Each society’s handover will be unique and different. The handover can seem like a large and daunting task however this guidance, combined with the Society Handover Form, is aimed at making the process as smooth as possible.

The handover should condense everything you have learnt and experienced over the previous year, in order to pass this  onto the Successors of the society. This document will help generate some ideas for you to consider in your handover process

The handover should be a collaborative effort from all the committee members and should highlight achievements and events whilst providing realistic feedback on what went well and what you would do differently going forward.

How should the handover be completed?

When completing the handover, it is important to consider how you want the handover to happen. Is in person more suitable, or can this be done online. This about how is best for both you and also the committee member you are handing over to.

Information to Include

Committee roles and responsibilities:

Consider the responsibilities of each Committee member, ensure you include any general duties of your Committee, alongside  specific tasks within each of  your positions.

Key Contacts

Compile a list of the people you have made contact with over the past year, such as key SU staff,  University contacts (these may be particularly important for Academic Societies) and  external companies you have built good relationships with such as, previous sponsors, venues or suppliers.

Calendar of events

No matter how big or small, include a list of the events you have hosted over the past year in chronological order from the beginning of the Academic year (September) until the handover. It would be useful to provide an overview of the event, outlining if the event was successful, what you would do differently and any top tips for running future events.

This is also a good place to state any events that you would recommend running but didn’t have the opportunity to or it was unfeasible at the time or a new sponsor/contact/society would like to run an event in the following year with your society.

Also include notes such as how long planning time took or key considerations such a venue’s booking procedure or availability around key dates such as End of Year Balls and Christmas.

Proposed calendar of events for next year:

A new Committee may not know where to start, so consider including a list of the key dates that your Society hosted events or important dates/events for the coming year that they need to be aware of. Try and include this in chronological order so, they can prioritise the events when planning.

Usernames and passwords for social media accounts:

Provide a list of the usernames and passwords for all your Society social media accounts, including your society email.

Ensure your social media accounts are linked to the Society email account.

Don’t forget to also set up the recovery email as lbsu-societies@leedsbeckett.ac.uk .

Top Tips:

Use this space to include any advice you have, from lessons learned to things you wish you knew at the start of your leadership role. This can be especially important for a new committee.

Working with other Societies:

Societies thrive when they support each other, record any good relationships you have developed or started with other Societies, so your successors can build on your progress. It would be useful to include the societies you had hoped to work closer with but perhaps didn’t get the chance to.

Fundraising:

Societies can achieve amazing things, but they need to be able to pay for it. Include any successful fundraising activities your Society has participated in,or note how you would improve the event next time.

Membership Fees:

Your society may include a membership fee. It is important to note how much this fee was and also what members expected for their fee e.g. free merchandise or access to Discord servers.

Also, please note if the membership fee was sufficient to cover the cost of your society activities, and would you make recommendations to increase or decrease it.

Record of any achievements:

Your Committee have worked really hard to achieve incredible things during your time and you will leave a legacy. Remember to include any achievements in your handover, so the new Committee will know what can be achieved.

Top tips for the handover

DO

• Tailor your handover to your society, each society is unique and so your handover information should reflect the individual needs of your society.  -  Consider the best format for your handover, it may be sufficient to email over all the information, or you may prefer to book in an online/face to face meeting. Do you need to hold multiple meetings? Provide support earlier on?
   
• Store and share documents - Ensure you store any handover documents in a secure and safe location e.g. on Google Drive. This is to allow the new committee to refer back to them and have them if needed. Don’t forget to share any password for documents or folders!

DON’T

• Try to not leave your handover until the last minute, we know you are really busy but if you plan the handover sooner rather then later, it will make sure that important information isn’t missed and your hard work isn’t lost or forgotten about.
   
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help, the Activities Team at the SU are happy to help you. We want to help the society to continue and grow and this will be enabled by  an effective handover. You can get in contact with us on lbsu-societies@leedsbeckett.ac.uk and we will support you however we can.
   
• Don’t panic! – Handovers can be stressful but with good planning and by working together you will be able to share the relevant information with the incoming Leaders.
   
• Don’t disappear after the handover – Make sure the new committee members have your contact details, there are bound to be things they don’t understand or things you have forgotten.
   
• Remember to set boundaries on when and for how long they can contact you for whilst there is a transition (Ideally this shouldn’t be longer than a month)