Start a society

Can’t find what you’re interested in? Start something new.

The Union is home to a diverse community of student groups, but we're always looking to welcome something new. If you have an idea for a society that would benefit Manchester Met students, we'd love to hear it.

Starting a society is easier than you might think. Use this page and the handy guide below to get all the information you need and if you need any extra advice along the way, the Societies Team is on hand to help turn your idea into reality.

Get in touch

Why start a society?

Got an idea, passion, or community you want to bring to Manchester Met? Starting a society is a great way to meet like-minded people, make a difference, and create something that lasts.

The benefits:

Share your passion: turn your interests into events, activities, and opportunities for others
Build your community: bring people together around a shared interest, culture, cause, or hobby
Develop skills: gain real experience in leadership, teamwork, organisation, and event planning
Make an impact: shape student life and leave your mark
Grow your network: meet new people, work with partners, and make connections beyond university

And don't worry, you won't be doing it alone. The team will support you every step of the way with guidance, resources, and advice.

Ready to start your society journey? Just follow the guide below to get started, it's super easy.

How to start your society

Step one: Your idea

Take a look at our current societies first. If a similar one already exists, you'll more than likely be able to join that one and help it grow.

If not, and you're ready to make it happen, think about:

What your society will do
Who it's targeted at
How it benefits other students
What makes it unique

A strong society idea should be:

Student-led
Inclusive and welcoming
Sustainable year after year
Open to all interested students

Step two: Build your committee

To start a society, you'll need a group of students who are committed to helping run it.

Typically, you'll need key committee members such as:

President
Treasurer
Secretary

You may also wish to appoint additional roles, such as:

Vice President
Events Officer
Social Media Officer
Welfare Officer

Having an enthusiastic team from the beginning will help your society grow successfully.

Step three: Gather interest

Demonstrate that there is demand for your society by speaking to fellow students and collecting expressions of interest.

This could include:

Interest forms
Social media engagement (likes / group chat etc)
Signatures from potential members
Attendance at introductory meetings
Any visual example of 10 or more students showing interest (we need 10 valid student ID numbers).

The more support you can demonstrate, the stronger your application will be.

Step four: Let's get started

Submit your proposal through the Start a Society Form.

You'll usually be asked to provide:

Society name
Society purpose and aims
Planned activities
Founding committee details
Evidence of student interest
Any anticipated costs or resource requirements

Start your society

Step five: The approval process

Your application will be reviewed to ensure that it:

Has a clear purpose
Is financially and operationally viable
Doesn't compete with and / or is too similar with existing societies
Meets The Union's policies and procedures

You may be asked for additional information before approval is granted.

Step six: Meet with the team

A member of the Societies Team team may invite you to discuss your application.

This meeting helps us understand:

Your plans for the society
How the group will operate
Any support you may need
Whether the society is sustainable and viable

Don't worry, we're here to help you succeed and to make it as easy as possible.

Step seven: Launch your society!

A member of the Societies Team team may invite you to discuss your application.

Once approved, it's time to start building your community!

You can then:

Recruit members
Promote your society
Organise events and activities
Attend Welcome Week events and Freshers Fair
Grow your social media presence

Step eight: Keep your society thriving

Successful societies are built through active engagement and good planning.

Remember to:

Hold regular committee meetings
Engage with members
Plan activities throughout the year
Manage finances responsibly
Prepare future student leaders to take over from your committee

Frequently asked questions

Once you submit the application form it can take up to two weeks for the Societies and Development Officer look over the application.

They're looking at three key things:

Is there a similar society that already exists?
Does your idea fit as a society (e.g. it might sit better as a campaign)
Have you filled the form in with enough detail – if they have any questions they may arrange to meet with you first before making a decision.

Sure! If you have any questions, just get in touch and we'll have a chat first.

Send us a message at s.u.societies@mmu.ac.uk, pop in to see us, or give us a call on 0161 247 3792.

Here's a list of our societies, this page updates throughout the academic year.

That's totally fine – whilst it's true that you'll need 10 interested current students and three committee members to start a society at Manchester Met, it’s not an impossible to achieve – people like you do it all the time.

It's often a good idea to post on social media to see if people like your idea first and you can also try speaking to people on your course or seeing if lecturers can spread the word.

Just a little reminder that societies must be run by Manchester Met Students for Manchester Met students.

If you were a committee member of a society which closed down*, you will be unable to restart this society. Only students who weren’t on that committee will be able to apply to start the society afresh.

*This applies to societies which closed down due to no engagement in the election process, or those who missed the re-accreditation deadline.