Welcome to the Durham Union Society
For those of you who have just arrived at Durham University, many congratulations on your recent results, and a very warm welcome to the Durham Union Society. The best years of your lives are ahead of you - what better way of spending them than here with us. To our returners, I hope you had an enjoyable summer break, and we look forward to welcoming you back.
Unique to Durham, Oxford and Cambridge, the Union Society fulfils several different functions. We provide students with the opportunity to meet, listen to and engage with an incredibly diverse range of leading figures from all areas of public life. This is done through a host of weekly addresses, and of course, our Friday night debates, where we consider the most pressing issues of the day.
This term we have debate motions ranging from whether there is a ‘Liberal Media bias’, to whether the United Kingdom is Less United than Ever. Our first address, Dr Kate Hudson (General Secretary of the CND) and our first debate of term, on the motion ‘This House Would Decriminalise Drugs’, are open to all students, not just members of the Union. This will put Peter Hitchens, Dr Fiona Godlee and Crispin Blunt MP amongst others, all head to head.
In recent years the Union has been fortunate to host speakers ranging from Boris Johnson, Nick Clegg and David Miliband, to Jeremy Vine and Anastasia Lin. This term we also have an exciting lineup of speakers, including Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Alistair Carmichael, the OC Sandhurst and many more. A full listing of speakers can be found later in the brochure, but be prepared for even more names to be announced...
Our Union is more than just a debating club - our Society is much like a college, an environment for socialising and lifetime friendships. With over 800 Freshers signing up to the Union each year, attending Durham Union socials as a Fresher is a unique way to meet like-minded people and make friends with those from different colleges and courses.
This term we will host our annual Freshers’ Welcome Social, a themed social with the chance to dress to impress (prizes available), a Christmas Social, and of course our 1920’s themed Ball, which will be held at the magnificent Beamish Hall. Our socials are held in the Union’s private members club, situated at 24 North Bailey. Membership of the Union also gives you the opportunity to live and work in the 24 North Bailey Club. Indeed, we are the only society at Durham University to have our own private venue.
The Durham Union also offers one of the globe’s finest student debating programmes for those who want to learn the art of debating as a novice or hone their skills with our world-class debating squad. You can of course also become involved in the running of the society through committees and officer positions, which is great for your CV, and a highly rewarding way to use your free time as a student.
It is fair to say that it is hard to gain the true Durham experience without membership of the Union! I very much look forward to seeing you at one of our upcoming events.
Very best wishes,
Christopher Clarke
Durham Union President, Michaelmas 2018
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Upcoming Events
In the meantime, I look forward to welcoming you to the Union very soon!
