Northern Services is a purchasing consortium which came into being in 1985. It was founded because Scottish Student Organisations felt that their special needs, such as regional variations in taste, were not being catered for by the existing Student Union Consortium.
The aim of Northern Services is to negotiate and provide the best possible services for students by means of both collective purchasing and co-ordinated activities. Member Unions benefit by obtaining much better deals than they would individually. They place orders separately and are invoiced separately, but are able to take advantage of the negotiated prices and terms obtained by the group as a whole. The same terms in respect of price, delivery, etc., from Suppliers should apply to all members, regardless of size or location. Northern Services is a fully democratic body in which student officers cast votes. These votes are allocated to each member organisation in direct relation to that institution’s purchasing power.
The activities which lie within the scope of Northern Services include: Shops, Bars, Catering, Travel, Entertainments, Games & Vending Machines, Reprographics, Administration & Buildings Expenses, Financial Services,Training.
Decisions on Suppliers and other deals and arrangements are made at General Meetings which are held periodically throughout the year. Suppliers tendering are given the opportunity to display their goods at a small trade fair which is held on the morning of the relevant General Meeting. Each member union sends representatives to attend both the trade fair and the General Meeting.
Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting, held on the day of the Annual Conference, is the highest decision-making body within Northern Services, and is concerned only with policy making. Motions put before the AGM include constitutional amendments; approving the budget; recommendations from the commercial meeting; proposals arising from the student sessions; and elections to the following year’s Executive Committee.
The AGM is normally held in June. At this meeting several constitutional amendments and policies may be passed and the new Executive elected.