On Friday November 2025, the Students' Union Board of Trustees decided to call a referendum on SUBU's affiliation to NUS UK.
The Official Question wording is:
“Should the Students’ Union at Bournemouth University disaffiliation from the National Union of Students UK (NUS UK)?”
All current student members will have the opportunity to vote on their preference via online secret ballot.
This referendum will be held according to the timetable below:
| Monday 11 May 2026, 10am |
Notification to members of the referendum and call for motions to be submitted. |
| Friday 15 May 2026, 12pm |
Deadline for motions to be submitted. |
| Monday 18 May 2026, 10am |
Referendum voting and campaigning opens |
| Thursday 28 May 2026, 4pm |
Referendum voting and campaigning closes |
| Friday 29 May 2026, 12pm |
Referendum results published |
Students may vote YES, the Students’ Union at Bournemouth University should disaffiliate from NUS UK or NO, the Students’ Union at Bournemouth University should not disaffiliate from NUS UK.
There are no referenda running at the present time.
The outcome will be decided by simple majority provided a quoracy of 5% of Student Members have voted. If the majority of students vote YES, then SUBU will notify NUS that we will not be renewing our affiliation with NUS UK.
The rules and regulations concerning referenda are outlined in Article 15 of the Union’s Articles of Association and in Bye-Law 5: Referendum in the Union’s Constitution. You can find our full referendum rules here.
NUS Information
For a fee, Students’ Unions across the UK can choose to be a part of The National Union of Students (NUS). NUS is an association of around 400 students’ unions, which is a high percentage of all higher and further education unions in the UK and represents the interests of more than four million students. NUS is a membership organisation which carries out campaigns and lobbying activity on behalf of students and its member students’ union to make a difference to the lives of students.
What is the National Union Students (NUS)?
The NUS is more than one organisation; it is made up of separate companies:
- NUS (UK) is the campaigning arm of the organisation that is responsible for championing student issues on a national level, known as the National Union of Students UK (NUS UK)
- NUS Charity is separate and exists to support the development of students' unions, known as 'NUS Students' Unions Charitable Services Ltd'.
Read more about the NUS on their website.
What are the types of NUS membership?
The term 'affiliation to NUS' can be unclear since there are different levels of membership related to the two separate companies of which the NUS is comprised.
The differences between the components of the NUS and its tiered membership system are outlined below:
- National Union of Students (UK) membership - This is a membership to the student voice organisation 'NUS (UK)' which delivers campaigns and national representation, currently costing Students' Unions 2% of their block grant. To end membership with NUS UK, students most vote on affiliation by secret ballot (a referendum).
- NUS Students' Unions Charitable Services Ltd membership - Also known as 'NUS Charity', this is a membership to the students' union development and support aspect of NUS, currently costing Students' Unions 0.5% of their block grant. The SU's referendum is not in relation to its affiliation to NUS Charity.
You also may have heard of NUS Services Limited (NUSSL) - this is the trading element of NUS or 'buying consortium' where SUs procure supplies for bars and entertainment via collective buying power facilitated through the NUS. This is automatically included within the NUS Charity membership (it is a social enterprise subsidiary of NUS Charity). Alternatively, there is a £2,000 flat rate outside of NUS Charity membership, if you are not a member.
More information on terms of membership with NUS can be found here.
The Students' Union at Bournemouth University has a 'dual membership', which means we are affiliated to the NUS (UK) and NUS Charity. Please note: For this referendum, students will vote on SUBU's affiliation to 'NUS UK' only, this is because it has the most significant implications financially and politically. The NUS Charity membership is an operational and commercial affiliation and is not included in the proposed referendum.
What is our current cost of membership to NUS?
The Students' Unin at Bournemouth University has a dual memberhsip and is affiliation to the NUS (UK) and NUS Charity. There are separate fees for being affiliated to either of these elements of NUS.
For the current academic year (2025-2026), affiliation to NUS UK will cost the Students Union at Bournemouth University £23,740.50.
For th current academic year (2025-2026), affiliation to NUS Charity will cost the Students Union at Bournemouth University £5935.13.
Why are we having a referendum?
We are student-led
As a member-led organisation that believes that students should shape the communities they are part of, it is important for SUBU to understand that students' stance on affiliation to the NUS iis critical and may change over time. To disaffiliate from the 'NUS UK' part of the National Union of Students, it is good practice for students at the member organisations to vote on affiliation via an all-student secret ballot (a referendum).
NUS Cost and Impact
It is commonplace for students to wonder whether Student' Unipns should affiliate to NUS UK due to a range of factors - these can be political, social or economic.
Since joining NUS UK, no referenda or member-led vote has been held to ascertain the student position on SUBU's continued affiliation. This has become a topic of discussion at SUBU's Trustee board, alongside other considerations around the extend of NUS' value and impact to students at Bournemouth University. As a result of these discussions, the Board of Trustees decided to put the matter of the Union's affiliation to NUS UK to our members to be decided by referendum.
What will not change regardless of the outcome?
Regardless of the referendum outcome, the following will remain the same:
- The Union will still benefit from a separate membership with NUS Charity (which includes; Union development resources, trading support, election support services, communities of practice, crisis support and more.)
- Students can access 'Totum' discount cards.
- Networking can occur between our Elected Officers and other officers across the UK.
- The Union can still access the trading element of NUS (NUSSL) and therefore can access the collective buying consortium (allowing us to purchase cheaper food and drink supplies for our shops and bars).