Liverpool Guild of Students

Last updated

Liverpool Guild of Students
Institution University of Liverpool
Location Liverpool
Established1889
PresidentVasiliki Samuels
Other officers
  • Lina Dubbins
    Deputy President
  • Kathryn Manley
    Vice-President
  • Rowan Bradbury
    Vice-President
Membersc. 26,000 [1]
Affiliations National Union of Students, Aldwych Group
Website www.liverpoolguild.org

Liverpool Guild of Students is the students' union of the University of Liverpool. [2] The Guild was founded in 1889, with the building constructed in 1911.

Contents

The title also refers to the Guild of Students building, which is the centre point of activity in student life at the University and is run by the four sabbatical officers who are elected annually in an all-student ballot. Following a £14.25m refurbishment in 2013, it now contains a cinema, a theatre, a shop, two dance studios, four bars, a 2,300 capacity gig venue and an underground nightclub. [3] This is as well as administrative offices and society meeting rooms. The Guild regularly hosts live music, theatre and comedy. [4]

Governance

The Board of Trustees are responsible for overseeing the management and administration of the union, making the financial decisions, responding to student demands and ensuring activities are within union aims and remain within the law. The board consists of 12 trustees: the 4 student officers, 4 student trustees and 4 external trustees. The chair of the Board is ex officio the Guild President. [5]

History

The Guild building LGOS Front.jpg
The Guild building

Origins of the Guild

The origins of the Guild may be traced back to the establishment in 1892 of two Students' Representative Councils at University College, Liverpool. However, students were forming societies long before this, such as the Athletic Club in 1885, the Medical Students' Debating Society (later known as the Liverpool Medical Students Society) in 1874, the Women's Literary Society, and the Arts and Debating Society in 1888, among others. The University College Magazine documented the activities of these new groups, being first published in 1886. [6] [7] The Guild building has been located on Mount Pleasant since 1911. [8]

20th century

The Guild building is the work of Charles Herbert Reilly and was originally built with the west side for women and east for men, with the architecture of the building reflecting this. The building was built in three stages; the original building, housing the Gilmour Hall (then the debating chamber) was built in 1911. The middle section was built in the 1930s and the largest part, housing the Mountford Hall and the Courtyard was opened in 1966. [9]

21st century and refurbishment

In 2013 a £13.8 million refurbishment began on the Guild of Students building, in order to generally improve the building and add a new bar, cafe, and meeting areas. [8] [10] The Guild hadn’t been renovated since the early 1990s. The work was long overdue, and the changes were enormous. The Liverpool Guild of Students had been living in a temporary and much smaller home at 3-5 Abercromby Square. During this the Guild endeavoured to continue its services and offer opportunities to its student population and many societies.

History of live music

Liverpool Guild of Students has a long-established history in live music and has been providing a venue for events since the opening of its main room, the Mountford Hall, since 1965. During its history as a music venue, the Guild has played host to some of the biggest names, acts such as The Who, The Pretenders, The Clash and Joy Division all having played sell-out, main room shows. More recently the venue has seen shows from James, Scouting for Girls and 30 Seconds to Mars to name a few, in the main room and The Damned, Juliette Lewis and The Futureheads who have preferred the intimacy of the in-house theatre. [11]

Green Guild

Green Guild started in October 2013 encompassing a wide range of initiatives for embedding sustainability across the University community.

Green Gown

In 2015 the Guild was a finalist when it entered the prestigious Green Gown Award from the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC). The Guild was highly commended by the judges receiving special mention at the awards dinner. Three interrelated themes of Education, Engagement and Outreach were driven by three members of staff and included student leadership at each stage of the award. The total student engagements through the project exceeded 5000 out of a target of 2000 and included:

A total of 151 trained student leaders were recruited (30 Bee keepers, 26 Gardeners, 38 Seed Fund team members, 34 Curriculum Researchers, 16 Student Switch Off Ambassadors and seven Green Impact Auditors) Some were employed to support curriculum research through surveys and leading focus groups on ESD. We worked with a cross-institutional working group to formulate recommendations on ESD now approved for implementation by the Student Experience Committee. [12]

Green Schools

Green Schools is part of Liverpool Guild of Students ‘Green Guild’ project, in which students lead on community outreach. Student volunteers deliver fun and interactive sessions on a variety of sustainability issues and help schools to develop a ‘sustainable social enterprise project’ in their community.

School teams visit the Guild located at the heart of the University campus for a day to plan their project, pitch their ideas to each other and receive a small grant towards their project. The University’s students inspire a younger generation to live sustainably, with themed lessons worked into the curriculum and workshops on project management skills.

From collection drives for project materials to making bird feeders or upcycled products, Green Schools offers support to schools so they can showcase their green project, take part in fundraising and spread ideas for greener living among the community in various areas of Merseyside. [13]

Media

Liverpool Guild Student Media

The Liverpool Guild of Students once published the Liverpool Student newspaper, which was a joint publication with Liverpool Students' Union and Liverpool Hope Students' Union, until it closed down in May 2007 because of increasing costs and declining advertising revenues. Shortly after, in 2007, the Guild produced its own official publication, Sphinx magazine, referring to the original student publication of the Guild established in 1893. Sphinx itself folded by the start of September 2008 due to rising costs and a lack of advertising revenue. However, the paper was revived online in 2015 with Natasha Kondrashova and Matthew Jaffa as Editors. It has since enjoyed a substantial increase in popularity and circulation, winning 'Biggest Impact on University Campus' in 2017. In September 2019 all student media groups merged to form Liverpool Guild Student Media (LGSM). LGSM was launched by Beth Ure (the first secretary), with publishing led by Hannah Percival and Radio by Maddy Walker. LGSM also introduced a video service as LGSMTV, led by Gabriel Morris.

Branch leaders in each academic year
SecretaryPublishingRadioTVPodcasts
2019-20Beth UreHannah PercivalMaddy WalkerGabriel MorrisNot yet established
2020-21Lorna FarrellSaara RasulAngus WattsShauna PageLuke Norton
2021-22UnknownBryony LaintonOlivia BennettAdam NadeemUnknownJosh
2022-23Ashley DempseyAnna JacksonHarry JamesIona DavisN/A

Publishing

In 2008, although not officially organised by the Guild, Sphinx magazine was eventually replaced with the web based venture, LSMedia (Liverpool Student Media). In 2011, under editor Matt Healy, LSMedia was shortlisted for a Guardian Student Media award under the category "Website of the Year". [14] In 2012 the website was redesigned under editor Dani Telford and as readership grew, LSMedia decided to revive the print edition with a special one-off "The Sphinx" Newspaper paying homage to the society's origins. In late 2015, under direct Guild supervision, LSMedia as a society folded due to a lack of student interest, being replaced by a new online version of The Sphinx student publication. [15] Ellipsis magazine was the only print edition at the University until 2018 when The Sphinx released its own print newspaper under editors Jess Molyneux and Heather Fallon, as a result of increased membership and funding from the Student Union. From 2019, The Sphinx continued under the name of Liverpool Guild Student Media.

After the 2019-20 academic year, it was decided that, as the largest branch, the Publishing Chair role should be split into two Co-Chairs. In 2020, Saara Rasul and Angus Watts were elected.

Radio

The Guild is also home to a radio, a student-run, internet radio station. The society was founded in 1961 as the Liverpool Amateur Radio Society [16] by a radio enthusiast group, that broadcast under the callsign 'G3OUL'. The radio station is alleged to be one of the oldest student radio stations in the UK. The station in its lifespan has gone under many different identities, including XSLive (1998-2002) and ICON Radio (2002-2011), LSRadio (2011-2019), and was rebranded as Liverpool Guild Student Media in September 2019. LGSM is currently available online, via the LGSM website. With the rebranding in 2019 podcasts were included for the first time. Notable alumni include BBC Radio 1's Nick Grimshaw, Tulip Mazumdar from BBC News, and Hannah Colson from the Ministry of Sound. LGSM is a registered member of the Student Radio Association. [17]

In 2020, Shauna Page was elected as Chair.

TV

In 2019, TV was included into the LGSM network led by Gabriel Morris. The first year brought a series of student-led productions, most notably the Green Guild. As of June 2021, the branch has been headed by Luke Norton.

Controversy

Liverpool Medical Students Society

In November 2014, an investigation was launched into the activities of the Liverpool Medical Students' Society, following the release of a script for the annual 'Smoker' event, causing public controversy. [18] In January 2016, the Liverpool Guild of Students in conjunction with the University of Liverpool decided to de-ratify the LMSS, and prohibit all activities and communication in official matters claiming, "Deadlines for engaging with an action plan were extended on three occasions, but despite our best efforts, this action plan was not delivered." [19] The LMSS responded, stating that its members had been threatened with formal 'Fitness to Practice' investigations if they did not co-operate, [20] a claim refuted by the Guild. [21] In response to the controversy, a Change.org petition was mounted, calling for the resignation of the Liverpool Guild of Students' then President, Harry Anderson, for "isolating the LMSS's 1,500 students". As of 21 January 2016, this petition had 1,300 signatures. [22]

Related Research Articles

University College London, which operates as UCL, is a public research university in London, England. It is a member institution of the federal University of London, and is the second-largest university in the United Kingdom by total enrolment and the largest by postgraduate enrolment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Liverpool</span> University in Liverpool, England

The University of Liverpool is a public research university in Liverpool, England. Founded as a college in 1881, it gained its Royal Charter in 1903 with the ability to award degrees, and is also known to be one of the six 'red brick' civic universities, the first to be referred to as The Original Red Brick. It comprises three faculties organised into 35 departments and schools. It is a founding member of the Russell Group, the N8 Group for research collaboration and the university management school is triple crown accredited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keele University</span> Public university in Keele, England

Keele University, officially known as the University of Keele, is a public research university in Keele, approximately three miles from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England. Founded in 1949 as the University College of North Staffordshire, Keele was granted university status by Royal Charter in 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Students' Union UCL</span>

Students' Union UCL is the students' union of University College London. Founded in 1893, it is one of the oldest students' unions in England, although postdating the Liverpool Guild of Students which formed a student representative council in 1892. It was formed with the following objectives: "the promotion of social intercourse and of the means of recreation, physical and mental, of the students of University College, and the financial successes of students' clubs". UCL Union was the first of its kind as it was formed for both athletics clubs and social activities alike.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Central Lancashire</span> University in Lancashire, UK

The University of Central Lancashire is a public university based in the city of Preston, Lancashire, England. It has its roots in The Institution For The Diffusion Of Useful Knowledge, founded in 1828. Previously known as Harris Art College, Preston Polytechnic and Lancashire Polytechnic. in 1992 it was granted university status by the Privy Council. The university is the 19th largest in the UK in terms of student numbers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edinburgh University Students' Association</span>

Edinburgh University Students' Association (EUSA) is the students' union at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. The Association's aim is the advancement of education of Edinburgh students by representing and supporting them, and by promoting their interests, health and welfare within the community. It is led by a team of five elected student sabbatical officers.

John Moores Students' Union (JMSU), (officially the Liverpool John Moores University Students' Union; formerly the Liverpool Students' Union; LSU or LiverpoolSU) is the students' union of Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) in Liverpool, England; membership is automatic upon enrolment within the university.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Sheffield Students' Union</span> Representative body of students at the University of Sheffield

Sheffield Students' Union, officially known as the University of Sheffield Students' Union, is the representative body of students at the University of Sheffield. It is run by a team of thirteen elected officers.

The University of Manchester Students' Union is the representative body of students at the University of Manchester, England, and is the UK's largest students' union. It was formed out of the merger between UMIST Students' Association (USA) and University of Manchester Union (UMU) when the parent organisations merged on 1 October 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Northampton</span> Public university in Northampton, England

The University of Northampton is a public university based in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England. It was formed in 1999 by the amalgamation of a number of training colleges, and gained full university status as the University of Northampton in 2005.

Dave Carley is a Canadian playwright who has written for stage, radio and television. His plays have had over 450 productions across Canada and the United States, and in other countries. They have won, or been nominated for, a number of awards, including the Governor General's Award, The Chalmers Award, The Dora Award, The Arthur Miller Award and the New York International Radio Festival Award. He was a founder of Friends of Freddy, an association for the appreciation of the Freddy the Pig series of books of Walter Brooks. He was an editor of The Kawartha Sun, the founding editor of the Playwrights Guild of Canada magazine, CanPlay, and also editor of Scirocco Drama in the late 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dumfries and Galloway College</span>

In universities in the United Kingdom students' unions are constituted under Section 2 of the Education Act 1994. The ultimate purpose of students' unions is to democratically represent the interests of their members. Students who resign their membership may still use union social facilities provided since they are for the benefit of the students of the institution, not just union members. The vast majority of UK students' unions are affiliated with the National Union of Students (NUS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Energy and Resources Institute</span> Research institute based in New Delhi

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) is a research institute in New Delhi that specializes in the fields of energy, environment and sustainable development. Established in 1974, it was formerly known as the Tata Energy Research Institute. As the scope of its activities widened, it was renamed The Energy and Resources Institute in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canterbury Christ Church University</span> University in Kent, UK

Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) is a university located in Canterbury, Kent, England. Founded as a Church of England college for teacher training in 1962, it was granted university status in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Birmingham Guild of Students</span>

The University of Birmingham Guild of Students is the officially recognised body that represents around 37,000 students at the University of Birmingham. The Guild functions as a students' union as per the Education Act 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Exeter</span> Public university in Exeter, UK

The University of Exeter is a public research university in Exeter, Devon, England, United Kingdom. Its predecessor institutions, St Luke's College, Exeter School of Science, Exeter School of Art, and the Camborne School of Mines were established in 1838, 1855, 1863, and 1888 respectively. These institutions later formed the University of Exeter after receiving its royal charter in 1955. In post-nominals, the University of Exeter is abbreviated as Exon., and is the suffix given to honorary and academic degrees from the university.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liverpool Medical Students Society</span>

The Liverpool Medical Students Society (LMSS) is the official Medsoc of the School of Medicine at the University of Liverpool. The mission of the society is to represent and care for the students of the School of Medicine of the University of Liverpool. It is a Registered Charity in its own right, providing complete independence from the Liverpool Guild of Students, the University's Students' Union, to which it was previously affiliated. The Society's weekly Thursday meetings are held in the Grade II-listed Victoria Building. The Society's principal roles include the educational, pastoral, social and extracurricular needs of the Liverpool medical students and to represent the students' voice to the staff of the School of Medicine.

The Lancaster University Students' Union (LUSU) is a students' union at Lancaster University in Lancashire, England. It is a registered company and charity overseen by a board of trustees. Politically, it is led by six sabbatical officers - a President and five Vice-Presidents - who are elected annually by the student membership.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newcastle University Students' Union</span>

References

As of this edit, this article uses content from "Green Gown Awards 2014 - Social Responsibility - Liverpool Guild of Students - Finalist" , which is licensed in a way that permits reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, but not under the GFDL. All relevant terms must be followed.

  1. ↑ "About the University of Liverpool". University of Liverpool. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  2. ↑ "Liverpool Guild of Students - University of Liverpool". University of Liverpool. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  3. ↑ "Step inside University of Liverpool's Guild of Students". liverpoolecho. 23 June 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  4. ↑ Lytton, Charlotte (17 April 2013). "Liverpool Hope University guide". The Telegraph. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  5. ↑ "Board of Trustees @ Liverpool Guild of Students". www.liverpoolguild.org. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  6. ↑ Kelly, Thomas (1981). For advancement of learning : the University of Liverpool, 1881-1981. University of Liverpool: Liverpool University Press. pp.  560. ISBN   0853232148.
  7. ↑ "Archive of the University of Liverpool: Guild of Students, Student Societies and Student Life". Guild of Students of the University of Liverpool.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  8. 1 2 "Liverpool University £13.8m union upgrade plans released". BBC News. 9 January 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  9. ↑ Joseph Sharples (2004). Liverpool. Pevsner architectural guides. Yale University Press. pp. 221–222. ISBN   0300102585.
  10. ↑ Carter, Jack (15 May 2014). "University of Liverpool venue to reopen next month". Conference and Incentive Travel. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  11. ↑ "Academy Music Group - The UK's leading owner and operator of live music and club venues". www.academy-music-group.co.uk. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  12. ↑ "Green Gown Awards 2015 – Student Engagement - Liverpool Guild of Students - Finalist | Sustainability Exchange". www.sustainabilityexchange.ac.uk. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  13. ↑ "Green Gown Awards 2014 - Social Responsibility - Liverpool Guild of Students - Finalist | Sustainability Exchange". www.sustainabilityexchange.ac.uk. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
  14. ↑ "LSMedia shortlisted for prestigious Guardian award (archive 2011)". The Sphinx. Archived from the original on 9 May 2016. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  15. ↑ "About us - The Sphinx". The Sphinx. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  16. ↑ "LSRadio: Society Description - Liverpool Guild of Students". Liverpool Guild of Students. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  17. ↑ "LSRadio - Student Radio Association". Student Radio Association. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  18. ↑ "Liverpool University probes student rape play script". BBC News. 11 November 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  19. ↑ Kondrashova, Natasha (15 January 2016). "Joint statement of Liverpool Guild and University on de-ratification of the LMSS". The Sphinx. The Sphinx. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  20. ↑ Engl, Helen Pidd North of; editor (17 January 2016). "Liverpool University medical society says ban over sexism 'disproportionate'". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 21 January 2016.{{cite news}}: |last2= has generic name (help)
  21. ↑ "LMSS questions answered". Liverpool Guild of Students. 26 January 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  22. ↑ Traynor, Luke (18 January 2016). "Students demand guild president's sacking after campus ban over rape row play". liverpoolecho. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.