Durham Union Society

When the time comes for me to leave university, I expect to take many great memories with me, but some of the very best have occurred within the walls of the Durham Union. From our regular weekday addresses to our Friday night debates, we give Durham students the opportunity to express their views on the issues of the day and hold those in power accountable for their actions.

Over the years we have held debates on whether NATO is a threat to world peace, decriminalising sex work, the monarchy, the gig economy and many more besides. We have welcomed speakers such as David Miliband, Boris Johnson, Nick Clegg, Anastasia Lin, Noam Chomsky and Gina Miller, to debate the most pressing issues of the day.

But the Union is not just about politics – we regularly host figures from the worlds of sport, entertainment, culture, media, music and many more. Union members have had the chance to meet Anton Du Beke, David Moyes, Imelda Staunton, Bill Bryson, Jeremy Vine and Mark Gatiss in the past year alone. Our sell-out balls and socials are some of the best in Durham and our bar rivals anything the colleges or university have to offer.

This will be a great term at the Union with debates on such topics as grammar schools, the Elgin Marbles and even alien life. We also have addresses from former England test cricket captain Sir Andrew Strauss as well as leader of the Hong Kong student protests Nathan Law and many more besides. Socials will make a comeback and to top it all off we will be debating for 12 hours straight to raise money for charity.

The Union is far more than just a debating society – in some ways it is more like a college. The Union is an environment for discussion and learning but it’s also an environment for socialising and making friendships that will stay with you for life. We have more elected positions than any other society in Durham so whether you want to help invite speakers, organise socials or run events, there’s something for everyone to get involved with.

The experience of coming to university for three or four years is just not complete without membership of the Durham Union - sign up today at dus.org.uk.