1. How did you use the Society Matrix to plan or guide your activity this year? (e.g. setting goals, king progress, prioritising areas)
When planning the year, we wanted to use the matrix as a guide to how to plan our activities, ensuring we had a range of events and were properly fulfilling our roles as a committee. For example, we made sure to create a constitution and attend training, we also made sure to collaborate with other societies and put on new events.
2. What specific actions or initives did your society introduce to e your matrix score? (events, campaigns, collaboratives, internal changes, etc)
One specific initiative we took was to increase our range of sober socials in order to ensure our society was inclusive. We ran a brunch and cinema trip, as well as film screenings at a coffee shop in order to do so. Another initiative we took was sending our newsletters in Welsh as well as English to increase engagement among Welsh speakers.
3. What impact have these actions had on your society or your members? (growth, enagement, feedback, opportunities, measurable outcomes)
These activities were well-received, with many asking for us to repeat them next year. We were able to appeal to a wide range of members by providing fun and inclusive sober events. This is reflected in our increased membership and member engagement.
4. What was the biggest challenge you faced in working towards the Matrix, and how did you overcome it?
Some aspects of the matrix were difficult or not possible for us to achieve, or it was not clear how we could achieve them. For example, we were unsure how to approach the sustainability aspects. We generally run a sustainable society, walking or using public transport for any trips and producing little waste at our events. However, we didn’t take any specific green initiatives as we were unsure how to implement them within our society.
5. What advice would you give to other societies looking to improve thier performance in the matrix?
We would recommend that societies consider the matrix right from the start of the year, and that they ensure they can set enough time aside to complete it properly.