2025–2026 in review: the moments, milestones, and memories that defined your year
You showed up. You got involved. You made it count.
Before we say goodbye to our final years and welcome new freshers, let’s take a moment to celebrate everything you’ve achieved. From joining societies and stepping into leadership roles to unforgettable nights with friends, you made this year one to remember.
You found your people
This year saw over 6,500 student memberships across 159 societies.
More than 300 student event planners brought ideas to life, from major community events such as Holi Hai, academic and skills-based initiatives like the Model United Nations conference, and of course, the annual Masquerade Ball. You also showed up week after week, meeting to share meals, play games, or even learn together.
831 hall residents joined us for hall events, and off campus 350 students headed off on SU Trips across The UK.
You raised the bar (and the money)
Fundraising and volunteering have always been at the heart of The SU, and this year was no different. We walked, cycled, ran, hitchhiked and even slept out to support causes that matter. Since September 2025, 109 fundraising events have taken place, raising over £180,000 for charities and student opportunities.
We also had 6 student-led volunteering groups this year, delivering some amazing projects. From running a STEM Day for secondary school girls and gardening to support local wildlife, to collaborating with Bath Spa University, hosting on-campus Repair Shops, and organising pizza-making sessions to support men’s mental health, your efforts made a real, lasting difference both on and off campus.
Not to forget being recognised with the ‘Outstanding Fundraiser of the Year’ award at the Radio Bath Charity Awards.
You brought the Varsity trophy back home
We arrived in blue and gold and walked away with the trophy, securing our 84–46 victory over Cardiff Met at Varsity 2026. And of course, we can’t forget the sprinting success of Duck Norris in the mascot race. We came to play, and we delivered.
You took on the challenge
This was another exceptional year of sport.
1,086 athletes completed 760 fixtures in BUCS Leagues, resulting in 28 gold, 21 silver and 21 bronze medals across multiple sports including Judo, Swimming, Snowsports, Boxing, Karate, Jiu Jitsu and Athletics.
Canoe BUCS teams delivered exceptional results, with all four teams placing in the top four, the best performance in the club's history.
Rugby had a standout year. The Men’s 1st team won the BUCS Super Rugby League and Cup Double for the first time, and we brought a record-breaking crowd to Rugby at The Rec. The atmosphere was unforgettable, with Bath Jets, Duck Norris and prizes launched into the crowd by our SU Sports Officer and Sport Exec.
But sport at Bath isn’t just about the competitions.
You also embraced new opportunities, from trying sports through Bath Active sessions to joining Team Talk workshops on gender, wellbeing, relationships, and team culture. The Daily Mile Challenge also returned, with 245 students taking part over 25 days, promoting physical activity and wellbeing across the university.
You got creative
This year was a standout for performances. We filled theatres with laughter and emotion, got lost in live music, and were inspired by the talent and dedication of our dancers.
BUSMS celebrated their 30th anniversary at The Guildhall, and ChaOS held their first Jazz Night hosted at The Forum, selling over 1,100 tickets.
And while the spotlights shine on the stage, the incredible work behind the scenes never went unnoticed.
We also let our creativity flow, attending 32 Feel Good Fridays, Sip & Paints, and seasonal workshops including pumpkin carving, candle painting and festive tea crafting - giving you space to unwind, connect, and try something new.
You celebrated together
Three awards nights, Blues, Education and SU Awards, brought us together in style, with live performances, unforgettable venues, and a shared celebration of everything our students have achieved. Across 38 awards categories, 13 student groups and 195 students took home an award, a testament to the talent, dedication and impact of our community.
You partied hard
Across the year, you showed up and brought the energy. From glamorous balls to late nights at The Tub and weekly socials, you made every moment count.
You brought main character energy, danced like no one was watching, and made memories with your people over double pints, VKs, and photobooth snaps.
You used your voice
You spoke, we listened, campaigned, and took action. Student Reps and SU Officers attended conferences, workshops, and meetings to ensure your voices were heard.
You used your voice to vote, for both your newly elected SU Officers, but you also voted in the NUS Referendum resulting in us leaving NUS UK from January 2027. Plus, we continued to run SUmmit, allowing students to vote in favour of the standpoints they believe to be the most important.
SU Officers worked hard to turn their manifestos into action through their “Top 10” priorities. Here’s a snapshot:
SU President: Benji developed a new Event Form to reduce bureaucracy by 40%, got the University to trial a program for 0% interest-free bus pass, and progressed a University run guarantor scheme to help international, estranged and WP students with housing.
Activities Officer: Sam has been working to streamline administrative processes, removed the cap on the number of societies, and established a clear SU sustainability action plan with student-led focus groups to drive environmental initiatives.
Community Officer: Izzy advocated for a more affordable food and drink options on campus, lobbied for better accessibility to neurodivergent students seeing the improvements to the 6 West South Woodland Lounge and delivered new training on consent and active bystander training in line with the NeverOk Campaign.
Education Officer: Helen helped build stronger academic communities through oversight groups and events such as “Pitches and Pastries”, advocated for fairer assessment policies through reviews of IMC, Late Submission and Deferred Assessment schemes, and championed accessibility in learning.
International and Postgraduate Officer: Sanya has been maintaining open-door policy and feedback channels, tackled postgraduate isolation through The PG Network and introduced an Issue Tracker to enable students to know when concerns have been addressed.
Sport Officer: Angus has been able to develop and renew the Strength & Conditioning programs offered by Team Bath, support the development of an inclusive and diverse sporting environment with initiatives such as The Daily Mile, and built out gameday experience packages using in-house production.
You supported each other
We had a record-breaking 915 peer mentors providing peer-to-peer undergraduate support. Academic PAL supported 2,600 students across 15 departments, with 64% of PAL leaders reporting that it improved their leadership and facilitation skills. And not forgetting Language PAL, where 12 languages were offered alongside 3 Language Cafés.
You also attended 71 skills workshops, supporting the development of 460 students across both semesters.
This is just a snapshot of the things we achieved this year. We will be diving deeper in our 2025-2026 Impact Report, which we will publish in September.
Thank you again for a wonderful year full of amazing memories and we can’t wait to see what comes next!