Sports Club Guide Sport, Exercise & Health
2026 / 2027 bristol.ac.uk/sport
@bristolunisport
Timeline
September Facility Matrix – Facility allocations commence for Term 1 BUCS – Pre-meetings Trailblazers Club Captains’ Away day
October
University Event Support Welcome 2026 clubs support
New academic year Facility Matrix Process begins
Participation Development – B:Active sessions commence Game Changers Sign up opens
January Facility Matrix – Facility allocations commence for Pre-Season & Term 2 Clubs’ review meetings with the Facilities Team
University Event support – Open Day (clubs support student recruitment)
Trailblazers drop-in sessions BUCS Fixtures Commence
November
December S&C – Mid-year engagement review
Trailblazers – drop-in sessions Facility Matrix Invoices issued for additional facility hire
BUCS – Fixtures commence Review matrix spend (clubs informed of remaining funding from BUCS matrix allocation) Participation Development B:Active sessions commence
February
March
REDS Awards – Nomination forms sent to club captains & coaches for the RED, Director’s, Wellbeing & Inclusivity Awards
Facility Matrix – New clubs express interest in the Matrix
Facility Matrix – SEH Access Passes data collection for next year’s Facility Matrix process
BUCS – League and cup fixtures end (with the exception of summer competitions) REDS Awards – Nominations for Awards open
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August Head Coaches/Coordinators Pre-Season – Delivery commences
June Strength & Conditioning – Clubs informed of allocation and venues/spaces for new season
Participation Development – Introduce B:Active sessions, partnership opportunity
Pre-Season – Information and expression of interest sent to all clubs re pre- season dates
University Event support – UG Open Day - clubs support student recruitment
BUCS – Deadline for BUCS entries for next academic year
April BUCS – Team entries open for next academic year Invoices send for additional BUCS expenditure REDS Awards – Nominations for Awards close Facility Matrix – Deadline for the first round of facility allocation request, SEH allocate round 1 of facility allocation and the second round of chargeable allocation requests opens
May Facility Matrix – Deadline for second round of chargeable allocation requests, issuing of round two facility allocations and any feedback or swaps to be submitted to the Facilities Team REDS Awards – Tickets available for the awards ceremony
BUCS – Discussion with clubs regarding Team entries Invoices issued to clubs for BUCS overspend on travel
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SPORT, EXERCISE & HEALTH DIVISION
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Introduction Dear Student Leader, The University of Bristol has adopted a student-led approach to the development and management of #WeAreBristol Sports Clubs. I believe this means that you, as a student leader, play a more active role in delivering club sport than students at any other institution across the country. In order to recognise the central role you play, and to assist you in your duties within your club, the Sport, Exercise and Health Division (S.E.H) have developed the Sport, Exercise & Health Sports Club Guide. The Sport, Exercise & Health Sports Club Guide provides critical information about the relationship between a sports club and S.E.H. It details the range of support, expertise and resources offered to clubs by S.E.H, and outlines the key processes, dates and contact points to allow you to engage productively with the division and maximize the support you receive. I’m sure every club aims to provide an inclusive, fun, and well-resourced environment for students. To achieve this outcome, a strong and productive relationship between club and division is essential. The Sport, Exercise & Health Sports Club Guide provides a framework for this positive relationship to grow, develop, and ultimately, deliver an outstanding experience for your members.
Student sports clubs are a critical part of the division’s offer to students. It is therefore important that the process we adopt to allocate resource to clubs is in line with the division’s strategic priorities: 1.Improving Health and Wellbeing Increase the physical activity levels of our university community, driven by a focus on health and wellbeing. Work with internal and external partners to ensure the benefits of physical activity are part of a ‘joined up’ approach to student and staff health. 2. Supporting our Community to Thrive Provide an inspirational and inclusive sport and physical activity service that allows everyone across our community to thrive and reach their potential. 3. Developing Communities and Sense of Belonging Use the power of sport and physical activity to enable our community to meet like minded people, develop lifelong friendships and build connections with the university.
I wish you every success over the next 12 months. Best wishes, Matt Birch Director of Sport, Exercise and Health
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Contents Facility Matrix
p7
Finance Policy & Escalation Process
p12
Coaching Support
p13
S&C
p15
BUCS
p17
Participation Development
p27
Game Changers
p28
Pre-Season
p30
Trailblazers
p32
Derby Day
p32
Additional Services
p35
Injury Support Group
p35
Bristol Reds Awards
p39
The BRIT Challenge
p41
Appendix
p42
Sport, Exercise and Health - Staff Management Team
Business Development Team
Matt Birch - Director of Sport Exercise & Health matt.birch@bristol.ac.uk
Zaneta Nedza - Deputy Business Development Manager ka19711@bristol.ac.uk
John Wilford - Sport & Health Manager john.wilford@bristol.ac.uk
Vicky Dickson - Business
Gordon Aitken - Facilities & Operations Manager gordon.aitken@bristol.ac.uk
Kirsty Tomlinson Events Manager kirsty.tomlinson@bristol.ac.uk
Andy Trott - Director of Tennis andy.trott@bristol.ac.uk
SEH Communications & Marketing Team SEH-comms@bristol.ac.uk
James Rowntree - Group Health & Fitness Manager james.rowntree@bristol.ac.uk
Will Horsley - Sports Administrator (BUCS) performance-sport@bristol.ac.uk
Matt Paine - Performance Sport Manager matt.paine@bristol.ac.uk Jo Blackett - Business Development Manager jo.blackett@bristol.ac.uk
Development Officer vicky.dickson@bristol.ac.uk
Sport & Physical Activity Team Joe Leaver - Development Officer (Inclusion) joe.leaver@bristol.ac.uk
Molly Poulter Williams - Development Officer (Wellbeing) molly.williams@bristol.ac.uk Lorna Hatch - Development Officer (Health) lorna.hatch@bristol.ac.uk Laura McCaffery - Development Officer (Sport) jx23090@bristol.ac.uk Performance Sport Team Will Ruscombe-King Lead Strength & Conditioning Coach will.ruscombe-king@bristol.ac.uk Operations Team Caitlin Crawford (Aquatics Manager) Stefano Ronchi (Centre Manager - Indoor Sports Centre) Jacob Garrett (Centre Manager - Coombe Dingle Sports Complex)
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S.E.H Facility Allocation Matrix Key changes: The key change to the process for the 2027 process is clubs will be able to submit their scoring from October. The closing date for the submission of all scoring criteria will be 8 March. Please visit the new Facility Matrix webpage for more information.
ensure that the SEH Access Pass additional set up is completed in UnionCloud. The total number of club members (who have purchased the Access Pass) will be assessed on 1st February each year and will be used to inform this metric for the following academic year. The S.E.H Access Pass contributes to the following support provided by the Sport, Exercise and Health Division: • Access to training sessions that take place on S.E.H and S.E.H funded facilities • Access to facilities for BUCS and matches
The Facility Allocation Matrix is the process clubs need to go through to apply for facility time for their club. Through demonstrating how their club meet the criteria presented, the club will be allocated a proportion of non-chargeable training hours and have the opportunity to apply for additional training hours at 25% of the normal hire cost (up to a maximum agreed level, see below). All club members will be expected to purchase the S.E.H Access Pass to attend sessions on University of Bristol or University of Bristol funded facilities.
Eligibility – The criteria for clubs to become part of the process are: Affiliation to Bristol SU Be awarded Bristol SU Accreditation annually Minimum of a student coach Minimum entry to a local league/competition The maximum number of clubs that will be supported by the S.E.H Facility Matrix each year is 40.
S.E.H Access Pass – All students who attend training sessions will be required to have a valid S.E.H Access Pass which will be automatically added to your basket when purchasing your student club membership (at the cost of £26) through UnionCloud (Bristol SU). It will be the responsibility of the club committee to
• Administration support for BUCS including entries, scheduling travel and other expenditure • Access to support services provided by the S.E.H Performance Sport and Sport and Physical Activity Team which includes: Strength & Conditioning - in-person and virtual Club Development support Workforce Development support - including bursary support for training Volunteer opportunities which can be used as part of the Bristol PLUS Award Opportunities to support participation through the B:Active programme and/or other entry level activities
Prioritisation – Once the division's student activity programmes are timetabled, each student sports club's free allocation will be prioritised in the allocation process. Additional facility requests will be considered from student clubs (alongside other SEH programmes, Intramural and partner bookings) and will be charged at 25% of the normal rate. The number of additional hours that can be purchased at this rate will be capped at the number of non-chargeable hours allocated (in round 1 of the process). Any further facilities requests will be chargeable at the normal student groups rate of 50% of the standard hire costs.
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Prioritisation of S.E.H Facility Bookings S.E.H programmes Round/requests from matrix sports clubs Intramural, Bristol SU sports clubs, partner bookings, additional student club requests (including round 2 request from matrix sports clubs) Commercial (regular community hire clubs) Ad hoc requests (Student & Staff Groups, Community users)
Day of the week
Off-peak times
Monday
opening – 3.30pm
3.30pm – close
Tuesday
opening – 3.30pm
3.30pm – close
Wednesday
opening – 3.30pm
3.30pm – close
Thursday
opening – 3.30pm
3.30pm – close
Friday
opening – 3.30pm
3.30pm – close
Saturday
All operating hours, all sites
n/a
Sunday
All operating hours, all sites
n/a
Allocation matrix – Each club’s first round of (non-chargeable) facility allocation will be allocated on a club’s score against metrics (see criteria), which are organised under four key headings: Participation; Performance, Quality of Session and Community. The second round of chargeable facility allocations will be reviewed holistically across all clubs’ second round applications.
Allocation per club – Each hour of free facility time a club is allocated will be based on the playing area required for a competitive fixture in the sport, where applicable. The detail of a playing area for each club is detailed in the appendix on p.42.
Peak/off peak allocations – A club will receive non-chargeable hours split between off peak and peak times. We will offer a facility allocation in the time-slot based on the outcome of the process. If your club does not accept the offer made through the matrix then an alternative is not automatically provided. We will work with your club to review alternatives after the completion of the Facility Matrix process.
Peak times
S.E.H reserve the right to adjust peak and off peak hours
External facilities – Where S.E.H are unable to provide a suitable facility for a club, the division will support the sourcing of external facilities and cover the hire charge for the club’s non-chargeable hours allocation. Where a club requires additional facility time (beyond the free allocation), that cannot be facilitated within S.E.H facilities, the division will support the club to find alternative venues, but the full cost of the booking will be met by the club.
Timeline –
SPORTS CLUB GUIDE
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The process for allocating each club’s facility allocation will begin in March and conclude by end of June each year. The 2027 timeline is detailed here:
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Facility Allocation Timeline for 2027
October 2026 Launch of new platform for submitting evidence against criteria for 2027 scoring process
3 May Deadline for the second round of matrix request form from clubs
8 March Deadline for completion of matrix scoring submissions
w/c 8 March Deadline for the first round of facility allocation requests
w/c 26 April Initial club allocation published and requests for round 2 applications opens
w/c 17 May Issue Second round of facility allocations. Swap period begins
15 March Round 1 of facility allocation requests opens - in priority order. Form circulated to Club Captains
w/c 19 April SEH Facilities Team allocate first round of facilities
30 May Any feedback / swaps to be submitted to Facilities Team
11 April Deadline for the first round of facility allocation requests
By 11 June All letters / financial commitments confirmed with clubs and final timetable published
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Criteria Metric/Measures
Spinal Points
Points/Sessions/Credits
PARTICIPATION Access Pass (club numbers taken on 1 Feb 2027)
250+
3
200-249
2
150-199
1.5
101-149
1
<100
0.5
TOTAL
/3 Club has a B:Active club partnership agreement with Sport, Exercise and Points/Sessions/Credits Heath
Bonus Point Metric/Measure s
Spinal Points
TOTAL PARTICIPATION SCORE
1 /4
PERFORMANCE - Competition /1
Note: points awarded for the team competing at the highest level only
4
/4
BUCS (British University and College Sport) Premier Tier (National or North/South) or NGB competition
4
BUCS Tier 1 (Upper Regional Tier) or NGB competition
3
BUCS Tier 2 and below (Lower Regional Tier) or NGB competition
2
Local League (Bristol and District)
1
TOTAL Bonus Point - club supports Bristol TOTAL COMPETITION SCORE SU/S.E.H Intramural programme
/4 /4
Bristol SU/S.E.H Intramural
TOTAL COMPETITION SCORE
/1 /5
QUALITY OF SESSION Coaching and club
Contact
Facilities Team - seh-bookings@bristol.ac.uk Vicky Dickson (Business Development Officer) - vicky.dickson@bristol.ac.uk
Bonus Point – club make a financial contribution to additional coach or qualified leader.
Full time coach (30 hours plus) employed by S.E.H
3
Part time coach or coordinator employed by S.E.H (14 hours per week plus)
2
Part time (less than 14 hours)
1
Student Coach or Leader (e.g. Game Changers Qualification)
0.5
Club Funding
/1 /4
10
Bristol SU Group Accreditation 1 of 3
Gold Award
2
Score awarded from 2025/26
Silver Award
1
Bronze Award
0.5 /2
Bonus Point – Bristol SU equality, diversity and inclusion accreditation point achieved
/1
TOTAL QUALITY OF SESSION SCORE
/7
COMMUNITY Trailblazers
Over 50% attendance
1 /1
Hold an event as part of the BRIT Challenge
BRIT Challenge
1 /1
Participate (team representation) in Derby Day
Derby Day
1 /1
Evidence of sustainable kit purchased from Surridge Sport
Sustainable kit
/1
TOTAL COMMUNITY SCORE
/4
TOTAL
/20
Facility Allocation Based on Matrix Highest scoring 5 clubs
Peak
Off-peak
Top 1-5 scoring clubs
3 hours
3 hours
Top 6 – 10 scoring clubs
2.5 hours
2.5 hours
Top 11 – 15 scoring clubs
2 hours
2 hours
Top 16 – 20 scoring clubs
1.5 hours
1.5 hours
Top 21 – 30 scoring clubs
1 hour
1 hour
Top 31 – 40 scoring clubs
0 hours
1 hour
How does a club’s matrix score relate to the free facility time they will receive? Additional facility allocation is provided for mixed-gender clubs where the BUCS leagues/competitions specify that competition categories are separated by gender. This is not automatically applied to sports that compete in BUCS events. * Note – if two or more clubs gain the same number of matrix points, we will use total number of members in each club to differentiate between them.
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Finance Policy Payment terms for University of Bristol issued invoices in 30 days University of Bristol Credit Control will contact the SU (who will liaise with clubs) regarding overdue invoices from day 31 – 60 (no additional bookings will be made for clubs with outstanding Facility hire invoices and no expenses or travel bookings will be processed for BUCS if BUCS invoices).
If invoice has not been paid by day 90 – S.E.H. (Business Development Manager) will contact the clubs outlining that a meeting is required to discuss the outstanding debts and re-iterate the impact of not paying the invoice (as below). If no response is received then it will be moved to the escalation process (as outlined below).
S.E.H. (Business Services Coordinator) will contact the club from day 61 if debt is still outstanding – final warning.
Escalation Process Facilities and hospitality outstanding invoices First notification – UOB Credit Control Second notification – Business Services Coordinator No additional bookings for facilities will be made until the payment is made Final notification – Business Development Manager requesting meeting (with Bristol SU notification) If payment is not received any chargeable facilities will be withdrawn If payment is not received within 1 month the club will be suspended from applying for facilities through the S.E.H. Facility Matrix process
BUCS outstanding invoices First notification – UOB Credit Control Second notification – Business Services Coordinator
Final notification – Business Development Manager requests meeting (with Bristol SU notification) If payment is not received coaching or S&C support will be suspended until payment is received If payment is not received within 1 month the club may have their team entries into BUCS reduced for the following season.
Coordinators outstanding invoices SPORTS CLUB GUIDE
First notification – UOB Credit Control Second notification – Business Services Coordinator
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Final notification – Business Development Manager requests meeting (with Bristol SU notification) If payment is not received within 1 month the Coordinator contract may not be renewed at the end of the existing period.
No additional BUCS expenses or travel bookings will be processed / made until the debt is cleared
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Coaching Support Club Support Packages This section outlines the type of coaching resource that is allocated to support our student sports clubs in BUCS (British University College Sport) and competitions. This includes coaching roles, and responsibilities, and outlines the process clubs should follow to apply for coaching support. Clubs will need to be able to produce a strategic plan that showcases why adding in this role will support the club's growth and drive its aims for Performance.
Coaching Roles – 2026-27
Details
Full Time Member of Staff – 35 hours per week, annual contract.
Head Coach – Full-time
Application process: Clubs interested in securing a Head Coach position must contact the Director of Sport, Exercise & Health with details of the club funding available to support the position and strategic outcomes the post will deliver for the club. New Head Coach positions will only be considered from clubs where a Coordinator role is in place. See Appendix for Job Description
Two-year fixed term position (option to extend following review) – 14 hours per week, annual contract.
Coordinator Role – Parttime
Application process: Applications will only be considered from clubs who are competing in BUCS/National Level competition The club must contribute £5,000 per year for a min of 2 years Clubs receive the benefit of S&C support as part of this package. Clubs’ attendance at this is expected weekly Please note, there is a limit on the number of coordinator posts S.E.H can employ See Appendix for Job Description
Clubs must contact Matt Paine to express an interest in a Coordinator position.
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Hourly paid Coach contracted for between 6-8 hrs. per week across two/three terms depending on the playing season. Eligibility: Hourly Paid Coach – Part-time (Sept to April/June)
BUCS point total (highest total 1st teams) in order. Clubs who have a Head Coach or Coordinator are not eligible for a HPT coach as well. Prerequisites to be considered for HPT coaching resources: • A team in the Premier/National League in BUCS • Bristol SU Group Accreditation- min. Gold Accreditation • Clubs must be affiliated to Bristol SU (Students Union) and have a minimum of 30 club members to qualify for any of the above coaching resources
Contact • Matt Paine (Performance Sport Manager) - matt.paine@bristol.ac.uk • Matt Birch (Director of Sport, Exercise and Health) - matt.birch@bristol.ac.uk
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Strength and Conditioning (S&C) What is Strength and Conditioning? We offer a leading strength and conditioning programme within the UK university sector to improve the performance of our sports teams. Our philosophy is based on our long-term athlete development model: Prevent, Prepare, Perform. Our first stage is to develop physical qualities to prevent injury so you can train with your coaches, then prepare the underpinning physical ability for performance to these key physical abilities in line with priority fixtures or times of the season.
Fundamental Values of S&C: Turn Up, Work Hard, Have Fun. Whilst the outcome of S&C is to improve performance, we don’t care who is the strongest, fittest, or fastest. All we care about is the process of this. This is embodied by our core values.
Turn up, Work Hard, Have Fun.
Staffing Structure
S&C support
Head Coach
2- sessions p/wk, with resource allocated in collaboration with Head Coach
Coordinat or
2- sessions p/wk, with resource allocated in collaboration with the club’s Coordinator
HPT Coach
2 p/wk in line with technic al training where possible
What do clubs need to do to be considered for S&C? Clubs who are interested in S&C need to contact our S&C Team to discuss your club's options.
The outcome of this process is attendance. We have an expectation that individuals will attend a minimum of 85% of sessions. Due to the capacity of the gym, and to ensure this is a safe and effective space, S&C squads will be capped relative to the sport size and timetable. The total capacity of the gym is 40. Whilst we may use training or physical data from time to time to make sure we are maximising your physical development and provide training direction, the only metric which individuals and clubs are accountable to is attendance. Simply put, we can only do our job if you turn up to sessions. S.E.H reserves the right to withdraw S&C support from clubs who aren’t achieving attendance expectations.
Contact • Matt Paine (Performance Sport Manager) - matt.paine@bristol.ac.uk • Will Ruscombe-King (Lead Strength & Conditioning Coach) - will.ruscombe-king@bristol.ac.uk
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S&C Programme -Term 1 Athletes 17 Aug to 11 Sept
26 Oct to 31 Oct
26 Nov to 11 Dec
21 Dec to 1 Jan
Graft during the best
Off where possible
Move to 1 required, 1
Completed Christmas
time of the year
depending on
optional S&C session
programme
Athlete’s opportunity to
competition structure
(two weeks prior to
Athlete’s opportunity to
demonstrate their
(we will give you as much
exams)
reset for Term 2, taking
inclusion in the
time off as possible)
Term 1 to Consolidation Week
performance suqad
Consolidation Week +3
advantage to recover and prepare for Term 2
End of Nov to end of BUCS
Consolidation Week
Preseason
Exam period
11 Sept to 23 Oct
Winter vacation
2 Nov to 24 Nov
14 Dec to 18 Dec
Full training schedule - start the year as
3 weeks to “go again”
Exam period -
you mean to go on
following Reading Week
programme finished for
Top-up conditioning for those who need it
term
Athletes accountable for attendance data from selection of S&C Squad
S&C Programme -Term 1 Athletes 17 Aug to 11 Sept
26 Oct to 31 Oct
26 Nov to 11 Dec
21 Dec to 1 Jan
Graft during the best
Off where possible
Move to 1 required, 1
Completed Christmas
time of the year
depending on
optional S&C session
programme
Athlete’s opportunity to
competition structure
(two weeks prior to
Athlete’s opportunity to
demonstrate their
(we will give you as much
exams)
reset for Term 2, taking
inclusion in the
time off as possible)
advantage to recover
performance squad
and prepare for Term 2 Term 1 to Consolidation Week
End of Nov to end of BUCS
Consolidation Week
Preseason
Exam period
Consolidation Week + 3
11 Sept to 23 Oct
Winter vacation
2 Nov to 24 Nov
14 Dec to 18 Dec
Full training schedule - start the
3 weeks to “go again”
Exam period -
year as you mean to go on
following Reading Week
programme finished for
Top-up conditioning for those who
term
need it Athletes accountable for attendance data from selection of S&C Squad
S&C Programme - Term 3 Head Coaches & S&C Team 24 May to 28 May
12 Apr to 3 May Summer competitions (if
31 May to 13 Aug
16 Aug - 10 Sept
Summer competitions (were applicable)
applicable)
Everyone else: Win Wednesdays now -
Term 3 profiling - all
huge opportunity to physically develop
returners must complete
ahead of next season
End of Term
Exam period
Post exams Week
Term 3
5 May to 21 May Use S&C to improve your academic work Develop physical qualities as much as possible in line with academics
End of Term Summer vacation
31 May
Preseason
1 Jun - 13 Aug
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BUCS Competition “What is BUCS?” BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) is the National Governing Body for competitive, performance-level inter-university sport. The University of Bristol is a BUCS Member Institution, and we can enter representative teams in BUCS-run Leagues and Events to earn our institution BUCS points. BUCS is a fantastic opportunity for you and your club-mates to play high-level, competitive sport and represent your university in fixtures against other institutions.
“Who participates in BUCS Competitions?” Clubs who are affiliated with Bristol SU are eligible to compete in BUCS by evidencing continued, sustainably high member numbers (30+), strong club development practices (such as engagement in the Bristol SU Group Accreditation system) and participation in non-BUCS leagues and events in their discipline. BUCS Competition suits student-athletes looking to engage in high-level competitive sport alongside their studies.
“Who facilitates BUCS Competition at the University of Bristol?” Our BUCS Programme is managed by the Sport, Exercise and Health (S.E.H) Division of the University of Bristol. Each Member Institution will have at least one BUCS Institute Administrator (IA) (Sports Administrator (BUCS & Competitions) - William Horsley) that administrates representative teams’ fixtures. Institute Administrators and Club Captains will both use the BUCS Play app, developed by BUCS, to jointly administer BUCS competitions.
S.E.H BUCS League Responsibilities: Communicate with BUCS Schedule fixtures Allocate facilities Book & schedule coach travel Communicate with other institutions
Club BUCS League Responsibilities: • Sign up to BUCS Play • Enter team sheets for league fixtures • Enter scores for league fixtures • Fulfil your fixture
My club is participating in BUCS Leagues next season – what do I need to know?” If your club will be competing in BUCS competition next season, specifically in a league format, we would like you to be familiar with the details of BUCS competition, BUCS regulations and how S.E.H will administrate and support your club’s campaign. BUCS participation comes with associate financial costs. S.E.H finances entries to BUCS competitions, and affiliation to BUCS for competing clubs. S.E.H also allocate funding for transport and accommodation. The total figure allocated to each club will be confirmed in August each year. Details of your club’s expenditure will be available via the S.E.H BUCS Club Spend Tracker. Clubs will be contacted to with updates of their spend in January and the invoices for overspend will be issued in April.
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S.E.H will organise coach transport for teams upon
Club and team captains have a range of
request with alternative options being driving /
administrative responsibilities to conduct before
taking public transport, with smaller teams driving
and after league fixtures. These will be conducted
/ taking public transport to fixtures and claiming
via the BUCS Play app, and include uploading
back fuel costs. Cost of transport / claim is
team sheets and entering scores on the BUCS
deducted from the allocated funding support for
Play App.
the club and can be tracked on the S.E.H BUCS Spend Tracker. Clubs can opt-out of S.E.H organised transport.
S.E.H BUCS Event Responsibilities: • Communicate with BUCS • Communicate with other institutions
BUCS League Timeline Team Entry Review April Team Entered
• Approve entries
Club BUCS Event Responsibilities: Contact Institute Administrator expressing interest Sign up to BUCS Play Provide athlete / competitor list
May
Enter your event
Season Calendar and Leagues Announced
Book transport
June/July
Book accommodation
Fixtures Announced July Welcome Back & Pre-Season August BUCS Team Training August BUCS Team Training
“My club is participating in BUCS Events next season – what do I need to know?” If your club will be competing in BUCS competition next season, specifically in BUCS events, we would like you to be familiar with the details of BUCS competition, BUCS regulations and how S.E.H will administrate and support your club’s events.
August BUCS Leagues Start September Winter Break Starts Mid-December BUCS Leagues Recommence Mid-January BUCS Premier Tier Playoffs
SEH finance BUCS affiliation and a set value of entries (communicated by SEH before the season) with the club covering the cost of any above this value. S.E.H will also provide financial support for transport and accommodation costs – your club will be provided with their funding amount in July prior to the beginning of the season.
March/April
Individual athletes must register for BUCS events on BUCS Play – these athletes can then be approved and BUCS leagues begin in late-September, and run through to April, with a winter break between mid-December and mid-January. Predominantly, fixtures take place on a Wednesday, however teams will occasionally be required to compete on other weekdays or weekends.
entered by our Institute Administrator.
“My club is interested in joining BUCS competition in the future – what do I need to know?” BUCS Competition takes the form of leagues with regular fixtures, or one-off events. You can find out the format of your sport on the BUCS sports webpage: https://www.bucs.org.uk/compete/sports.html 18
Clubs wishing to enter our BUCS programme need to have a member base of 30+ and evidence of competing in non-BUCS national or local leagues or competitions. Once an expression of interest is received, we would meet with the club to discuss the demands of BUCS competition – the commitment e.g. long days, administrative responsibilities, financial costs, and the requirement to fulfil every single scheduled fixture. The Team Review process begins in April, with team entries finalised in May. If your club is interested in joining our BUCS programme and competing in BUCS Leagues or Events, please contact performance-sport@bristol.ac.uk before the Team Review process begins.
Fixture Changes Fixtures are scheduled and released by BUCS in July. Our internal teams then begin work coordinating facilities, medical, travel, and other servic es for these fixtures. Fixtures will not be moved following the 1st October unless there is an issue with one of the following: weather, facilities or national health guidelines.
Walkovers By entering into BUCS all your clubs’ teams are expected to fulfil all of their fixtures. Conceding walkovers has financial as well as performance implications through fines and loss of BUCS points. Therefore, any club that concedes a walkover will receive a £100 reduction in S.E.H BUCS Funding for the subsequent season. I.e. a club that concedes one walkover in the 2026/27 season will have £100 taken away from their S.E.H BUCS Matrix Allocation for the 2027/28 season.
Consolidation Weeks On consolidation (reading) weeks (26th - 30th October 2026 and 22nd – 26th February 2027) clubs will need to fulfil their fixture. Clubs entering into BUCS are committing to playing a full season and this includes fixtures on these weeks. Do not expect there to be any less of a fixture schedule on these weeks (league or cup).
Training and Playing Kit
The ordering process:
Surridge Sport are the Sport, Exercise and Health Division’s kit partner. Surridge Sport are able to provide a range of training and playing kit at competitive prices. Surridge should be consulted to provide a quote before the purchase of any training or playing kit. The University works with Surridge to provide competitive quotes and bulk purchase discounts for our student clubs and this should be the first enquiry point for new purchases. SEH understand that Surridge Sport may not always be able to meet all your requirements but we strongly recommend that you contact them when considering a new purchase.
a. Contact our Account Manager to discuss your needs (Danny Villa - danny@surridgesport.com). Requests should include any embellishments you would like on your training or playing kit (for example sponsors prints, names, initials, committee positions). b. Discuss how you would like to purchase your products (either in bulk or through your club’s own webshop on the Surridge Sport website) c. Place an order: https://university-bristol.surridgesport.com/en
Contact • Matt Paine (Performance Sport Manager) - matt.paine@bristol.ac.uk • Will Horsley (Sports Administrator - BUCS & Competitions) - performance-sport@bristol.ac.uk
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BUCS League Glossary Topic
Information
BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) is the National Governing Body for competitive, performance-level inter-university sport. BUCS Competition
The University of Bristol is a BUCS Member Institution, and we can enter representative teams in BUCS Leagues and Events to earn our institution BUCS points. Our BUCS Programme is managed by the Sport, Exercise and Health (S.E.H) Division of the University of Bristol.
S.E.H will survey clubs in April that have expressed an interest in BUCS competition prior to the BUCS team entry deadline (see timeline). BUCS League Entries
Survey responses will be reviewed, alongside previous performances and meetings will take place with captains where necessary. Following the outcomes S.E.H will confirm team entries for the following season in May. Please note that no teams can be entered beyond the BUCS team entry deadline in May.
BUCS League Funding Support
S.E.H provides funding support to clubs competing in BUCS competitions. Clubs entering teams to participate in BUCS Leagues will be funded based on the number of teams they have entered. Clubs will be able to track S.E.H Funding Support on the S.E.H BUCS Spend Tracker spreadsheet. Access to the S.E.H BUCS Spend Tracker will be made available to clubs in their ‘Welcome Back!’ email in August each year. A club will be invoiced for any spend that exceeds their S.E.H Funding Support allocation. An invoice will be sent to clubs at the end of the season.
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BUCS League Dates
League dates can be found in BUCS Appendix 2A: https://www.bucs.org.uk/rules-and-regulations/general-regulations/appendices.html Leagues will have a start date and a league deadline date – all fixtures must be completed before the league deadline date, or they will be declared void.
BUCS Regulations
Please find all BUCS Regulations on the BUCS regulations webpages: https://www.bucs.org.uk/rules-and-regulations/general-regulations.html It is crucial that all club captains, team captains and club members familiarise themselves with the BUCS Regulations before any fixtures are played.
Club/Team Captain Administrative Responsibilities
Club and team captains are responsible for overseeing squad sign-ups, uploading teamsheets and entering scores for every fixture that takes place. These administrative procedures are conducted on BUCS Play (app or browser). This is an app developed by BUCS for the administration of BUCS competition by Institute Administrators and Club Captains. Clubs and teams that do not conduct the above administrative processes are liable to forfeit fixtures, receive substantial fines from BUCS and receive bans from BUCS competition. Please find guidance on these processes below: Signing-up your squad: https://bucsappsupport.zendesk.com/hc/engb/articles/360034865312-How-to-join-your-team Selecting your team: https://bucsappsupport.zendesk.com/hc/engb/articles/360033678411-Selecting-your-team-sheet-for-matches-on-app Entering your scores: https://bucsappsupport.zendesk.com/hc/engb/articles/360033677731-Entering-results-on-app
BUCS Transport
Clubs will be consulted on travel plans for the year in pre-season. S.E.H will organise coach transport for teams upon request with alternative options being driving / taking public transport with clubs claiming back costs. Cost of transport is deducted from the allocated funding support for the club and can be tracked on the S.E.H BUCS Spend Tracker.
Student athletes can claim costs accrued from travel to BUCS fixtures in certain circumstances. Please read the Claims Guide in the appendix carefully. Expense Claim Portal link for 2026/27 will be shared ahead of the season to clubs. BUCS Claims
Forms returned later than 2 weeks following the date of BUCS fixture may not be processed.
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BUCS Sanctions
S.E.H reserve the right to remove BUCS resourcing for the following season if a club: is unable to fulfil a fixture and concedes a walkover contacts opposition Institute Administrators without prior S.E.H contact consumes alcohol on S.E.H organised transport bring the University of Bristol BUCS Programme into disrepute
BUCS Emergency Contacts
If you have a non-urgent enquiry, please email performance-sport@bristol.ac.uk. If you have an urgent enquiry on the day of a fixture, please contact our Institute Administrator on 07973 839903. Our Institute Administrator will be contactable Monday-Friday. For fixtures taking place over the weekend, we will endeavour to swap Captains’ contact details so that teams can contact each other in case of emergency.
If you experience violence, discrimination or anything that makes you uncomfortable during your BUCS fixture, it is within your rights to walk away from the fixture and report this incident to our Performance Sport team at performance-sport@bristol.ac.uk.
Playing Under Protest
If you arrive at a fixture and believe the opposition/officials are acting in breach of a BUCS Regulation (e.g. not enough referees, wrong court markings, inappropriate equipment), and you/your athletes are not in immediate danger, please fill in a Playing Under Protest form (Appendix 8): https://www.bucs.org.uk/rules-and-regulations/ general-regulations/appendices.html and submit this to performance-sport@bristol.ac.uk The form is to be filled out as soon as you become aware of the breach of regulation. If you start or continue to play under such conditions, you will have been deemed to have accepted them and therefore likely to be unsuccessful in your appeal. This will then be submitted to BUCS and judged by a BUCS panel, with sanctions applied accordingly. Please find the Playing Under Protest regulations under BUCS Regulation 12: https://www.bucs.org.uk/rules-and-regulations/general-regulations/reg-12-playingunder-protest.html Please note, you will not be able to Play Under Protest unless you have uploaded your team sheet on BUCS Play.
Official Playing Kit
All clubs representing the University of Bristol will be expected to wear official Surridge playing kit. If Surridge are unable to provide an appropriate standard of kit for a specific sport, then a club will be able to source alternative kit, once agreement has been given by S.E.H. Please contact danny@surridgesport.com to find our more information about the kit purchase process.
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BUCS Events Glossary
Topic
Information
BUCS (British University and College Sport) is the National Governing Body for competitive, performance-level inter-university sport. BUCS Competition
The University of Bristol is a BUCS Member Institution, and we can enter representative teams in BUCS Leagues and Events to earn our institution BUCS points. Our BUCS Programme is managed by the Sport, Exercise and Health (S.E.H) Division of the University of Bristol.
BUCS Events
BUCS Event Entries
S.E.H BUCS Event Funding Support Application
BUCS Events are isolated competitions that happen sporadically throughout the year across many sports. Some clubs will only have BUCS Events for their sports, whereas some clubs with have both League and Event competition available to them.
Student athletes apply for events via BUCS Play. These applications are reviewed by our Institute Administrator and then approved/rejected. Guidance on how to apply for events can be found on the How to Enter BUCS Events webpage: https://www.bucs.org.uk/compete/sports.html
Clubs will be awarded a set amount of funding before the beginning of the season. This is based on a calculation using two key metrics – BUCS Points earned over 2 trailing seasons, and club memberships over 1 trailing season. Clubs will then be permitted to claim back transport and accommodation expenses using the process detailed in the ‘BUCS Claims’ section of this document. SEH will reimburse up to the club’s allocated funding.
Club and team captains are responsible for overseeing squad sign-ups and ensuring all competitors have applied to enter your BUCS Event on BUCS Play. Club/Team Captain Administrative Responsibilities
Please find guidance on how to do this below: Signing-up your Squad: https://bucsappsupport.zendesk.com/hc/engb/articles/360034865312-How-to-join-your-team • How to Enter your Event: https://www.bucs.org.uk/compete/sports.html
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BUCS Claims
Student athletes can claim costs accrued from travel to BUCS fixtures in certain circumstances. Expense Claim Portal link for 2026/27 will be shared ahead of the season to clubs. Forms returned later than 2 weeks following the date of BUCS fixture may not be processed.
S.E.H reserve the right to remove BUCS resourcing for the following season if a club: BUCS Sanctions
is unable to fulfil a fixture and concedes a walkover contacts opposition Institute Administrators without prior S.E.H contact, consumes alcohol on S.E.H organised transport bring the University of Bristol BUCS Programme into disrepute
If you have a non-urgent enquiry, please email performance-sport@bristol.ac.uk.
BUCS Emergency Contacts
If you have an urgent enquiry on the day of a fixture, please contact our Institute Administrator on 07973 839903. Our Institute Administrator will be contactable Monday-Friday. For fixtures taking place over the weekend, we will endeavour to swap Captains’ contact details so that teams can contact each other in case of emergency.
If you experience violence, discrimination or anything that makes you uncomfortable during your BUCS fixture, it is within your rights to walk away from the fixture and report this incident to our Performance Sport team at performance-sport@bristol.ac.uk.
Playing Under Protest
If you arrive at a fixture and believe the opposition/officials are acting in breach of a BUCS Regulation (e.g. not enough referees, wrong court markings, inappropriate equipment), and you/your athletes are not in immediate danger, please fill in a Playing Under Protest form (Appendix 8): https://www.bucs.org.uk/rules-and-regulations/ general-regulations/appendices.html and submit this after your fixture to performancesport@bristol.ac.uk. This will then be submitted to BUCS and judged by a BUCS panel, with sanctions applied accordingly. Please find the Playing Under Protest regulations under BUCS Regulation 12: https://www.bucs.org.uk/rules-and-regulations/generalregulations/reg-12-playing-under-protest.html Please note, you will not be able to Play Under Protest unless you have uploaded your team sheet on BUCS Play.
Official Playing Kit
All clubs representing the University of Bristol will be expected to wear official Surridge playing kit. Please contact danny@surridgesport.com to find our more information about the kit purchase process.
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BUCS Checklist Registering for BUCS Play – all your members must be registered by the start of the season. Allocate Team Captains – please do this on BUCS Play ahead of your first games in October. Attend a BUCS Catch Up Meeting – if you are competing in BUCS, you will be contacted by S.E.H during Pre-Season with meeting details. Re-affiliate – please reaffiliate your club with your sport’s National Governing Body (where applicable). View your Fixtures on BUCS Play – League fixtures will be available from July. For sports with stand-aloneevents, this calendar will be released in October Check your Funding – you will be provided access to the S.E.H BUCS Spend Tracker in your ‘Welcome Back!’ email. Print Playing Under Protest forms – these are available on the BUCS website Print two copies of your Paper Team Sheets – these are available on the BUCS website.
BUCS Playoffs Clubs who reach the BUCS playoffs will be provided with 2 x 90 minutes of training time during the Easter vacation period to assist with preparation for the events. These sessions will be specifically for the team who have reached the playoffs and therefore there may be an adjustment to the normal facility allocated as part of the Facility Matrix process (e.g. half a 3G rather than the whole pitch).
EUSA Competitions Clubs who successfully qualify and choose to participate in EUSA Competitions will be provided with 2 x 90 minutes of training time for an additional four weeks following the end of the allocated facilities through the SEH Facility Matrix process to assist with preparation for the events. These sessions will be specifically for the team who are participating in the EUSA Competition and therefore there may be an adjustment to the normal facility allocated as part of the Facility Matrix process (e.g. half a 3G rather than the whole pitch). Teams will also be allocated S&C support during this period.
Read the Regs – please familiarise yourself with the BUCS regulations for the season ahead. Please use the following address to access the comprehensive collection of regulations bucs.org.uk/rules-and-regulations.html
Sex, Gender and Trans Participation: BUCS, NGBs and the Equality Act. The University of Bristol are committed to ensuring that all activity is delivered in line with the Equality Act 2010, including protections for sex and gender reassignment, and the provisions for single sex sport where this is a proportionate means of achieving fairness or safety. The 2026 Draft Code of Practice clarifies how organisations should apply these provisions. In line with this, all decisions relating to eligibility for competitive sport will follow the rules of the relevant National Governing Body (NGB) and BUCS. This ensures consistency, fairness, and legal compliance across all student sport.
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Participation Development Being physically active on a regular basis is vital for our physical health and fitness, as well as mental wellbeing. It is important to a students’ experience at university that they have access to a range of physical activity, sport or exercise opportunities they can participate in alongside their studies. Participation in this context refers to opportunities that are usually non-competitive in nature and focus on creating a fun, social and inclusive environment in which to engage in physical activity. Opportunities should be inclusive and accessible to students from a range of backgrounds, abilities and experience levels. One of the key ways that we encourage participation at Bristol is via our B:Active programme.
B:Active B:Active is a programme of social fitness and sport sessions, exclusively for Bristol students. Our wide range of weekly sessions are all completely free, suitable for all abilities and happen at multiple locations across university campuses and residences. Students do not need a membership to join a B:Active session, and can try different sessions each week. We also provide all the equipment needed for each activity. We also aim to use B:Active to engage students who are underrepresented in sport and physical activity, to help our active community at Bristol to reflect the diversity within our wider student population.
Club Partnership Each year we partner with a number of student clubs and groups to offer sport-related activity to students, as part of the B:Active programme. As part of B:Active, these sessions are open to all students regardless of whether they are a member of your club.
Benefits of partnership with B:Active: • B :Active sessions help raise awareness of your sport and may lead to recruitment of new members to your club. • No need to use your own facility allocation as B:Active will provide additional facility time for your B:Active session. • Termly funding paid directly to your club in exchange for delivering your session on the programme. • Development opportunities for club members interested in gaining leadership and coaching experience.
Becoming a Club Partner: Each year we are able to offer some clubs the opportunity to be a B:Active partner. We aim to have partnership expressions of interest from clubs before the end of each academic year to inform our programme planning for the following year. This will include: • Why you would like to be a club partner • How your session will add value to the programme • An example session plan detailing the activities you would deliver We may request a meeting with a club representative to discuss the proposed session. If successful, we will put in place an agreement with your club over the summer for the planned activity your club commits to delivering. We will identify your responsibilities as a delivery partner and agree the funding that the club will receive at the end of each term on successful delivery of your sessions. Sessions will commence in September.
Sport and Physical Activity team Lorna Hatch – Development Officer (Health) Joe Leaver – Development Officer (Inclusion) Molly Poulter Williams – Development Officer (Wellbeing)
sport-active@bristol.ac.uk
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Game Changers VOLUNTEERING, LEADERSHIP & SKILL DEVELOPMENT Game Changers is the University of Bristol’s volunteering, leadership and skill development programme that utilises sport and physical activity to support students to build their skills profile. With opportunities to volunteer within local communities, gain new qualifications, and broaden your sport and physical activity knowledge, Game Changers is open to all students no matter your level of experience.
How to take part? Sign up either by selecting to take part in community volunteering or through our coach & officials support fund. All we ask is that you commit to a minimum of 10 volunteering hours in your chosen area or across multiple events. Game Changers runs continuously throughout the year to fit flexibly around your studies, allowing you to sign up at a time that works best for you.
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Sign up via Career Service selecting the Game Changes pathway
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Select how you are going to take part Enter your secured volunteering opportunity Enter your coaching or officiating course for approval
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Complete your 10 hours volunteering
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Log your volunteering hours and submit the necessary documents
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Receive your certificate
Looking to gain a coaching qualification? Visit: www.bristol.ac.uk/sport/participate/game-changers/
How Game Changers can support your club Community Volunteering Do you have an event coming up? Are you looking for volunteers to support its delivery? Share the event details with the Game Changers team and we can promote your volunteering opportunity with all our Game Changers participants and hopefully find some new volunteers for you. All opportunities are welcome, whether you are looking for one-off support or something longer term. Once you have your event details confirmed, either complete our volunteering request form or email the Game Changers team. The team will then review the request and once approved share it with all our Game Changers participants. All we ask if that you update the Game Changers team afterwards with who supported the event delivery.
Coach & official support fund: If you are interested in upskilling your club workforce, then Game Changers can help! We will cover 75% of the cost of a coaching or officiating course and travel up to £250. The remaining cost needs to be covered by the club or individual. This is a fantastic opportunity to empower your members to learn, lead, and support the club's growth! Whether you have one or a group of members you want to enroll in a coaching or officiating course, get in touch with the Game Changers team to start the process. The Game Changers team needs to approve your support request before you can book onto a course so get in touch with the team as soon as possible.
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Bristol PLUS Did you know you can use your volunteering hours gained through Game Changers as well as your committee role towards the Bristol PLUS Award? Great, we know! Get formal recognition on your degree transcript for your extra developments alongside your studies. What is the PLUS Award? It is the University of Bristol employability Award that is highly recommended by students, endorsed by employers and recorded on your degree transcript. Read more about the Award including how to sign up and timeframes for applications via the PLUS Award website.
Contact
Sport and Physical Activity Team - seh-gamechangers@bristol.ac.uk Laura McCaffery - (Development Officer) jx23090@bristol.ac.uk
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Pre-Season - August What is Pre-Season? Our pre-season has developed into a leading pre-season structure within the UK university sector. Simply put; it is the most important time of year to prepare for BUCS and your competitive season. We complete more training in preseason than any other block of the year - so that’s more training in 4 weeks of pre-season than the 12 weeks of term 1.
What do we offer HPT Coached sports clubs and all other clubs? Term time slots can be requested to commence the first week in September for pre-season training ahead of the start of the academic year.
With no academic pressure, this is the perfect time to improve performance, develop physically and technically, whilst having fun and making memories with your friends. When does it start? Pre-season will start in August for Head Coach and Coordinator sports, with all other sports starting in early September. What do we offer Head Coach and Coordinator Sports Clubs? 2 Technical sessions per day (Morning and Afternoon / Evening) = 8 per week 1 S&C session per day in the OWL = 4 per week Wednesdays and weekends off to recover and enjoy with friends 2 Home pre-season friendlies MDT Education Sessions - Sports Psyche, Nutrition, Physio and Lifestyle Catered breakfast and lunch for those returning in August (charges apply)
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How do we attend? An expression of interest form will be sent to all eligible clubs – Summer
Turn up in August or September, ready to go with your club and team mates
All clubs who are eligible and expressed an interest in taking part in pre-season will be sent email confirmation and update on information/training slots
Term Time programme
Complete your summer programmes as set by the S&C team to best prepare for pre-season. Due to the importance of pre-season and the opportunity we get to coach, educate and explain our processes, all those who attend S&C sessions in term are expected to attend all of their club’s pre-season Sign up via SEH form prior to attending your club’s first day pre-season, the link to preseason tickets will be sent to your club after you have expressed an interest in the Summer
To streamline your week, S&C sessions run where possible in conjunction with your technical training - i.e. S&C preceding technical training.
Pre-Season - January Pre-season in January is an opportunity to return following the winter break to prepare for the 2nd half of the season.
When does it start? Facility bookings resume from 4 January 2027.
Contact Matt Paine (Performance Sport Manager) - matt.paine@bristol.ac.uk Facilities Team - seh-bookings@bristol.ac.uk
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Trailblazers We aim to provide events to inspire, engage and inform new student leaders in sport clubs.
Trailblazers will provide tools and information to help club committees make positive change within their clubs.
We will provide a series of support for our sporting leaders to thrive in their roles, instil behaviours for the future and create a community of fellow captains.
Who is Trailblazers for?
Throughout the year we will provide a range of opportunities to meet each other, talk with SEH staff and develop yourselves as leaders!
Any questions please contact: performance-sport@bristol.ac.uk
Sports club members in a position of leadership within their club.
Some of the benefits include: Club Captain 1-1's with SEH Trailblazers team: November & January - A chance to discuss your development as a leader, bespoke training, workshops and development sessions. Building a community with other leaders. Trailblazers is a series of non-compulsory sessions that will run throughout the academic year to support your development as a leader in sport.
Derby Day Derby day 2026 was a massive success! Led by your Sport and Student Development Officer, Ella, the day showed off what you really can achieve as an FTO, when you have a vision to celebrate the best of student sport. Throughout the day, we welcomed 9 rival universities to Bristol and thousands of you turned up to support and compete. The mood across Coombe Dingle was electric, the sun was shining, and everywhere you looked there was thrilling competition! Congratulations to all the athletes who took part in Derby Day 2026! The event will be running in 2027 so make sure that you register your interest in September. If you would like to view coverage from the 2026 event please follow this link.
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Additional Services Sports Medicine Clinic
Trailblazers
The Sports Medicine Clinic provides a range of services to help manage pain, improve performance, and prevent injury. Located at both the Indoor Sports Centre and Coombe Dingle Sports Complex, we offer heavily discounted prices for individual students.
Support for clubs We can provide bespoke support to clubs in the form of group sessions, seminars and workshops with our physiotherapists. We are also able to provide tailored sports massage provision for clubs/teams either on a one-off or block-booking basis to support training and preparation for competition. Our service is experienced at supporting student sport, and readily accessible within the university sports facilities (you do not need to be a facility member to access the service). We offer significant discounts on pricing for all students.
The Injury Support Group The Injury Support Group (ISG) is a community that offers health and wellbeing support for students who are experiencing an injury or engaging in rehabilitation for an injury. The Injury Support Group aims to help improve physical and mental health for all University of Bristol students affected by an injury - through group support sessions and expert input from our Mental Fitness and Wellbeing Consultant. Full details an how to sign up visit the UOB Active app.
Sessions include: For all students affected by an injury Social meet and greet coffee hour at Senate House Group talks on sports psychology for injury and recovery Workshops on: The psychology of injury and recovery Mental fitness tools and strategies The powerful role of social support
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S.E.H Facility booking hire
Facility Rules
Additional facilities can be booked at any time throughout the academic year by clubs/societies.
Please ensure that you and your club members have read the local rules for use of the University of Bristol’s sports facilities. All users of the facilities must adhere to the outlined rules of use or risk being in breach of University policies relating to conduct and behaviour. These can also be found of the facilities page of our website.
Bookings are discounted to University of Bristol students’ clubs, societies and staff at 50% of the standard rate. To request availability of facilities please complete a booking request form airtable.com/shrQB 69DGC47eEu7E ensuring that you state whether you are looking to book as an individual or on behalf of your club (must be a committee member).
Local Rules - Pool; Local Rules - Indoor Sports Centre; Local Rules - Coombe Dingle Sports Complex
Facility Access Management Bookings that require: Multiple areas Amplified Music (TENS)** Time outside of normal operating hours Large scale events with spectators Ticketed events Four plus hours in duration are considered an Event booking and require advanced notification and an additional risk assessment. Any time requested outside of normal operating hours requires a six-week lead time to be added to the staffing rota.
When arriving at any of our facilities please ensure you register your attendance at either the Welcome Desk, on an access gate or access tile. The access tiles are situated across our facilities including at entrance to the S&C Gym and 3G pitch and you can use the University of Bristol Active App to register your attendance. By scanning your card or the APP on site you are supporting the site management and data collection for future capital investment applications. In addition, if your student group committee would like access to session attendance reports, get in touch (SEH-bookings@bristol.ac.uk)! For additional information on this process please follow these links: Registering attendance at training sessions University of Bristol Sport (@bristolunisport) • Instagram photos and videos Scanning into our facilities - University of Bristol Sport (@bristolunisport) • Instagram photos and videos
TENS* license – TENS needed for alcohol sales outside our usual licensed area or bar food sales outside of our licensed areas need to be applied for by the department at least one month prior to the event.
Contact • Facilities Team - seh-bookings@bristol.ac.uk • Sports Medicine Clinic - seh-sportsmedicineclinic@bristol.ac.uk
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Spectators
First Aid and Paramedics
If you are looking to host an event that will attract spectators you should, as part of your risk assessment and event planning, start thinking about how you will implement, and control the spectators invited to your event (to include players and participants when not participating in the sport/activity). You should define reasonable enforceable, and clearly communicable, limitations on spectators
Events that involve contact sports and those considered elevated risk (a large volume of people participating in a new sport/activity), multi sport events, day events, tournaments, will all require additional first aiders at the event.
• No alcohol • Objects that can be thrown • Noisemakers • Objectionable signs Also included in your event plan and risk assessment should be clear guidelines as to how you plan to communicate and enforce the behaviour policy (listed in terms and conditions for SEH (Sport, Exercise & Health) and by the SU (Students Union)). Please include your response strategy to behaviour such as profane language and offensive cheers/chants. Communication can be through signage, game programs, social media and/or event organisers . If your event attracts 100 plus spectators in nature or has in the past attracted poor behaviour your event will require security. A minimum of 2 are required at your event but you may require more.
For larger scale events we may request paramedic cover: ‘Due to the Increased pressure on demands on the NHS there has been on occasion a significant delay in response time by an ambulance or paramedic of over and above a couple of hours. Having a paramedic on site means assessment of the injury and in some instances, treatment provided preventing the injury escalating to a critical response/serious nature or permanent damage.’ We do have defibrillators at all our sites. Your event request will be evaluated by the Site Safety Advisors and if your event has been identified as requiring Paramedic level cover, we will let you know as soon as possible with a quote for the additional cost. Your event will not be approved until this has been agreed. SEH will provide comprehensive Paramedic support to all clubs at Coombe Dingle for Wednesday BUCS matches.
Please NOTE: Security will be an additional cost to the club to include BUCS (British Universities & Colleges Sport) matches that have been selected by the club to be ticketed.
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Hospitality Refreshments and catering are available to book for your teams (and visiting teams) at Coombe Dingle Sports Complex. Part of the University’s Source catering outlets, the Sport, Exercise and Health division work closely with the Source Team to provide the opportunity for teams to eat all together in the main pavilion on match days. The menus have been collaboratively designed by our Source colleagues and our nutritionist, and therefore are nutritional and perfect to help recover after playing matches. There are also other opportunities to book hospitality at Coombe Dingle so contact our Facilities Team for more information.
Contact Facilities Team - seh-bookings@bristol.ac.uk Source - source-events@bristol.ac.uk
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REDS Awards
A Bristol RED and Director’s Award are the most prestigious sporting awards conferred by the University. Eligible students will have produced exceptional performances on and off the pitch in their respective sports. Their achievement and commitment places them at the absolute pinnacle of university sport. In addition we have the #WeAreBristol Inclusivity and Wellbeing Awards. These categories allow us to celebrate the outstanding achievements of clubs and students who have developed new initiatives and best practice in these critical areas.
Criteria for Awards: When applying/nominating for any of the awards please make it explicit in your application if this is for a team, individual, or a whole sports club.
Contact • Events Team - sports-events@bristol.ac.uk • Performance Sport Team - performance-sport@bristol.ac.uk
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1. Red Award: • Outstanding performance in BUCS Competition over a consistent period • Performing in representative sport (student and junior international level upwards) • Demonstration of ability at high level sporting competition (beyond BUCS) • Three years significant contribution above and beyond club level
2. Director’s Award: • Students who have made a significant contributio n to their clubs on and off field • Played at a consistently high level within their club • Supported a change in culture within the club that has brought about different results
3. #WeAreBristol Inclusivity Award:
Amber Reed winning ‘Coach Of The Year’ Award
• A club initiative that has allowed a more inclusive environment and encouraged more members to participate, especially from underrepresented groups. This could be in terms of competition, training, or your club’s social engagement.
4. #WeAreBristol Wellbeing Award: • A club initiative or fundraising project, with a clear well-being focus and strategy. • The project or idea must have clear aims at improving the mental health and wellbeing of club members and the #WeAreBristol community at Bristol. Students and Staff enjoying the key note speaker
• This initiative should provide an environment that has enabled and actively promoted health and wellbeing.
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The BRIT Challenge The BRIT Challenge provides sports clubs with the opportunity to take part in a charity event with other Universities from across the UK. The British Inspiration Trust (BRIT) exists to support and improve the mental health, fitness, and wellbeing, of young adults, students, and staff, throughout the UK. UK universities, colleges, specialist colleges and Students’ Unions are invited to unite with BRIT and hold their own inclusive BRIT Challenge to improve mental health and fitness, all whilst raising funds for BRIT. This collectively powerful approach is integral to our work to support young adult, student, and staff mental health in the short, medium and longterm. For more information on the BRIT Challenge follow this link - The BRIT Challenge | Home The Sport, Exercise and Health division will work with clubs to try and support access to facilities for events that take part as part of the BRIT Challenge. For more information on facility access for your event please contact SEH-bookings@bristol.ac.uk
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Appendix
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Bristol SU Club’s facility allocation Bristol SU Sports Clubs 2026/27
1 hour of free allocation = (preferred pitch/court/area)
UOB American Football Club
3G Pitch
UOB Archery Club
2x Indoor Tennis Courts
UOB Athletics & X Country Club
Studio 1 or 3
UOB Badminton Club
4 Badminton Courts
UOB Basketball Club
Sports Hall
UOB Baseball Club
Astro pitch
UOB Boat Club
ERG Room
UOB Boxing Club
Studio 3
UOB Canoe Club
Whole Main Pool
UOB Cheerleading Club
Studio 1 or 3
UOB Cricket Club
Sport Hall or outdoor nets
UOB Cycling Club
Studio
UOB Fencing Club
Studio
UOB Men’s Football Club
1x Football Pitch
UOB Women’s Football Club
1x Football Pitch
UOB Ladies Hockey Club
Astro pitch
UOB Men’s Hockey Club
Astro pitch
UOB Korfball Club
Sports Hall
UOB Ladies Lacrosse Club
1x Lacrosse Pitch
UOB Men’s & Mixed Lacrosse Blub
1x Lacrosse Pitch
UOB Lifesaving Club
½ Pool (3 lanes)
UOB Lifting Club
S&C Gym
UOB Muay Thai Club
Studio 3
UOB Netball Club
Sports Hall
UOB Men’s Rugby Club
1x Rugby Pitch
UOB Women’s Rugby Club
1x Rugby Pitch
UOB Medics Rugby Club
1x Rugby Pitch
UOB Squash Club
3 Squash Courts (external facilities)
UOB Synchro Swim Club
Area of Pool (2 lanes)
UOB Table Tennis
Studio 3
UOB Taekwondo
Studio
UOB Tennis Club
4 Indoor Tennis Courts
UOB Trampoline Club
½ Sports Hall
UOB Triathlon Club
Studio or 2 Pool lanes
UOB Ultimate Frisbee Club
1x UF Pitch
UOB Volleyball Club
½ Sports Hall
UOB Water Polo & Swimming Club
Whole Main Pool (WP 4 lanes (swim)
SPORTS CLUB GUIDE
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BUCS Expenses Guidance 2026-27 Each club is allocated a contribution towards their BUCS competition expenditure that can be spent on transport, and potentially accommodation (when required). Please note that expense claims will not be accepted if they are related to a sports’ ‘weekend league’ fixtures that are not eligible for BUCS points. BUCS Matrix funding cannot be used to pay any BUCS fines incurred – any invoices for fines will be the direct responsibility of the club and forwarded to the Club Captain (if received by our Sports Administrator – BUCS & Competitions). Please note that it is highly encouraged that expense claims are submitted on a regular basis and no longer than 14 days after the event date. This is to help ease administration pressures, prevent a backlog of claims and ultimately ensure quicker reimbursement. A detailed breakdown of each club’s expenditure will be available for the club at the end of Term 1, Term 2, and for a limited number of clubs at the end of Term 3. Any overspend of the allocated BUCS Matrix funding by clubs will result in an invoice being issued to cover the additional spend. This will be invoiced to the club’s SU account at the end of Term 2 and the balance will need to be paid within 30 days (in line with the University’s Financial regulations.) After the final fixture/event of the BUCS season clubs will be given a two week deadline in which to submit all remaining expense claims. Any expense claims submitted after this deadline will be rejected and claimants will be advised to settle with the club’s SU account instead.
Coach Travel Travel will generally be facilitated through our contracted coach company. When this is the case and a coach is shared by more than one club, transport costs will be allocated on a percentage basis based on standard squad size. For example, using the average squad sizes and a £600 50seater coach to Exeter with a Rugby Union (22), Basketball (12) and Netball (14) team would be split 48 ways, equalling £12.50 per seat. Rugby Union would therefore be charged (22 x £12.50), Basketball would be charged (12 x £12.50) and Netball (14 x £12.50). Where a coach is provided for a club, the expectation is that all athletes will travel on the arranged transport. Any choice not to will not be reimbursed via the expense claims process. Expenses Claims (for example train or bus travel) If you are making your own way to a fixture and claiming travel expenses, please return your NonStaff Expense Form via the S.E.H BUCS Expense Portal. Please do not return your form via email as it may not be processed. Any claims exceeding £100 per person will need to have prior approval from the Sports Administrator (BUCS & Competitions). Please do not book and pay for any tickets or hotel rooms without receiving this approval as we may not be able to reimburse you from the BUCS Matrix allocation. You may therefore have to apply directly to your club to recoup any monies spent. We are unable to pay for travel from your home to the bus/train station or meeting point within Bristol through the University non-staff expense claim. Only travel from your destination station to the venue can be reclaimed through this system. Please refer to the guidance below on any caps on amounts claimed. Please note that all items claimed will require receipts to support the amounts, except for mileage, which is claimed on the basis of numbers of miles travelled (calculated using the AA Route Planner).
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If one person has paid for train or bus tickets for several participants, then all the names of the travellers will need to be included on the claim form. Non-staff expense claim forms should be processed and paid approximately 2 weeks from submission (subject to staffing and operational resource). In exceptional circumstances, the University (BUCS account) will make a payment to a Club’s SU account (for example for a facility booking or large accommodation purchase) with prior discussion and agreement from the Sports Administrator (BUCS & Competitions). A Purchase Order number will be issued by SEH and the SU will need to raise an invoice to enable the transaction to be processed. Mileage (in own vehicle) Mileage can be claimed at 45p per mile if you are travelling by yourself. If you are driving fellow team members by car then the mileage rate is 50p per mile but all passenger names must be listed on the claim form. The passenger mileage rate can only be claimed if you are taking fellow players in the car, you cannot claim this rate if you are only taking spectators. The claim form must also include the starting postcode and destination postcode and total number of miles claimed. The total number of miles claimed will be based on The AA Route Planner calculation of the fastest journey between those postcodes and back (as it will be for the round trip). Please ensure you enter the postcodes into the Route Planner | Directions, traffic and maps | AA (theaa.com) to get the mileage you are eligible to claim for and then enter that on your claim form.
Accommodation When an overnight stay is required for BUCS competitions running over two or more consecutive days then requests for accommodation will need to be submitted 3 weeks before the date of the competition (where possible) to the Sports Administrator (BUCS & Competitions). The Sports Administrator (BUCS & Competitions) will first look to book accommodation through the University of Bristol’s approved supplier and will require the following information to request accommodation: Date of competition and sport Date(s) accommodation required Venue of competition (including post code) Guest details for each team member (incl. Full name, Date of Birth, Email Address, Mobile Telephone number) Once the bookings have been confirmed by the University’s approved supplier confirmation will be sent to the original requester for review and checking. Any errors need to be identified and reported to the Sports Administrator (BUCS & Competitions) immediately. Payment for these bookings are made directly through our budget codes so no direct expense is incurred by an individual and therefore no claim is required. The necessary deduction will be viewable on the club’s BUCS Matrix Funding Tracker. In the event that accommodation is required and unable to be booked through the University’s approved supplier then an agreement can be reached for clubs to make their own accommodation bookings at a maximum of £50 per person per night and can be reimbursed through the usual expense claim process. Any amounts over and above this would need to be discussed directly with the Sports Administrator (BUCS & Competitions). Receipts must be attached. Please note, in line with the University Expenses Policy, we are unable to reimburse costs related to Airbnb or other similar room-letting agents as they cannot meet the standards of health and safety and insurance standards required by the University. Should you wish to use these facilities then you would need to go directly to your club to discuss any reimbursement.
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Job Description – Head Coach
UOB Head Coach JOB DESCRIPTION Faculty / School or Division: Centre for Sport, Exercise and Health Faculty/School or Division Address: Tyndall Avenue, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 1TP Job Family: Professional & Administrative Services Grade: H Hours of work: 37 hours per week (evenings and weekends) Contract type: Full-Time Work pattern: Varied Vacancy Reference Number: 1.1 Main Job Purpose Develop, deliver and manage a coaching, playing and preparation programme to optimise performance and deliver on strategic aspirations. Work to instil a positive ‘can do’ culture and structure built on the core values of the University of Bristol Performance programme. Lead on player and coach development by ensuring pathways are logical, considered and deliberate. Ensure the sport contributes to raising the profile of Bristol University for academic and current sporting excellence. 1.2 Standard Responsibilities • Provide leadership, direction and commitment to players and coaches about training, competition and personal development. Use appropriate analysis methods to provide constructive feedback for coach, team and player development. • Display good coaching conduct and work to ensure an inclusive and engaging environment. • Work with fellow coaches to ensure all teams/athletes are represented and coached at fixtures and training sessions as required. • Report to the relevant manager, providing termly performance reports, and meet regularly with Performance Team. • Provide positive, knowledgeable support to the wider team as required, acting as a point of escalation for the most complex queries. • Monitors spend against a delegated budget and work with colleagues to increase income and grow the programme. • Design, create and promote preseason programmes with the Performance Sport Team and Support service staff. • Promote a culture of anti-doping in sport, maintain awareness of UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) regulations. • Develop clear athlete development plans to support, develop and empower athletes. • Identify and recruit prospective new applicants, for example students for VC scholarships and the Performance Programme that are specific to the sport they will be coaching.
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• Line manage and mentor coaches and players to optimise delivery and performance with ultimate responsibility and accountability for whole sport performance and participation (unless a Director of the individual sport is in place, e.g. tennis) • Work with the Performance Team to raise performance expectations, in and out of competition, through use of support functions such as sports medicine and sports science. • To be ultimately responsible and accountable for 1st team selection and performance and attend matches/events which are often on weekends These duties provide a framework for the role and should not be regarded as a definitive list. Other reasonable duties may be required consistent with the grade of the post. 1.2.1 Additional Responsibilities • Oversee the University of Bristol Club (specific to specified sport) and junior performance sport (where applicable). 1.3 Relationships Line manager: Performance Sport Manager – Matt Paine Line manager to (where appropriate): Coaching Staff 1.4 Job Hazards and Pre-employment Checks This role will require an enhanced DBS check 2 PERSON SPECIFICATION 2.1 Specific Skills, Knowledge & Experience Required
Criteria
Essential
Desirable
Assessed By A/I/T/O
National Governing Body coaching award, X equivalent to NVQ level 4, with relevant accreditation.
A
Proven experience of working in the relevant sport and coaching, and knowledge of the sport at national and regional levels in England.
A/I/T
X
Experience of successfully line managing teams and coaches.
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Desirable
Assessed By A/I/T/O
Criteria
Essential
A positive and in depth understanding of coaching styles, player development and practical and game related delivery.
X
I/T
Take ownership for continuous improvement in own knowledge, practice and skills.
X
I
Ability to work within a coaching set up to gain the best from it and work effectively under pressure.
X
A/I
Excellent verbal and written communication skills. The ability to produce development plans and present a clear consistent message effectively to create an engaging learning environment
X
I/T
Able to problem solve, prioritise and make X clear decisions effectively that have a positive outcome.
T/O
Excellent IT skills, and an ability to learn to effectively use new software or IT systems X when required.
O
Knowledge and understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion related to sporting X provision.
I
Able to work unsocial hours including pre 9am, post 5pm and/or weekends.
X
I
Willing to undergo an Enhanced DBS Check (with barred).).
X
I/T
Understanding of sports within a higher education environment
X
A/I
Coaching experience across a wide range of ages and abilities (desirable).
X
I/T
A working knowledge of performance profiling and analysis (desirable).
X
A/I/T
A – Application Form I – Interview T – Test or Scenario O – Other e.g. presentation, focus group
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Job Description - Coaching Coordinator
Coaching Co-Ordinator/Senior Coach 1 JOB DESCRIPTION Faculty / School or Division: Centre for Sport, Exercise and Health Faculty/School or Division Address: Tyndall Avenue, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 1TP Job Family: Professional & Administrative Services Grade: Grade G Salary range: Hours of work: 14 hours a week 52 weeks a year Contract type: Part Time Work pattern: Varied Vacancy Reference Number:
1.1 Main Job Purpose Support the Head Coach, and/or Director of Sport (where relevant) in the design, delivery and administration of the coaching programme across the Participation to Performance spectrum Support and deliver coaching where appropriate across the programme from junior commercially focussed activity through to performance athlete support. Assist with the coach development and recruitment activity of the sport, including coaches away days, open days and in recruitment events. Provide leadership for elements of the coaching programme (e.g. BUCS) and ensure delivery is consistent with the division’s values and behaviours and strategic priorities: 1.2 Standard Responsibilities • Plan and prioritise own work activities, responding to club, coach and athlete needs. • Display good coaching conduct and work to support an inclusive and engaging environment. • Deliver a hands-on approach to coaching that will support the development of all athletes. • Input into the design and delivery of the overall season planning document and execution of this on a weekly and daily basis, including transport to competition of athletes and equipment as required. • Work with colleagues to support a proactive recruitment programme that attracts athletes to the University’s high performance and development groups. • Monitor and analyse the training program reporting results to the Head Coach as required. • Represent the University at events and utilising these opportunities to build rapport and networking opportunities within the wider sport community, professional organisations and associated bodies, particularly in the recruitment of young athletes to the program. • Deal with day-to-day enquiries and questions from students and support staff and act as a first point of escalation for more complex enquiries. Refer very complex issues to the Head Coach and/or Performance Manager.
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· Independent and initiative driven approach to the role and work within the parameters of the performance sport environment in the University. · Suggest changes when necessary, around individualised delivery for each athlete on a case-bycase basis, reported to the Head Coach to make the final decision. 1.1 Relationships Performance Sport Manager: Line manager to (where appropriate): 1.2 Job Hazards and Pre-employment Checks The post holder will be subject to a satisfactory enhanced with child and adult barred list DBS check as a requirement to operate within role. This check will be completed prior to taking up post, with re-checks required every 3 years while in role.
1 PERSON SPECIFICATION 1.1 Standard Skills, Knowledge & Experience Required Essential
National Governing Body coaching award, equivalent to NVQ level 3, with relevant accreditation.
X
A/I
Proven experience of coaching, with a good understanding of the sporting landscape.
X
A/I
Excellent administrative, organisational and time management skills.
X
A/I
X
A/I
Self-motivated, able to work as part of a team and independently.
X
A/I
Ability to manage your time and workload effectively and take a flexible approach to meet deadlines and adapt to changing priorities.
X
A/I
Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to deal with a wide range of people.
X
A/I
Genuine interest in sport, increasing participation and ensuring an excellent student experience.
X
A/I
Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Experience of producing written reports and presentations to a high standard.
Desirable
Assessed By A/I/T/O
Criteria
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Able to work unsocial hours including pre 9am, post 5pm and/or weekends.
X
A/I
Willing to undertake safeguarding awareness as part of an induction
X
A/I
Experience of working with students
X
A/I
Desirable
Assessed By A/I/T/O
2.2 Additional Skills, Knowledge & Experience (if applicable)
Criteria Willing to travel abroad for competition.
Essential X
A/I
Proven experience of coaching, with a good understanding of the sporting landscape.
X
A/I
Have or be willing to work towards obtaining relevant equipment qualifications and licences.
X
A/I
Willing to undergo an Enhanced DBS Check (with barred).
X
A/I
A – Application Form I – Interview T – Test or Scenario O – Other e.g. presentation, focus group
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bristol.ac.uk/sport
@bristolunisport