The Most Unusual Student Societies in Birmingham

About the author: Hi! My name is Ash Sutton, and I am a Digital Media and Communications student at the University of Birmingham. I am an aspiring lifestyle, arts and culture journalist and all-around geek. In the times I’m not spending an absurd amount of money in restaurants, you can usually find me tucked in the corner of my bedroom with a coffee and my latest cross-stitch kit, rewatching a Marvel movie or listening to Broadway soundtracks until I am sick of them.

When I first began my university search, besides looking at the courses, I found myself scrolling through Students’ Union websites for each of my choices fantasising about the groups and clubs I could join once I got there. The social side of university is the make-or-break for a lot of students, so a good selection of student societies is pivotal for the full uni experience.

If you’re looking to study in Birmingham, there is a great range of societies here, but there are also some groups you wouldn’t expect to find on the SU list. Here’s my pick of the most unusual Birmingham student societies:

The Cheese Society – University of Birmingham

Are you a fan of dairy? So are the students of UoB. The Cheese Society is exactly as It says on the tin – a group of students with an undying love for cheese. Whether you’re a casual enjoyer or consider yourself a connoisseur, CheeseSoc welcomes all. They put on all kinds of events: from cheese talks to baking sessions to wine and cheese tastings, they have all a cheese lover could dream of. Membership prices are £7 and gives you a discount to the cheese stalls at UoB’s artisan market.

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Bad Film Society – University of Birmingham

Every university in the country has a film club, a place where movie lovers can go and watch a popular release and discuss the art with a group of like-minded students.

Bad Film puts a spin on this classic, centring entirely around watching films that are notoriously bad and discussing where the films fail (or thrive?) as entertainment. This club is much more relaxed considering film clubs have a reputation for turning quite pretentious. 

Plastic & Reconstruction Surgery Society – Aston University

For a specialist university like Aston, a society based around plastic surgery may not be too unusual. However from an outsider perspective, this is not something you see every day.

With very little information on its webpage, it’s unclear if the society is for those studying reconstruction surgery at the university or just for people to debate the ethics and stigma surrounding it. Either way, it appears to be the place to go for an interesting debate.

Burlesque Society – Birmingham City University

Channel your inner Christina Aguilera and dance the night away with BCU Burlesque. Formed to promote body confidence and self-love, the society teaches students the art of burlesque dancing. While universities may be hesitant to encourage the striptease, this BCU society flaunts the art style and the importance for young women to be comfortable in their sexuality.

Besides, what doesn’t sound fun about dancing with a group of friends in honour of the 2010 flick?

Flow Fusion – Birmingham Newman University

Advertised as a space where people can express themselves freely through movement, Flow Fusion provides fitness-focused dance classes to Newman students.

The society appears to be brand-new to start in September 2025 and focuses on hip-hop as its primary genre. While many universities have dance clubs, the promise of fusion makes for a fresh and unusual addition to Birmingham Newman’s society repertoire.

Parents & Carers Society – Birmingham City University

It can sometimes feel like the mature student body at a university is an afterthought to make way for the fresh-faced teenagers starting their further education journeys.

BCU, however, values the older members of their cohort and gives them a space to bond and discuss issues that affect students coming to university with parental responsibilities. The society throws parties and craft afternoons but also lobbies for inclusive spaces for parents and carers on campus.

Ice Skating Society – University of Birmingham

Ice skating is usually considered a very niche sport, especially considering UoB doesn’t have a rink of its own. Luckily for students, Solihull Planet Ice is only a short distance from the Selly Oak campus. The group meets to skate between 11am and 1pm every Wednesday and is open to all abilities.

Per IceSoc's IG, membership is a one-off £5 for the year, but you have to pay for each skating session, skate rental and travel costs, which average out around £15 per time.

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