Birmingham University Guild of Students - Purpose and Activities

Purpose and Activities

The Guild provides representation to all students at the University and campaigns to create change on issues affecting students at a local and national level. This is achieved through regular meetings with University Senior Officers and Senior Managers, as well as through lobbying Birmingham City Council, the Government and other bodies. The Guild also runs campaigns focused on particular issues; recent campaigns have included a drive to see wheelie bins across the city, an initiative to improve campus security and have the University install CCTV across all halls of residence, and strong participation in the NUS campaign against the introduction of £3000 top-up fees (a campaign which continues, despite the measure being approved by Parliament in January 2004).

The Guild boasts 24/7 welfare support channels for its members. The Advice and Representation Centre (ARC) provides professional and impartial advice on all manner of student issues, from academic problems, financial woes, immigration and other international troubles, housing worries, and employment rights.It also arranges individual representation for students facing academic appeals, disciplinary hearings, or other measures. All students in halls of residence can seek similar advice from their team of Student Mentors, who are on hand day or night for emergency issues, while Niteline provides a confidential listening and information service through telephone and email overnight. The Guild's welfare services are complemented by the Job Zone, which seeks and promotes part time student vacancies, and the liberation associations.

With one of its three constitutional objects being to promote "social intercourse" the Guild maintains social space, bars and event nights, all of which provide an income without which initiatives including campaigns, the ARC, Job Zone, Niteline, and many student groups would struggle to exist. The major weekly night is Saturday's "Fab 'N' Fresh", with other popular events including "Very Important Tuesdays" (VIT)which hosted acts such as samatha Mumba, Wheatus and Cyndi Lauper, society-themed evenings such as "The Mix", student group events and irregular gigs and comedy evenings. Further commercial revenue is generated through marketing and retail activities, including a supermarket, and the Guild acts as the official retailer of University branded merchandise for this purpose.

The Guild also supports around 160 student groups and societies, actively promoting student involvement, volunteering and social participation. Its oldest society is Carnival, the Guild's charitable RAG (Raising And Giving) society, while one of its newest is Pirate Soc, with all manner of groups such as Paintball, Rock music, Circus, InterVol (International Volunteers),Mountaineering and Jazz and Blues in between.

The Guild of Students publishes a weekly newspaper called Redbrick, has a radio station, BURNFM.COM which broadcasts on 87.7FM twice-yearly and all year round online, and Guild Television, the university's student TV station. All three media outlets are editorially independent and encouraged to hold the Guild Executive to account. However as the groups and the Executive are all part of the same organisation, the trustees reserve the right to edit content that poses legal or other risks to the Guild, which at times has caused friction amid claims of political censorship.

The Guild has finished a £4 million redevelopment in July 2010 completely overhauling the ground floor of the Guild building creating for the first time a dedicated membership area with all the key Guild services all in one place. In addition the brand new bar started serving food and the Guild opened its very own letting agent; the SHAC.