As some of you may be aware, we have had to take the difficult decision not to run a Graduation Ball this year. This was not a decision we made lightly, and we wish that we could have continued the event for those students who wanted to attend.

This year we have struggled immensely to source a venue for Sports Ball, resulting in the event being moved to a different date and to a venue with a reduced capacity on previous years. The Sports Ball is an event that has consistently sold out each year, whereas the Graduation Ball has shown diminishing ticket sales even with a post-pandemic return. Last year only 30% of tickets were sold. 

Typically, when both Balls were in the same venue on consecutive nights, it was possible for us to keep some costs low by splitting them across the two events. With difficulties in securing venues, this was no longer possible. Additionally, rising costs across all elements of this type of event would have resulted in an inaccessible ticket price for many wanting to attend Graduation Ball. The larger numbers at Sports Ball have allowed us to hold the ticket price at £60, but this has still been incredibly challenging in the current economic climate and with the reduced venue capacity. 

 Whilst we would have liked the Graduation Ball to go ahead, the Union is for all students and has core functions that are beneficial and accessible to everyone. Directing significant funding to subsidise an event that would not be of benefit to a major proportion of our membership would ultimately displease many students. 

 We accept this will cause upset for some students, but we hope you can understand the reasons behind the decision.