Editor’s Note: This article was updated at 19:37 on 15 September to include a statement published by KCLSU’s Student Officer team.
On 3 September, King’s College London student group leaders were told that their societies will be at risk of de-ratification if they fail to meet the new 25 member threshold.
The policy change, which was sent in a KCLSU newsletter to all student group leaders, stated that a threshold of “a minimum of 25 standard memberships” is required to maintain active group status, and that the threshold must be met by 1 November 2026 or else the student group risks de-ratification. Under KCLSU’s existing rules, this would remove a group’s access to Funding and Ratification Committee grants and KCLSU room bookings.
The email further claimed that “from reviewing previous year’s data, this threshold should not be a point of concern for most student groups”.
The policy has nonetheless prompted concern from a number of committees, including KCL Karate Club, who explained to Roar that:
“The KCLSU’s new policy of a 25-membership threshold is placing an indescribable amount of pressure on societies and committees. Societies like ours are at risk of shutting down because of this rule due to ‘low’ numbers.”
“A deeper issue we have seen within this policy is how it overlooks societies that represent minorities, whose societies would be small by nature. This includes disability, LGBT+, and ethnic and religious minorities. We as a student body and university should be increasingly encouraging diversity within our hobbies and within the peoples we represent. Our student groups are representative of our students, and depriving them of a shared space is depriving everyone of a better and fairer community.”
When asked how many groups they expected to be affected, KCLSU did not provide specific details, rather explaining that the “KCLSU expects only a small number of groups to be affected. In order for groups to be formed, they need to be able to demonstrate interest from at least 50 students. We therefore believe that 25 members is a reasonable number of members to expect.”
They further stated that they will “also work with groups identified as likely to be impacted to give them the best chance to engage more members. All new groups will also receive tailored support for the full academic year.”
KCLSU also said that more information would be circulated on this change in the coming weeks.
UPDATE: Following publication, KCLSU’s Student Officer team published a statement on the planned changes via Instagram:
“The proposal was developed in previous years with the aim of encouraging greater engagement and participation across our societies, while ensuring that KCLSU funding and resources are allocated fairly and effectively.
“Since concerns have been raised, we have been speaking directly with student groups and reflecting on how this proposal was communicated to strengthen how we work with student groups going forward.
“We recognise that policies affecting students should centre student voice, and that communication around decisions and proposals must be transparent. We will review the ways in which we, as a team and as a Union, can improve our engagement, consultation and communication with student groups.
“Our 400+ student groups represent an incredibly diverse range of communities, interests and identities across King’s. As your elected Officers, our priority is to ensure that students can find community, feel a sense of belonging and thrive during their time at King’s. We want our student groups not only to be sustained, but to grow and thrive, and we are committed to working collaboratively with societies to achieve that. We also want to reassure student societies that this policy will not come into effect immediately. No student groups have been de-ratified by this policy. Student society engagement and membership will be reviewed in November, providing further opportunity for feedback and discussion before any decisions are taken.
“Where societies have concerns about meeting the proposed threshold, KCLSU will work directly with them to support engagement, membership growth and their long-term sustainability.
“We also recognise that some societies are designed to serve smaller or more specific communities, where membership numbers alone may not reflect their importance or impact. We will ensure that these circumstances are properly considered and that appropriate support is available.
“We want to continue listening to student groups and strengthen the way we communicate and engage with you. If you have concerns, ideas or would like to speak directly with your elected Officers, please contact .”
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