'll need to do is fill out the form below (which will be set live during the advertised application windows), and attach a completed Constitution (found here) alongside it.
- When you're in the process of applying, we'd recommend writing your answers to the application questions on a separate document first, and then copying them over once you're ready to submit - this will mean you won't lose your answers if you encounter any tech issues!
SUBMIT APPLICATION - LINK COMING SOON
THE APPROVAL PROCESS
Once applications close, they will be reviewed by a panel consisting of the Activities and Communities Officer, and members of the Clubs and Societies teams - usually within 1 week of applications closing. This can sometimes be longer, however, depending on the number of applications received.
- Once the panel has had the chance to convene and make its decisions, all applicants will then be informed of their outcome via email, which should again be done be within 1 week of the panel(s) taking place, but can sometimes be a little longer depending on volume and general workload.
- If your application is successful, we'll proceed in completing the administrative steps required for your New Group actually being set-up on all of our systems in the background, and support you directly with the various onboarding requirements we'll need you to complete on your end at the same time.
- The onboarding requirements on your side will include compulsory in-person (and online) training, plus a few additional admin tasks on top of that.
- All in all, the set-up period for new Student Groups takes around 4-6 weeks, but once everything's been completed on our end and yours, you'll be ready to start thinking about your first activities!
ELECTIONS
Depending on the make-up of your founding committee, and the window within which your New Group is approved for set-up, you'll need to bear the following in mind with regards to your time in post.
- If you're successful in becoming a New Group as part of the Autumn Term window, you can expect to be fully active (pending the completion of required admin and training), and able to start organising activities and events from around mid-November. The main Elections cycle for all Clubs and Societies (whereby committees for the following academic year need to be elected in order for them to continue) then takes place in Winter Term, usually between February and March - see here.
- However, as you'll only be in post for part of the academic year compared to Clubs and Societies that already exist, you'll have the option to continue within your role(s) for the following academic year as well, instead of requiring Elections for all of your posts. This will only apply to those who will still be LSE students for the entirety of the next academic year, though - if not, any roles that will be left vacant will need to be elected via our official Elections process in order for your Group to continue.
- If you're successful in becoming a New Group as part of the Winter Term window, you'll be onboarded at the same time as the newly elected committees for existing Clubs and Societies, so will be in post for the next full academic year alongside them. This means that in order to be approved as a New Group within this window, your founding committee will all need to be continuing LSE students for that year. Your Group will then be included within that year's Winter Term Elections cycle.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS)
Who can I talk to for advice on starting a New Group?
Just drop us an email on su.societies@lse.ac.uk (for Societies), or su.sport@lse.ac.uk (for Sports Clubs).
How can we recruit people to show interest?
You can try asking others on your course and you can reach out to other similar societies and ask them to promote your idea. Also, if you're in any social media or WhatsApp groups that allow this sort of thing, you can put the word out there!.
Can I apply outside of the application window?
Unfortunately not. We have quite a tight timeline for our onboarding, training and administrative set-ups, so are unfortunately unable to accept applications outside of the designated windows.
Will I get any funding if my group is approved?
Yes, you'll receive a £100 start-up grant from LSESU, to help get your New Group up and running. You'll also be eligible to apply for extra funding throughout the year via the Students' Union Fund.
What happens if my group idea gets rejected?
Unfortunately, not all groups will meet the required criteria, and the panel will have to reject those applications. Following a rejection, you will receive detailed feedback from the panel via email, about why the application was unsuccessful. They will also provide recommendations. This could be changes to make to your application should you wish to resubmit next cycle, or encourage you to link-up with an already existing society. Unfortunately we're unable to reconsider unsuccessful applications due to the volume of applications received, and the timeline for onboarding and training.