Read up about the work we have been doing with Maddy, your SU Societies and Services officer
Read up about the work we have been doing with Maddy, your SU societies and services officer
Teaming up with societies is an important engagement opportunity to reach a wider student base for Get ACTIVE. This year, we have been working in collaboration with this year’s Students’ Union Societies and Services Officer, Maddy Jones to deliver ‘Societies Tournaments’.
Get ACTIVE was invited to attend the societies committee training in September to introduce the programme to the members. Following on from this, there was recognition that many societies seek opportunities for friendly competition despite not being part of formal sports clubs. Although these students may not compete within BUCS or club sports, they remain physically active and are keen to engage in structured, enjoyable sporting events.
To address this demand, Maddy proposed hosting a societies volleyball tournament in October. She worked closely with the Get ACTIVE team to confirm a suitable date and time, with Get ACTIVE taking care of the sports hall hire. The Students’ Union Media Team created an Instagram post (using Get ACTIVE volleyball imagery) which was shared across Students’ Union and Get ACTIVE social media channels. The promotion encouraged societies to register their interest, with tickets offered to the first six teams who completed the sign-up form.
A deadline was set for societies to submit an expression of interest to enter the tournament. Societies were confirmed and the Get ACTIVE team issued tickets for team members to register for Get ACTIVE and book onto the tournament. The Get ACTIVE team created a tournament schedule, which included the rules and competition format. All information was shared with participating teams, through Maddy, ahead of the event.
The volleyball tournament was highly successful and was attended by 8 societies (original plan was for 6 team sign-ups), attracting a large members, including both players and supporters. The Get ACTIVE Activators ensured the event ran smoothly by officiating matches and recorded results to track progression through to the finals. The winning team received a range of gifted prizes from Get ACTIVE. Maddy’s presence, throughout the event was important in engaging with participants and helped in gathering feedback.
Volleyball Tournament societies – Nepalese, Osteopathy, Musicians, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Material engineering, Pharmacy, Latin American.
As the tournament took place during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Uniboob Society also attended to promote their fundraiser, contributing to the event atmosphere with music, fundraising activities, and engagement materials. The success of the event highlighted the value of offering competitive, social opportunities to societies without being tied to a sports club. Participants expressed their appreciation of being able to attend this tournament and interest in the wider Get ACTIVE programme.
We didn’t stop there. Next up was a basketball tournament in January.
The basketball tournament ran just as smoothly, despite having only three societies participating. The tournament demonstrated that even with fewer teams, these events remain valuable, offering increased game time and continued engagement for participants. The event also reinforced that society tournaments play an important role in providing accessible, social sporting opportunities and enhance the student experience.
Basketball Tournament societies – Nepalese, Canadian Law, Pilipino.
The collaboration with societies has offered valuable insight into how they operate, what motivates participation, and the importance of ‘community’ within societies. One notable observation was the high number of supporters attending, highlighting that society involvement extends beyond just the players and contributes to a wider sense of belonging.
Overall, this collaboration has shown that successful events can be delivered with minimal planning when there is clear student interest and strong partnership working. The Get ACTIVE x Societies Tournaments have introduced a new demographic to physical activity at Swansea University Sport, increased awareness of Get ACTIVE opportunities, and provided Students’ Union officers with a streamlined and effective way to deliver engaging events for students.
And still to come…
The two tournaments have provided a strong foundation for the planning of the upcoming Societies Sports Day in March. Get ACTIVE is excited to host the first of its kind, having the ambition to strengthen our relationship with societies. The day will include old school fun sports day activities such as welly wanging, egg and spoon races, space hopper races and obstacle courses. A whole lot of fun is guaranteed should not miss out.
Get in touch with the Get ACTIVE Team: - Email us at getactive@swansea.ac.uk
- Instagram message at getactive_swanseauni