Step Up and Lead
What are the benefits of joining a committee?
Being on a committee is a great way to get involved with the running of your club, and make changes happen that you want to see. It’s fun and gives you a real sense of belonging. As well as this, taking on a committee role gives you a unique opportunity to develop skills such as leadership, teamwork, problem solving, and project/people management.
These skills will help you in all walks of life and are key things that employers look for in graduate students. People who volunteer in sport have well developed skills that they have put into practise; this is attractive to employers, and will give you the confidence and experience to prepare you for life after university.
University Recognition
Volunteering for a club committee is also recognised by the university to count towards obtaining your Stellify award! The Stellify Award is an initiative delivered by the University to help ‘Stellify’ students and create unique Manchester graduates.
The Sports Volunteer Scheme (SVS) is an accredited programme on the HEAR (Higher Education Achievement Record). This means that you will receive a level of credit on your academic transcript dependent on how many verified hours you complete, for each year that you participate in the scheme.
Certificates for your achievements are produced annually by the Sport office and are based on hours defined through the SVS table.
Funding and National Governing Body Training
By joining your AU committee and registering your hours regularly on our Student Volunteer System you could be eligible for funding towards National Governing Body training programs. This could be for a coaching, referee or development course.
As well as official courses many NGBs are also offering webinars online. These sessions are giving learning on many areas from experts in the sports and definitely worth checking out the NGB website for your sport to see what is on offer that you can benefit from. Most of these sessions can be accessed free of charge.
Employability
Managing a sports club whilst at university develops a whole number of transferrable skills that employers value.
Regardless of what role you choose, working on the committee of a sports team further develops teamwork skills, decision making abilities, communication skills, people management and organisational capabilities, with all these being highly sought after by prospective employers.
Studies have shown that individuals who have managed sports teams whilst at university are highly regarded, with potential employers ‘attributing them with capabilities such as higher levels of determination, greater resilience, leadership, goal setting, confidence and many more attributes (Fletcher, 2011).’
Fletcher, D. (2011) Applying Sport Psychology in Business: A Narrative Commentary and Bibliography, Journal of Sport Psychology in Action
“Graduates who had also been involved in the organisation and management of university sport reported that this experience had the greatest impact on developing key skills for employability.”
Leaders at Play
This new research demonstrates that the majority of people perceive that competing in sports builds transferable capabilities and gives career advantages.
How playing BUCS Sport helped Cambridge University graduate land her dream role with ICG.
James – University of Manchester Biochemistry Graduate 2020
Former Men’s 1st Team Waterpolo Captain
Hear from James as he discusses how his role within the waterpolo committee at university helped him develop the skills to work at Natwest.
AU Committee at The University of Manchester
So what is a UoM Club Committee?
The committee is made up of a group of student members who are responsible for the running of the club; organising training, competitions, socials, managing budgets, and overseeing the club members.
Click below to see information on each of the committee roles!
Club Captain/President
Responsible for the day to day running of the club plus liaison and communication with the Athletic Union. They ensure all aspects of the club are running smoothly and the committee is working together.
Treasurer
Responsible for managing the club budget and the clubs bank account. They keep track of income and expenditures throughout the year and organise payments for facilities.
Health and Wellbeing Officer
Responsible for monitoring the wellbeing of members of the team and promoting positive mental health. They signpost to services and provide a confidential and sensitive service for those who require support and advice.
Social Media Officer
Responsible for maintenance of the club social media channels, emails and site. They look to increase engagement and promotion of their club often by tying into university and national campaigns.
What is an AGM?
An Annual General Meeting (AGM) is held by a club for all members to attend.
It includes:
- A round up of the clubs year, and any future plans are outlined
- Elections are held for new committee positions
- A financial overview is given
- A progress report is given against past objectives
This year AGMs are running from the 6th – 21st March, a member of the AU should be present at each AGM.
Joint Committee Roles
It is possible to have two people share a role such as president or club captain. Sharing roles allows for committee members to split their responsibilities within the club, which means they have more time for other activities.
Listen as Megan Marley and Fraser Cowie from the Sailing club discuss the benefits of having joint committee roles.
AU Executive Committee
AU Executive members are selected from committee members of clubs and represent the AU. There are 5 roles on the AU Executive Committee who work with UoM Sport throughout the year.
- AU Wellbeing Officer
- BUCS Rep
- Events Officer
- Marketing Officer
- XXI Club and Alumni Liaison
Individuals apply are required to present to the clubs at the AU forum in June. After this voting will take place.
Our A to Zs
Sport A to Z
View our A to Z of all the sports that we offer at Manchester.
Activities A to Z
Take a look at all the activities we offer to get you more active at Manchester.
Contact Us
+44 (0)161 529 4444
sport@manchester.ac.uk
