Quick links (you may need to scroll up a bit after clicking, if the menu obscures part of the question):
What are the benefits of being a GCR member?
How do I become a GCR member?
What’s this tiered membership I keep hearing about?
How do I join a sports team, club, or society?
How do I start a GCR affiliated sports team, club, or society?
Where do I buy a formal ticket? And how many tickets can I buy?
How do I put on an event?
Can I reserve the projector in the bar?
How do I join the gym?
What does the poetry inscribed upon large stone tablets around Sheraton Park mean?
Other questions…
What are the benefits of being a GCR member?
There are so many! Being a member of the GCR provides you with:
- A welcoming community that hosts weekly Pub Quizzes and Movie Nights, as well as open mic nights, Formals, parties, and other events throughout the year!
- FREE Induction Week Activities!
- Discounted tickets to Formals, trips, and other GCR events
- Free usage of the swimming pool and the ability to purchase a gym membership!
- Facilities such as the bar projector, pool tables, DVD rentals, and anything else you find in Sheraton Park!
- The ability to represent Ustinov in a Team, Club, or Society
- FREE invitation to the Summer BBQ!
- Really, the benefits are limitless. If you aren’t already a GCR member, find out below how to become a part of this incredible community!
How do I become a GCR member?
Whether you live in Ustinov College (Sheraton Park, Keenan House or Brackenbury) or live out, you received an e-mail from the University at the beginning of the academic year asking if you wish to opt-in to paying to be a member of the Ustinov GCR. Please opt in! The university will then charge you the membership fee and forward your name to us.
For those who chose to opt out and have since decided they would like to join, we ask that you pay the Levy to the GCR Office during our office hours.
For more information on the different levies, please check a description of the system.
How do I join a sports team, club, or society?
The best time to meet all our teams, clubs, and societies is the Clubs & Societies Fair during induction week! The next one will take place on Sunday 27th September ZOOM link will be provided, starting at 12pm. Here you can meet members from all the societies in person and find out more about them.
If you cannot make it to the Clubs & Socs Fair or if you would like to find out about the available societies in advance, check out the full list HERE! Contacts for all teams, clubs, and societies are listed there, so that you can get in touch with the captains and presidents.
How do I start a GCR affiliated sports team, club, or society?
Starting a society is easy! Simply follow the steps described HERE. GCR affiliated teams, clubs, and societies can apply for GCR funding to use for their activities.
For any further questions, please contact the Clubs & Societies Officer: cs.ustinovgcr(at)durham.ac.uk
Where do I buy a formal ticket? And how many tickets can I buy?
Formal tickets can be purchased at the GCR Office during our open hours. Ticket prices vary depending on the location and how much they charge us. However, GCR members can always get cheaper tickets than non-members!
You may buy 1 ticket for yourself and 1 ticket for someone else, either GCR member or non-GCR member. No one is permitted to purchase more than 2 tickets.
For the 2019/20 Year, the formal schedule is as follows:
- 4th October – Induction Formal at the Radisson Blu Hotel
- 7th November – Bonfire Night Formal at Hatfield College
- 16th December – Christmas Formal at St. Mary’s College
- 24th January – Burns Night Formal at the Radisson Blu Hotel
- 31st March – Castle Formal
- 18th June – Summer Ball at Ramside Hall
- 6th July – College Awards Formal at Durham Town Hall
How do I put on an event?
The first step to putting on an event is filling out the Events Booking Form to reserve a space. This is sent directly to the college and they will contact you regarding your reserved location. Remember to advertise your event on social media and send in a newsletter item request form so your event will be featured in the weekly GCR newsletter!
Can I reserve the projector in the bar?
Yes! Simply fill out the projector booking form to reserve your program!
How do I join the gym?
All GCR members are eligible to apply for gym membership. Find out more about the gym and the membership application process HERE!
What does the poetry inscribed upon large stone tablets around Sheraton Park mean?
It is a complex cryptographic cipher, which when decoded will reveal the Secret of Sheraton Park.
I still have a question that wasn’t answered on this list – where do I go now?
Find the appropriate GCR committee member here!
GRADUATE COMMON ROOM 