Don’t Panic: Exeter Uni sports socials aren’t actually cancelled indefinitely

Athletic Union-endorsed socials are not being “paused for the foreseeable future”, as was initially communicated in an email sent by AU president Katy Dalglish to AU-endorsed sports committees on Monday.

This break is instead a “temporary measure”, taking place during this week only, “due to increasing complaints around AU club socials” and “lack of engagement in the risk assessment and event declaration process.”

The pause is in order for “AU staff to re-engage with all the club committees following the earlier training which was held in Freshers’ week.”

The original email, sent on Monday, stated that all club and team socials would be paused indefinitely in order to stop causing “any more unnecessary misery for the individuals experiencing shocking experiences” and stop bringing “the university’s reputation into disrepute”, with “any club found to be in breach of this pause on social events” being “subject to disciplinary procedures.” The ban was to include Christmas dinners, implying that the rules were to continue until at least the end of term.

This information was then disregarded by Allison Davidson (Director of Sports and Grounds at the University) in a follow-up email on Tuesday, who called the initial email “a miscommunication, for which [she] apologise[d].”

Davidson made clear in her email that “it is essential that the relevant event declaration information is submitted in advance of planned socials, to enable to AU to advise your club on safe and inclusive socials.” She stressed that this “is not a box ticking exercise”, emphasising the importance of sports committees working with the AU to make sure these socials are “developed together”.

Featured image via Sophie Wesley

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