EXPANDING REACH FUND

Modified on Mon, 27 Oct at 3:10 PM

The Activities Team is looking to support students to engage in Imperial College Union’s amazing clubs and societies (find them here ?)! We know students face a range of challenges when accessing our student groups, whether it’s down to lack of time, money, or demanding academic commitments.

We also recognise that more personal factors such as your background, ethnicity and current circumstances among other personal characteristics can shape your ability and opportunities to engage with clubs and societies

The allocation of c. £16k funding has been approved for the Activities team to target students that do not currently engage with Imperial College Union through clubs and societies. This funding was confirmed following a FAR committee meeting, with paper 12 Activities Designation (BoT Sep 2024).pdf.

So, what is the Expanding Reach Fund?

Our Expanding Reach Fund is financial resource that can be accessed by club, societies, liberation and community networks to support activities aligned to our research. We want the fund to support activities that address barriers faced by underrepresented or marginalised groups of students. It will be a resource for groups looking to actively address the barriers we've highlighted in our research to make events more accessible.

What participation barriers are we looking to address?

We've done research into institutional barriers affecting students at Imperial through background secondary research and primary research analysing data from the Student Experience and Expanding Reach Survey. We found out that...

Academic Commitments & Time are the most significant barriers experienced by Imperial Students.

Postgraduate and International students are less engaged with clubs and societies.

Protected Characteristics impact individuals ability to access certain events and activities, we ask that any activity considers accessibility and inclusivity as the foundation of planning.

Marginalised and Underrepresented Groups

We will ask whether your event/activity is looking to engage any specific groups that experience institutional barriers to engaging in opportunities such as club or society activity.

Marginalised or underrepresented groups include students from low socio-economic backgrounds, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Communities, disabled students, mature students, commuter students, service children, the LGBTQI+ community, estranged students. students with care responsibilities. mature students, postgraduate and international students. This is not an exhaustive list.

Research Key Takeaways:

This research highlights the barriers that prevent certain student groups from fully engaging in university clubs and societies. The findings emphasise that participation is not just about personal choice but is influenced by structural, financial, social, and institutional factors.

1. Financial and Economic Barriers:

• Students from low-income backgrounds struggle with membership fees, uniform costs, travel expenses, and hidden participation costs.

• Working students and commuter students often have limited time to participate in extracurricular activities.

2. Cultural and Social Challenges:

• International students may face cultural differences and lack awareness of how UK university societies operate.

• LGBTQ+ students can encounter discrimination, social anxiety, and difficulties with gendered activities like sports.

• BAME students are more likely to live at home, have lower socio-economic status, and face cultural or religious conflicts (e.g., drinking culture, Ramadan clashes).

• Refugee and asylum-seeking students experience financial hardship and challenges integrating socially.

3. Time and Life Commitments:

• Mature and postgraduate students often have additional responsibilities, such as childcare, employment, or long commutes, making it harder to engage in societies.

• Young carers and students with parental responsibilities struggle to balance study, work, and family life, limiting their availability for extracurricular activities.

4. Disability and Accessibility Issues:

• Students with physical disabilities may find venues and activities inaccessible.

• Neurodivergent students may struggle with social settings, sensory issues, or unstructured events.

How can you get access to the fund?

STEP 1 – Follow this criteria

Your activity will need to meet the following criteria:

- Follow the Give it a Go principle of low/no cost and low commitment.

- Target a specific student demographic or underrepresented group.

- Align to the Expanding Reach Research.

- A breakdown of cost to how you’ll allocate the funding.

STEP 2 - Organise

To receive financial support from the fund, you need to organise a Give it a Go activity that targets a specific student demographic, outlining how you are addressing specific barriers associated with our Expanding Reach Research.

STEP 3 – Create a 'What's on' event and categorise as 'Give it a Go'

This allows us to promote your activity, just follow the guidelines here: What's On Calendar | eActivities

It will show up on our website so students can sign up, you can see what it looks like: Upcoming Events | Imperial College Union

STEP 4 – Submit a funding request for your activity

Use the COMMITTEE ADMIN FORM, choose 'Funding' and submit your funding request.

Please make sure to include all the details on how you plan to address participation barriers and target students you may not currently be engaging.