Sheffield Students' Union, officially known as the University of Sheffield Students' Union, is the representative body of students at the University of Sheffield. It is run by a team of six elected officers.
History
The forerunner of the university was Firth College (1879) which had both a Student Common Room and student societies including an Athletics Union. The Common Room Committee specifically had a 'chairman/woman' indicating equal status (unusual for the time) with a woman student winning the earliest known election in 1896.Mathers, H., (2007) Standing up for Students University of Sheffield Union of Students However, for the university itself, a Student Representative Council (SRC) was formed in 1906, with the name 'The University of Sheffield Union of Students' being first used in 1923. The first SRC had 20 men and 10 women elected, with 4 men and 3 women as officers. There was a Student President and two Vice-Presidents, one male and one female. For some periods it was called the Guild of Students.
The building for the new university, now called Firth Court, had two common rooms for students, one for men and one for women in which events could be organized. There was initial reluctance to hold dances on university property, but eventually dances were held in the main hall at lunchtimes and evenings. The university acquired two small buildings in 1928 to serve as student clubs, but the Union did not get a separate building until 1936, when the Graves Building (funded by J. G. Graves and designed by the Professor of Architecture, Stephen Walsh) was donated to the Union. This building is still present within the complex, though the interior is much altered.
Because of the expansion in numbers, a new building, named University House, was constructed in 1960–61 adjacent to the Graves Building. It had what was claimed to be the longest Union bar in the country.Mathers, H., (2005) Steel City Scholars James & James Shortly after, University House was adjoined to the original Graves Building via a new building called Link, leaving the original part of University House to be given the name Tower. A further expansion of the building took place in 1978, and various refurbishments occurred thereafter until 1993–6 when there was extensive reconstruction and extension, to accommodate a further increase in numbers, creating a new, modernised building, designed by Mott Architecture.
In addition to the Union building, the Union shared facilities with the university in adjacent buildings; University House and the Octagon Centre. A major development project was completed in 2013, integrating University House, now divided into the adjoined Tower and Link buildings, into the original Union building and providing an enclosed sky bridge to the Octagon Centre.University of Sheffield Estates and Facilities Management Recent Projects.
Aims and policies The Students' Union aims to "advance the education of Students" by "representing the students of the University locally and nationally, organising services and activities to meet their needs" and "taking positive measures to encourage and build a student community which respects and celebrates the diversity of its membership".
The Students' Union, its officers and staff are bound by democratically chosen policies and are reviewed every three years (unless circumstances warrant a more frequent review).
Education policies The Students' Union campaigns for the abolition of all tuition fees, introduction of financial support for postgraduate students, reinstatement of public investment in education as a social good, and against cuts to education.
Environmental and ethical policies The Students' Union maintains an environmental policy, undertaking the Students' Union to: educate its members on the issue of climate change, implement an Environment Code of Best Practice, call on the university to reduce its environmental footprint, lobby local authorities to work towards a sustainable Sheffield. Nestlé products are banned within the Students' Union and its commercial services and the Students' Union has no dealings with the company due to its "unfair exploitation of third world countries". As the result of a referendum in 2012, the Students' Union has introduced a 'strong anti-arms trade policy', and has consistently lobbied the university since to divest itself of any involvement with the international arms trade. In a referendum in 2011, students of Sheffield Students' Union approved a policy to stop selling bottled water and replace it with a series of free drinking fountains and affordable, re-usable bottles. The bottled water ban was upheld following a referendum in October 2014, and is still in place as of 2026. The Students' Union council gave its support to the Go Fossil Free campaign by passing a motion in spring 2014. This global divestment movement, initiated by 350.org, encourages investors to remove their financial support for companies involved in the extraction and combustion of fossil fuels; activities which must be stopped in order to limit anthropogenic global warming.
Representative policies The Students' Union has LGBT friendly policy, ensuring that all activities, facilities, services, organisations and events are LGBT friendly.
Policies pertaining to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict The University of Sheffield Students' Union has two policies relating to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, entitled "End Israeli Occupation" and "Twinning with the Islamic University of Gaza". The Students' Union, according to these policies, lobbies the university to "divest itself from ... companies that are complicit in the occupation of the Palestinian territories" and ensures that the university fosters links with the Islamic University of Gaza, offering a scholarship programme to one of their students on an annual basis. It further commits the Students' Union to "raise awareness of the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement", although does not explicitly endorse it as was the case prior to March 2019.
On 16 January 2018, the Students' Union released a statement condemning the decision of US President Donald Trump to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. In the statement, on behalf of the Students' Union Council, now former President Kieran Maxwell condemned the move as resulting in "the human rights of Palestinians [being] undermined and violated" and called for "an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, and for East Jerusalem to be recognised as the Capital of Palestine".
Representation The Union is run by a variety of working, representative and standing committees, presided over by the Student Union Council (SUC), seven elected full-time officers and six part-time officers (prior to the 21/22 academic year there were eight full-time officer roles and no part-time officers). These elected officers are supported by a number permanent staff led by the Chief Executive Daryl Ormerod who took over the reins from Chris Aucott (who, in turn, succeeded Jaki Booth). Paul Blomfield, ex-MP for Sheffield Central constituency, was in the role for a number of years before stepping down in 2010. It is a constituent member of the NUS.
A full list of the SU's Elected Officers can be seen on the SU's 'Year Book' website page – this list goes back to 1906. +Current full-time Officers2026-27PresidentSam OmondiEducationLola-Mae TillInternational and Welfare OfficerSana MemonLiberation and ActivitiesAvis StoneSustainability and DevelopmentAnna JamesWellbeing and Sport OfficerAmelia Desouza +Previous full-time officersRole2021–222022–232023–242024–252025-26PresidentEvie CroxfordLiam HandLily ByrneDaisy WatsonEli ThompsonLiberationShona TullochGrace ClearyTomás Rocha LawrenceTomás Rocha LawrenceLaura EdwardsEducationSavannah HansonAlison RomaineMaria Jose Lourido MorenoMaria Jose Lourido MorenoSam OmondiInternational and CommunityTaylor OgleAnna FedotovaDerick LiewJephthah EkogiaweKiara Alejandra Delgado DerteanoActivities and DevelopmentMorgan McArthurRose FranchiAnna CampbellAnna CampbellLaura EdwardsWellbeing and SportCharlotte McGinleyIwan JamesAnnie HendersonAnnie HendersonAmelia DesouzaWelfare and SustainabilityAnesu (Ness) Mantanda MambingoSamuel TimsonJo CamplingNadya GhaniAnna James +Previous part-time officersRole2021–222022–232023–242024–25Ethnic Diversity StudentsBlair JamilaDhyasa MorganAhmad Arshad WarisKiara Alejandra Delgado DerteanoDisabled & Neurodiversity StudentsIz OstrowskaShona TullochLaura EdwardsNick MichauLGBTQIA+ StudentsPhob UnsworthJamie ShippJephtah EkogiaweAnmol DubeyPostgraduate StudentsLissi AbnettAlice PattersonLouise StevensonBeth HaywardWomen StudentsHannah BuddRiya ChauhanZoe LancasterEloise TaylorMature StudentsTom HillFreya AJ VaneveryYasin HussainBenito Hart Prieto +Full-time officers prior to the 2021 governance changesRoleAcademic year2017–20182018–20192019–20202020–2021PresidentKieran MaxwellLilian JonesJake VerityBeth EyreEducationStuart McMillianAnna Crump RaiswellCharlie PorterEllie LynasDevelopmentMegan McGrathMel KeeHarry CarlingJordan WeirActivitiesTom BrindleyCecilia Hudson-MolinaroMartha Daisy EvansJoel KirkSportsFlo BrookesSarah MorseBrittany BowlesMatt GravesWomenCeleste JonesMayeda TayyabRosa TullyLily GrimshawWelfareReena StavesKatherine SwindellsBeren MaddisonHolly EllisInternational Students'Santhana GopalakrishnanRex BéchuSissi LiIuri Montenegro
Facilities The Union has a turnover of around £11,000,000. It provides for over 270 student societies,Student Voice, Sheffield Students' Union and contains a student employment service, two bars, three club venues, and outlets for food and drink, clothing and stationery."Outlets and services", Sheffield Students' Union
'Bar One', located on Floor 1 of University House, is a traditional student bar which also holds pre-club nights with music and special events, and serves food and drinks. 'Bar One' was previously the longest union bar in the country. The union contains one of the largest beer gardens in Sheffield.
Floor 2 houses three nightclub/performance venues - Foundry, Studio, and Fusion - collectively known as Foundry. It is one of the most popular nightclub venues in Sheffield. Floor 2 also houses the Nelson Mandela Auditorium, a 390-seat auditorium which is used for a range of events and teaching.
Floor 3 of University House is the ground level for the building, and houses the main entrance. All of the eateries and shops are found on this level. Floor 4 contains several large study spaces, meeting rooms, and the offices for Union officers. Floor 5 is home to the restaurant/conference venue Inox, and more meeting rooms, and Floor 6 houses offices for some administrative departments within the University.
The Graves Building houses another restaurant/bar, Interval, which has been closed since 2024 while the building undergoes maintenance work.
Activities Events The Students' Union holds a variety of student club nights throughout the week at the main club venue, Foundry. These include pop music nights ROAR on Wednesday, Pop Tarts on Saturday. On Tuesdays, The Tuesday Club is a night focusing on underground dance music, usually Drum and Bass, UK Garage or House. Various other nights including LGBT+ night "Grapefruit" and "Soul Jam which are held in the Foundry monthly on alternating weeks. Live music events and gigs are also regularly held in the Foundry, along with conference events and fairs.
Several times a year, larger, multi-venue events encompassing the entire Students' Union site, such as Halloween Freaks Festival in October and Summer Social in June, attracting over 4,000 students.
The Union, under its obligation as part of the NUS to provide 24-hour support for students, funds Sheffield University Nightline, a telephone and email based listening and information service run by student volunteers from the university.
Societies and clubs