The University of York Students’ Union (YUSU) is the representative body for the 18,000+ students at the University of York. Just over 50 years old and growing rapidly, YUSU provides a wide range of charitable and trading services and activities designed to improve students’ lives and support students to make the most of their time at York. Among the largest charities in North Yorkshire, we aim to be amongst the best students’ unions in the UK. Rapid growth over the last five years has seen our turnover approach £5.5m annually; our employee population approach 75 FTE, our student participation increase, our student satisfaction ratings improve and our estate grow. YUSU has been through a period of change. As we approach the halfway mark of our current strategic plan, we are launching an exciting growth programme with the creation of a series of new roles designed to accelerate our strategic development and grow capacity in areas of the organisation where success has led to growth in demand on our services. Our organisation incorporates a charity and a subsidiary trading arm. The organisation as whole runs the following services: • Over 200 student societies, one of the widest range of student interest groups per capita of any students’ union in the country. This incorporates some of the most active and award-winning student media in the UK. • A growing volunteering program linking students to volunteering opportunities across the world; building their skills, networks and experiences while supporting wider society. • A fundraising programme helping students to raise and give (RAG), providing important donations to local and national charities. • Sixty eight British University and Colleges (BUCs) teams competing across the UK. With our league placing improving for three successive years we are now firmly in the top forty teams. • A wider programme of intra-mural College sport including the annual College Varsity with York colleges competing against Durham colleges • Europe’s largest annual inter-University sport competition ‘Roses’ with York playing 140 sports against Lancaster each year in a high profile tournament attracting over 6,000 spectators and 2,000 participants in 2016/17. • A student advocacy and well-being service providing professional, independent information and advice to approximately 500 students each year that have academic or welfare concerns, or are experiencing difficulties with student life. • A student voice service recruiting, training and developing a network of volunteer representatives representing student academic interests and liberation interests across the University, the City and wider afield. • A large scale events programme on and off campus for students including live music, funfairs, cultural celebrations, comedy, formal dinners, awards ceremonies and much more. • Three licensed venues providing food, drink and a safe, fun environment for students to socialise in. • A coffee shop providing one of the most unique and best value for money spaces for students on campus. • A retail shop offering a range of convenience goods, branded merchandise and a new international postal service.
