If you have a great idea for a new activity, society, or club, we’d love to hear from you!


At LSESU we pride ourselves on having a diverse range of student-led clubs and societies.

To ensure we can continue to have a positive impact on the student experience as things change and develop, we support students who identify gaps in our range to set up, to create and deliver new student groups.

This page will take you through everything you need to consider if you have an idea for a new group, as well as the steps you need to take to get it created. 


Why Start a New club/ society?

This is your chance to build a community within LSE that will give your members opprtunities to form memories, friendships and skills to last a lifetime.

You'll get dedicated support from the Students Union, a society bank account, access to funding, free room bookings on campus, invites to bespoke training sessions, and so much more.

Plus, you'll develop a wealth of transferrable skills and experiences that employers will look favourably on.

 

There are two different types of groups you can set up:

  • Sports Club – a physical activity with the potential to compete or a recognised sport by the International Olympic Committee (IOC)
  • Society – any other interest group or activity you may want to set up

At LSESU, student activists can also sent up a campaign group. There are specific steps to do this which you can find outlined on the campaigns hub. If you are not sure whether your idea is a campaign or society, check in with us for support.


APPLICATION windows for 2025/26.

Autumn Term: Friday 12th September 2025 - Sunday 12th October 2025 

Winter Term: Monday 8th December 2025 - Sunday 11th January 2026 

Spring Term: Monday 13th April 2026 - Sunday 17th May 2026 

 

The link to the application form will be shown here during these dates.


bringing your idea to life

The three key things to consider when submitting an application:

  1. Does it adhere to the 'New LSESU Club/ Society Criteria'?
  2. Have you got enough people (3) to form the founding core committee?
  3. Is there proven interest from LSE students in this society? 

You'll be required to demonstrate these on your application form.

Here are some other key questions to ask yourself to help develop your idea:

  • Is there proven interest from LSE students in this society?

  • Have you got enough people (3) to form the founding core committee?

  • What regular activity will you offer to your members? Coffee chats, training, speaker events, day trips, rehearsals, debates?

  • How much will all of these ideas cost, and how might these costs be mitigated through membership prices, ticketing events, sponsorships and applying for funding?

  • What spaces or equipment will you need to do these activities? Will LSE classrooms be enough, or might you need to hire external facilities?

  • Does your group idea have the potential for long-term engagement and relevance? I.e. is it likely to last longer than one academic year when a new committee takes over?

 

If you're thinking of starting a new faith group, please see the LSE policy for engagement with external religious organisations here, and ensure your proposed activity complies.


The application process

Once your idea is fully formed, it's time to tell us all about it! 

The application process itself is quite straightforward. All you need to do it complete the application form (will become available during application windows), and attach a completed constitution for your society. Blank constitution templates can be found here.

Top Tip: We'd recommend writing answers to the application questions on a separate document and then copying them over once it's time to submit. This means you won't lose your answers if there are any tech issues!


WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Once applications close, the panel will assess all applications. You'll then be informed via email of the outcome of your application within 1 week of applications closing.

If approved, there will then be a 1-month period where the SU will support you in getting set-up. This will involve a couple of short admin tasks, completion of some Moodle Modules, and attendance at an in-person training event.

Once this is all complete, you'll then be ready to start recruiting members and begin your activity!


FAQs

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