Clubs and societies

Joining a College club or society is a great way to meet new people and have fun.

Churchill College has a diverse range of clubs and societies, run by students and members of the Churchill College community.

There are hundreds more University-wide clubs and societies available to join, catering to every interest and hobby. Information on student-run club and society pages represents their authors only and is not published on behalf of Churchill College or the University of Cambridge.

University Clubs & Societies

Art Society

The Churchill Art Society organises weekly, informal sessions in the on-site Art Studio. These are free and open to all members of the College. Previous sessions have involved watercolours, acrylics, pen & ink, wall painting, still life, charcoal, fabric painting, and even cake decorating!

No experience or skill is required, and we provide all the materials & media. Feel free to attend as it suits, even if only once a term to escape the week 5 blues!

We meet on Sundays at 4pm during term time. Please get in touch for a more detailed schedule and further information!

Badminton Club

With more than 100 subscribers, more than 40 active members, two men’s and one women’s team, the Badminton club is one of the largest societies at Churchill. We are a friendly club welcoming all members of the College of all abilities to come along and have a go! We have 2 two-hour sessions per week during Michaelmas and Lent terms, Mondays 4-6pm at the University Sports Centre and Sundays 10am-12pm at the Chesterton Sports Centre. There is no charge for attending and all equipment will be provided by the club at the sessions if you require them.

For those seeking a competitive edge to their badminton, all three of our teams participate in the College Open/Women’s League and the Cuppers tournament throughout the year. The League matches are doubles games scheduled approximately once per week in Michaelmas and Lent terms, while Cuppers is an intercollegiate knock-out competition in Lent term. In 2018, our men’s first team and our women’s team, both currently playing in the League first division, won and reached the semi-final of the Cuppers tournament. Suffice it to say that we are among the best Colleges in badminton!

The club is always looking for more players of any standard, so please get in contact with the Captain.

 

Contact

Captain: Jeffry Lu

The women's badminton cuppers team 2018

Boat Club

Churchill College Boat Club is the largest club in Churchill. Rowing is by far the most popular sport at the University, and college rowing is the best way of getting involved with the sport.

Most people’s experience of rowing before arriving in Cambridge consists of occasionally watching the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race on television alongside some preconceptions about endless early mornings.

Whatever your experience of sport beforehand, we will have a boat to suit your abilities. If rowing and physical activity is not your scene, then coxing is another great way of getting involved.

The Churchill boat club carrying a pink boat towards the river.

Contact

For more information and to join the mailing list visit the Churchill College Boat Club website.

www.churchillboatclub.org.uk

Facebook page

Follow @CHU_BC on Twitter

Captain: Jeremy Wilkinson

Churchill Casino

Churchill Casino is a well-established Cambridge-based enterprise which provides flexible and tailored packages to JCRs, MCRs, University societies, May Balls and corporate events in Cambridge and across the country. Last year we were employed at many of the Cambridge University May Week Balls and events and we have even worked for some May Balls at ‘the other place’ in the past! We have also run casinos at events for companies such as Deloitte, Dyson, Clifford Chance and the Royal Post Office.

Churchill Classic Film Club

The Churchill “Casablancabridge” Classic Cinema Club organises free weekly screenings of classic films and post-screening discussions. Whether you’re a cinematic connoisseur, just starting out, or simply want to spend a relaxing evening in good company, you are warmly invited to join us in appreciation of the silver screen!

Follow our Facebook and Instagram pages – linked below – to get the latest details on our upcoming screenings. Here’s lookin’ at you, kids!

Climbing Society

Climbing is a social sport which anyone can pick up. At Churchill we have an active community, with lots of trips to the nearest indoor climbing centre, Rainbow Rocket. Feel free to join the WhatsApp group or send us a message to get involved!

 

Christian Union

We are a group of students in College who have a passion for sharing the good news of Jesus. We meet regularly to encourage each other, worship, read the Bible together and pray. We also put on events in College where people can find out more about Christianity in a relaxed environment. If you would like to be involved in the CU, or have questions about Christianity and want to find out more, feel free to contact one of our reps (below) who would love to talk to you and give you more details.

We meet every Saturday evening in the buttery (usually 6pm for food, 7pm for a bible study), and every Friday morning (8am) in the Chapel for breakfast, prayers, and praise.

As well as meeting regularly in College we are part of the Cambridge Inter-Collegiate Christian Union (CICCU), the University-wide Christian Union, whose aim is to make Jesus known in Cambridge.

Clubs D-M

Engineering Society (ChuEng)

Churchill College Engineering Society (or ChuEng for short) is an academic and social hub for the engineering community of Churchill, from Undergrads to Fellows. We run events, talks, and socials throughout the year as well as showcasing the engineering talent of the college both past and present.

 

Feminist Society

Churchill Femsoc is an open and intersectional society, providing a forum for diverse discussion on gender issues through regular meetings and events. As a historically male-dominated college, Churchill has been making huge strides forwards in terms of addressing the gender imbalance, but we wish to take this further and continue to challenge and address gender related issues, both related to the College and more widely. We wish to emphasise that all are welcome to join Churchill Fem Soc regardless of gender identity or expression as we truly believe in cultivating an inclusive environment. We are open to suggestions regarding potential events or points of discussion! Feel free to email or contact us through our socials.

Contact

Instagram

Izzy Scott

 

Football Teams

Churchill College Football Club (CCFC) has four undergraduate teams (three men’s and one women’s) and one post-graduate men’s team.

Given the large number of teams here at Churchill, we’re always looking for keen, enthusiastic players to get involved, regardless of how much or how little you have played before.

The Churchill Christ’s Cavs Women’s Football Club (CCCWFC)  is combined with Christ’s and Lucy Cavendish College.

@ChurchillCCFC on Twitter

CCFC Facebook group

CCCWFC Facebook group

CCCWFC Instagram

The women's football Cuppers team celebrating a victory in 2018. A player in the centre holds a silver plate while another player sprays champagne over the team

Contact

Alex Perrin 

 

Gaming Society

The Churchill College Gaming Society plays board, card and video games on Saturday evenings, usually in Seminar Room 2. If gaming or just hanging out in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere appeals to you, get in touch.

Gardening Club

We are the Churchill Garden Society and we welcome you to join us! Our garden is right behind 70 Storey’s Way, surrounded by apple, pear and plum trees. Over the past many years, we have planted tomatoes, potatoes, beetroots, radishes, carrots, strawberries, peas and beans!

Gardening club greenhouse

History Society

A society that organises talks about a variety of historical events, figures, periods and places.

We also put on an occasional historically-themed movie night in Wolfson Hall, as well as seek to organise outreach events, such as Graduate research presentations.

Churchill Jazz Band

Churchill Jazz Band is a 20-piece band which draws on talent from across Cambridge University to perform all styles of jazz from classic swing to Latin tunes as well as funk and more modern numbers. We perform to the highest standard and what’s more, we won’t charge the earth for our services!

We can also arrange for a smaller group to be available if that would be more suitable and we can customise our repertoire to suit your needs!

18 members of the Churchill Jazz band holding their instruments and smiling towards the camera

Churchill College Drawing Society

Churchill College Drawing Society meets in the Music Recital Room fortnightly on Mondays, from 8pm to 9pm. The society supplies a selection of drawing materials and music for attendees to enjoy during an hour of life drawing. During each session, a life model will hold a variety of poses for different periods of time (ranging from 2-minute warm-ups to longer, 15-minute poses).

You do not have to ‘know how to draw’. Absolutely anyone can get involved in life drawing, and it is a wonderfully therapeutic, relaxing, quiet practice where you can explore your creativity, cultivate your concentration, and spend an hour simply engaging with being human!

MedVet Society (Chu MVS)

Churchill College Medical and Veterinary Science Society exists to support preclinical and clinical medic and vet students at Churchill College.

By fostering a close inter-year community and maintaining strong relations with our alumni, we hope to make our students’ time at Churchill enjoyable, successful, and a valuable preparation for their future careers.

Music Society (CHUMS)

Membership of Churchill College Music Society is completely free and open to all members of the college, staff or student, and the wider university.

Our mailing list keeps everyone up to date on upcoming concerts and events – to join it, or for more information on joining ChuMS ensembles, you can email the Music Sizar , or visit here.

ChuMS includes several ensembles, from Inter Alios Choir, to Orchestra on the Hill and Jazz Band.

Find out more

ChuMS

Clubs N-Z

Netball

Churchill has two netball teams, a women’s and a mixed, both of which take part in an inter-college league at weekends throughout Michaelmas and Lent Term. Cuppers takes place at the end of Lent Term, which is an inter-collegiate knock – out competition and just generally a fun day out. We are currently running an open session on Sunday’s 1-2pm on Churchill courts but will email anyone signed up if this changes.

We are a friendly club, welcoming members of the college of all abilities to come along. No experience or skill is needed; we often run training sessions throughout the term to help people get to grips with the rules or for those that are a bit rusty and are always looking for new netball prodigys!!

Pool Club

Churchill College Pool Club’s goal is to promote Pool within College. Whether you aim to clear the table in one go, wish to brush up your skills or simply want to try out a new sport, you are welcome to join our society.

Our college pool team plays in College League over Michaelmas and Lent terms, and in the annual University Cuppers Tournament. Our success includes coming 2nd in the 2018/19 Cuppers Tournament. No previous experience is required to join the Club; whether you’re a seasoned plater or have never held a cue before, come along to our weekly training sessions and we’ll teach you how to play. Everybody is welcome!

A male student playing pool in the Games Room

Rugby Club

Joining the rugby team is a great way to keep fit, have a well-earned break from working and meet people in other years as well as people outside your subject.

Churchill College has its own Men’s Rugby team, and there is a combined Sidney Sussex and ‘Hills Colleges’ women’s rugby team.

Games are usually on Saturday afternoons versus other Cambridge colleges with a training sessions organised throughout the term. The Rugby Club is also renowned for its social side too which is often more than enough reason to sign up for the club.

Churchill's Rugby team holding the plate and posing for a photo with Athene Donald

Tennis Club

Tennis is one of the most popular sports at Churchill, and for good reason! We have three outdoor hard courts that are open to all Churchill students throughout the year, as well as three grass courts that are used in the Easter term. Courts can be booked at the Porters’ Lodge and tennis racquets can be hired through the JCR Equipment Officer.

Anyone at any level is welcome to play! There are lots of ways to get involved with social tennis; you can sign up to the mailing list, or join the Churchill Social Tennis Facebook Group.

A male and female student playing tennis

Ultimate Frisbee

Ultimate Frisbee is a fun, fast sport, best described as a cross between netball and American football, played with a frisbee.

All are welcome to come and join our training sessions! Contact Adi (captain) for more details about what it’s like, when we train etc.

Four students play ultimate frisbee outside on a sunny day

 

Contact

Aditya Jambhale

 

Volleyball Club

Churchill College Volleyball Club is for new players and experienced ones!

Man playing volleyball

Contact

Mark Marritt

 

Yoga Society

Yoga runs on Mondays from 5-6pm outside (as and when the weather permits) or in the Churchill Dance Studio. It’s a great way to relax and unwind and is open to everyone – no experience  necessary!

Contact

Sign-up form

 

Clubs and society funding

College Clubs and Societies are funded by grants from the CCRFC (Combined Common Rooms Finance Committee), which has JCR, MCR and SCR representation on it. Grant applications are made at the start of the Easter Term for the following academic year.

Find out more about the CCRFC grants

Update your Club or Society listing