Tuesday

Location: John Snow College

Location: Teaching and Learning Centre - 2nd floor atrium 

Location: Teaching and Learning Centre - Main keynote theatre 

Location: Teaching and Learning Centre - Main keynote theatre 

1. What is BUCS? A guide for Student Officers 

Description: Through this session, Student Officers will learn about how BUCS works, its purpose and aims, about staff roles that engage with Student Officers and about the different areas within BUCS model. 

The session will serve as an induction to the higher education sport landscape, helping Student Officers understand the full scope of the sector, the role of BUCS and the part they can play in supporting great outcomes for students.  

Suggested audience: Student Officers

Session facilitator(s): Alex Duggan and Karl Kirkpatrick, Student Director(s), BUCS and Chris Rawlings, Governance Manager, BUCS

Location: Teaching and Learning Centre, Breakout room 1 

2. Evaluating 2025-26: Events review and new sports 

Description: Join the BUCS Head of Competitions and Sport Event Manager for a detailed update on two major workstreams: the Event Matrix Review and the Making Changes framework. Learn how sports have scored, how the framework has been applied this season, and what improvements are planned for 2026-27. 

Suggested audience: Institution Administrators and Senior Managers

Session facilitator(s): Neal Kington, Head of Competitions, BUCS and Maddi Cannell, Sport Event Manager, BUCS

Location: Teaching and Learning Centre, Breakout room 2

3. Sheffield Varsity. Taming a Giant: Strategising one of the UK’s largest student sporting events

Description: Delivering any 'Varsity' at scale requires more than fixtures, venues and scorelines - it requires trust, clarity and shared purpose.

Sheffield Varsity has become a significant joint endeavour between the city's two universities, multiple sport services and a wide range of stakeholders. This session explores how a strategic reset helped address challenges around collaboration, city exposure, and decision‑making & accountability, while protecting the student experience at the heart of the event.

Ideal for delegates involved in partnership delivery, cross‑department working and flagship event management.

Suggested audience: Open to all

Session facilitator(s): Kate Cox, Head of Physical Activity and Sport, Sheffield Hallam University, Andy Cox, Associate Director Sport and Physical Activity, University of Sheffield and Alison Shipway, Director, Shipway Consulting Ltd

Location: Teaching and Learning Centre, Breakout room 3

4. The future student! What appetite do they have for sport and physical activity how do we appeal to them? 

Description: How can we be best prepared for the students joining our institutions in the next 5-10 years? Their interests, tastes, expectations and what influences them will define what they expect from their active participation and sport experience at university. What's your strategy for this and how will you ensure this is part of the wider strategy of your institution? Amanda Vernalls of the Youth Sport Trust, and Rebecca Roberts - leading voice on youth marketing and an HE and Sport 'insider' will bring this to life.

Suggested audience: Senior Managers

Session facilitator(s): Amanda Vernalls, Head of Research and Insight, Youth Sport Trust and Rebecca Roberts, Founder, Thread and Fable

Location: Teaching and Learning Centre, Breakout room 4

Location: Teaching and Learning Centre - 2nd floor atrium 

The BUCS Anti-Racist Charter will ask the Higher Education (HE) Sport sector to make commitments and take tangible action to drive out racism in all its forms. The charter will encourage the HE sector to review current policies and practices and demonstrate a commitment to becoming anti-racist.  

To launch the charter, the BUCS Head of Belonging and co-Chairs of the Race and Equality Research and Implementation Group (RERIG) are progressing plans to deliver a session to the membership that will share student accounts of their experiences of participating in HE sport, share how the charter can be implemented within institutions, and a Q&A panel which will reflect on initiatives from across the sport sector.

Location: Teaching and Learning Centre - Main keynote theatre  

Time: 4:45-5:30pm

Locations:

West Midlands - Breakout room 1
London - Breakout room 2
East Midlands - Breakout room 3
Yorkshire - Breakout room 4
North West - Breakout room 5
South West - Breakout room 6
Scotland - Keynote theatre 2

Location: Graham Sports Centre, Maiden Castle