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Descent 310 is out now.
....so prepare to see some of the best writing and photography from the caving world
Including: Into the Echo Chamber, Tim Allen reports on another magnificent Yorkshire Dales find by the Space Miners....and: The Great Geoff Yeadon, undoubtedly one of the greats of the caving world. Following his death at the age of 75, Geoff Crossley, Martin Grass and Mick Nunwick pay tribute to him.
The state of University clubs?
- Thread starter Pegasus
- Start date
alastairgott
Well-known member
I think Nottingham are struggling at the moment.
Andy Tharratt
Member
ULSA appeared to be thriving at their 50th Anniversary Dinner in March this year. Both founder members and eighteen year-old freshers, and many in between, had a good go at drinking The Dalesbridge Centre dry. I believe that they still have access to a training facility but the clubroom/library went years ago, although the library contents have been incorporated into the university library.
Filter
Member
Glasgow is struggling to maintain their numbers, which currently sit around 6, but that has more to do with a lack of promotion on part of the club and the misfortune of attracting dozens of single-term American students every year than anything the Uni is doing (though their refusal to give us a proper training space is getting quite annoying).
Speleotron
Member
How are Huddersfield doing?
Over the Hill
New member
kay said:
I am re-doing some caving classics with an old buddy who works at Huddersfield now as a PHD. He seems to think its done and dusted.
Personal opinion but anyone who get in there and gets it going again could have a great source of summer holiday funds. (sorry expedition funds).
2xw
Well-known member
I'd like to thin Sheffield is doing reasonably well.
We seem to meet up with ULSA a lot and glasgow too. We're hopefully going to see Nottingham members a lot this year.
Some student clubs seem to be struggling for a few reasons:
- Meddling and/or overzealous universities (we might not be seen as value for money cos no BUCS points)
- Lack of experienced members/alumni sticking around(which can be due to the reason above). Its the graduated people with lots of experience that help student clubs a lot.
Those of you that know student clubs that are struggling, have you tried persuading them to contact CHECC and/or thr BCA? It's what they're there for...
We seem to meet up with ULSA a lot and glasgow too. We're hopefully going to see Nottingham members a lot this year.
Some student clubs seem to be struggling for a few reasons:
- Meddling and/or overzealous universities (we might not be seen as value for money cos no BUCS points)
- Lack of experienced members/alumni sticking around(which can be due to the reason above). Its the graduated people with lots of experience that help student clubs a lot.
Those of you that know student clubs that are struggling, have you tried persuading them to contact CHECC and/or thr BCA? It's what they're there for...
Andy Tharratt
Member
Never understood why more university clubs don't/didn't adopt the LUUSS/ULSA or CUCC/EXCSS model. ULSA was formed in 1965 precisely to maintain experienced members input to LUUSS and the model is still working 50 years later, albeit LUUSS is now LUUCAS (or something like this). By the way, I know LUSS/LUST didn't succeed in staying the course but there is always an exception to the rule.
shortscotsman
New member
Pegasus said:
- points gained during competive sports (british Universities +Colleges sports).
It is a probem that the University scene changes very quickly and somtimes the elected sabaticals can be very
focused on competative sports.
I guess with caving it is quite difficult for a university club to start from scratch so when one folds it doesn't
reappear. [ I've seen how this has happened at Swansea Uni]
nearlywhite
Active member
psychocrawler said:
A lot of clubs don't need a separate club for older members, there are other ways of doing things that work even better than the above example if longevity was your only measure, take SUSS (1961 as an independent society) for instance. Some clubs keep members in house, some are feeder clubs that have close ties with established clubs, MUSC and Red Rose comes to mind. Most University clubs have evolved to suit their own particular environment, Aberystwyth is one I'm always amazed at but they do a fantastic job with not much in the way of alumni to depend on.
Shortscotsman hits the nail on the head with the difficulty for new Uni clubs to start up. We're sadly looking at the picture of trying to keep what we have, not grow the sport, at least in university caving. The only way I see new University clubs are ex scouts.
caving_fox
Active member
graham said:
Which will frequently depend on the university's and the Student Union's policies on funding and insurance etc. These can be quite strict regarding provision to non-university members, or much more relaxed (eg cambridge).
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