1. How did you use the Society Matrix to plan or guide your activity this year? (e.g. setting goals, tracking progress, prioritising areas)
This year we tried to fill in the gaps identified by our matrix last year. We identified areas such as charity engagement, Welsh language provision and society collaborations amongst others. This allowed us to plan the year ahead, ensuring that the society was continually improving for the benefit of our members.
2. What specific actions or initiatives did your society introduce to improve your matrix score? (events, campaigns, collaborations, internal changes, etc.)
We introduced more collaborations with societies through early organisation and creation of a dedicated role within the committee. We created internal feedback channels to allow members to shape socials, rehearsals and musical repertoire. We aimed to introduce more charitable events, including Uniboob and Feb freeze by working with other societies. We also increased our visibility within the SU as highlighted in the last matrix by social media communication with SU officers and story posts.
3. What impact have these actions had on your society or your members? (growth, engagement, feedback, opportunities, measurable outcomes)
These changes have had a greatly positive impact on the society and members. We have seen an increase in membership alongside greater satisfaction with the running of the society due to our efforts to generate feedback. Our increased visibility has also led to greater attendance at concerts which has generated more awareness for the society as well as income, allowing us to expand the opportunities given to members.
4. What was the biggest challenge you faced in working towards the matrix, and how did you overcome it?
We are a smaller society which has caused some issues, especially when looking for collaborations, as others may not know who we are. This was tackled by our social and media secretaries who created more visibility for the society, a positive image and more contacts, allowing us to access these collaborative opportunities.
5. What advice would you give to other societies looking to improve their performance in the matrix?
Our main advice would be to identify the areas that were lacking within the last matrix and ensure that the upcoming committee are aware of the areas for improvement. This allows the society to improve not just their performance in the matrix but its running as a whole.
A quote from ‘Sing gently’ by Eric Whitacre, a piece performed at our Christmas Concert, the represents the goals of Choral Society - “May we sing together always, may our voices be strong, may our singing be music for others”