Description
Welcome to Bristol University Neurodiversity Society (BUNS).
Bartholomew: Mascot of BUNS
BUNS is run for and by Neurodivergent Students. We welcome everyone from those who have a formal diagnosis, are in the process of getting a diagnosis, are self-diagnosed or if you're wondering whether you might be Neurodivergent; we don't ask for your diagnosis status.
Neurodivergence
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Some examples of Neurodivergence include: Autism/ASC/ASD, ADHD/ADD, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, Dyspraxia (DCD), General Anxiety/Social Anxiety, OCD, and Tourette's (TS)/Tics.
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Neurodivergence is a broad term inclusive of a vast array of conditions beyond those listed here.
What we provide:
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Peer support and mutual understanding.
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A safe space for Neurodivergent students at UoB.
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Accessible activities and social drop-in sessions that will be advertised on our social media & here. We try to be mindful of varying needs and anxieties, but if there is anything you think would make BUNS more accessible for you please contact us to let us know. Any member of the Society may also make a request for reasonable adjustments that are proportionate, feasible and fair, as outlined in the Bristol SU Managing Requests for Reasonable Adjustments (Guide for Committees).
Our Aims:
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Create a safe space and community for Neurodivergent students at University of Bristol.
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Run accessible activities and social events that cater for different sensory needs.
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Reduce loneliness and isolation in Neurodivergent students.
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Where feasible, provide opportunities for members to support each other with additional meetups and study sessions through schemes such as the Extra Meetup Coordinators scheme or a Buddy Scheme.
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Link with other societies to raise awareness of Neurodivergence and to help make other societies more accessible.
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If feasible, the Committee should run a Campaigns & Activism Subdivision of the Society throughout the academic year, allowing non-Committee members to voluntarily get involved and assist with campaigns the Committee are working on.
Examples of social events we have run at BUNS:
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Weekly Drop-In Activity Sessions (6:00-7:50pm on Tuesday at Senate House): Special Interest (Show & Tell) Night, Arts & Crafts, Air-Dry Clay Model Making, Pottery Decorating, Puzzles & Board Games Night, Buns/Biscuit/Cake Decorating, Quiz Night, Film Night, Badge Making, Plant Potting, Bingo, Wii Games Night, and more! You are also welcome to come along and do your own thing, instead of participating in the specific activity of each Drop-In session. Feel free to arrive and leave whenever you want. If you would like a committee member to meet your outside our activity room or outside senate house and walk into the session with you, please contact us.
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Extra Meetups: Nature walks, Museums, Cafes, and more!
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Special Events: BUNS Winter Meal & BUNS Birthday Party!
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Our Drop-Ins and Extra Meetups are "free" to attend once you have a paid BUNS membership for the Academic Year. However, our occasional special events may require members to purchase a separate ticket (such as the Winter Meal), but we can subsidise the cost for members who wouldn't be able to attend otherwise, thanks to our "Pay-It-Forward" Membership scheme!
Membership (For 25/26 Academic Year):
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If you weren't able to attend our Give it a Go sessions and would like to try out 1 Drop-In session for free later in term to decide if you would like to become a member, please feel free to turn up to 1 session without membership.
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Standard membership - £5.
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Pay-it-Forward membership (extra donation to subsidise costs for other members) - £8. If you are able to, please consider purchasing a ‘Pay-it-Forward’ membership to help us reach more members and be more accessible to all Neurodivergent students.
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Subsidised membership - Between £0 & £5. If purchasing membership is a barrier to you joining the society please email us as we can subsidise (discount) your membership using the ‘Pay-it-Forward’ scheme.
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When you become a BUNS Member you are agreeing to abide by the BUNS Community Guidelines which set out the level of behaviour expected of all BUNS members in person at our Drop-Ins/Meetups/Special Events, when representing us (such as wearing our merchandise) and online through messages & content in our members WhatsApp group. Download the BUNS Community Guidelines
Contact us & follow BUNS on social media:
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Email: bristolunindsoc@outlook.com
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Instagram @Bunsuob: Click here
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Facebook: Click here
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Linktree (Lots of useful resources & links for Neurodivergent Students): Click here
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WhatsApp: We have a WhatsApp Community that members regularly use to ask questions, share advice about their experiences, infodump about special interests, share pet photos, etc. Once you become a BUNS member, you will receive the link to join via our weekly announcement emails. If you've joined and would like the WhatsApp link straight away, please email us from your University email to verify you are a member.
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If you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact us and we'd be more than happy to help, we're all super lovely and understanding.
Committee 2026-27:
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Co-presidents- Aphra Hardwick & Chlo Drew
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Vice President- Emilia Kingman
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Secretary- Elizabeth Parker
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Treasurer- Sammy Wilsmore
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Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Welfare Officer- Evie McCabe
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Activities Coordinator- Cameron Cove
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Campaigns & Activism Representative- Lizzie Yates
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Outreach Officer- Arthur Evans
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Social Media Representatives- Ostyn Bendall-Smith & Grace Vaughan
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Non-Portfolio Representative- Laura Mellor
BUNS Equality Statement
Bristol University Neurodiversity Society (BUNS) is committed to being a welcoming and inclusive community for our members. Everything our Society offers is provided in a way which encourages participation from a diverse range of backgrounds, and we actively work with the various departments and services at the University to advocate for improvements to the accessibility and inclusivity of the University as a whole. We do not tolerate individuals or groups being shamed, bullied, harassed or discriminated against because of their actual or perceived race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, age or disability status. Efforts to ensure these behaviours do not occur in our group is among our highest priorities and the Committee are aware of the actions to be taken, by following the University and Bristol SU's procedures, if any of these behaviours are to occur within our group.
Our achievements so far...
- Two Sensory Rooms on campus (4th Floor of Senate House & in the Richmond Building)
- BUNS Co-founder, Charlotte O'Brien, awarded the Careers Service's Change Maker Outstanding PLUS Award in 2023 for the fantastic work she has done for BUNS!
- BUNS Co-founder, Freya Selman, named as one of Bristol SU's 50 Most Influential Students in 2024 for the fabulous work she has done for BUNS!
- BUNS 2025-26 Co-President, Haydon Wansbrough, named as one of Bristol SU's 50 Most Influential Students in 2026 for the innovative work he has done for BUNS!
- Gold Bristol SU Accreditation Award achieved in the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 Academic Years
- Hosted a highly successful and accessible BUNS 5th Birthday Party towards the end of the 2025-26 Academic Year
- Careers services providing bespoke disability & neurodivergence support
- Improving accessibility & inclusivity in university sport
- Collaborated with Bristol SU on reasonable adjustments for student groups and committees
- Mandatory Autism training for Wellbeing staff
- Working with SU & Resilife to make the welcome fair more accessible & inclusive
- Emotional wellbeing & mental health deep dive with Sarah Purdy
- Neurodivergence awareness for senior tutors
- Partial funding for educational ADHD assessment
- Have your say event- providing feedback to senior university staff
- Focus group with Vice-Chancellor Evelyn Welch
- Worked with Unite Students to influence university accommodation across the entire UK- BUNS published as a collaborator
- Quiet spaces at large events such as Welcome Fairs, Open Days, Offer Holder days, etc
- Successful 'Pay-it-forward' membership scheme so all members can take part in activities, without costs being a barrier
- Part of the interview panel for the Head of Disability Services
- Worked with Bristol Grammar School to give advice to Neurodivergent Sixth Formers before starting Uni
- Hosted our 1st BUNS ball to end the 2023-24 Academic Year and a 2nd BUNS ball to end the 2024-25 Academic Year
- Created resources for Neurodivergent students such as the Bristol Contacts, Services & Wellbeing Toolkit and BUNS Recommends & Tips for Uni
- Providing accessibility advice for other socieites
- And so much more...
Our announcements & upcoming activities will automatically show up on the embedded Instagram widget below:
TB1 2026 Tuesday Drop-ins Provisional Timetable (6:00-7:50pm, Room 5.22, 5th Floor of Senate House):
-To be added during the summer.
- It is possible that the order of activities shown above may change due to unforeseen circumstances, but this should give a rough idea of what we will be doing each week as is currently planned. Keep an eye on our social media/weekly emails to see event announcements every week so you know if anything has changed or if any extra “Meetups” or "Special Events" are being organised.
Photos:
Past BUNS Committees:
2025-2026:
2024-2025:
2023-2024:
Terms and conditions
Click here to view terms and conditions
Membership Fee Inclusions
With a BUNS membership you can attend our Drop-Ins and Meet-Ups without any additional fees (besides things like entry fees or food costs at external venues for Meet-Ups such as the Zoo or Cafés). However, our occasional special events may require members to purchase a separate ticket (such as the BUNS Ball), but we can subsidise the cost for members who wouldn't be able to attend otherwise, thanks to our "Pay-It-Forward" Membership scheme! If purchasing a membership is a barrier to you joining the society, please let us know as we can also subsidise your membership using the ‘Pay-it-Forward’ scheme. Prior to signing up to BUNS get in contact with us on social media or email at bristolunindsoc@outlook.com if you have any questions or would like clarification on what your membership includes.
Service Standards
All BUNS members can expect to receive:
- The opportunity to attend weekly Drop-Ins, regular Meet-Ups and occasional ticketed Events.
- Access to our Members-Only WhatsApp Community to receive announcements, chat with other Neurodivergent students, ask advice about being Neurodiverse at UoB, etc. The link is provided in the weekly announcements email which is sent to members during term time.
- The opportunity to stand for a committee position or vote in BUNS elections.
Community Guidelines
When joining BUNS you are agreeing to abide by the constitution, general rules, regulations and policies of University of Bristol Students’ Union and also the BUNS Community Guidelines which set out the level of behaviour expected of all BUNS members in person at our Drop-Ins/Meet-Ups/Events, when representing us (such as wearing our merchandise or helping us on an open day) and online through messages and content in our members WhatsApp group.
Download the BUNS Community Guidelines
Download the SU Members Code of Conduct
Refund Policy
Any customer who pays for a membership subscription to a Bristol SU Society has a 14 day cooling off period from the time and date of purchase during which they have the right to cancel the subscription and receive a full refund. If you do decide to cancel within the 14 days, Bristol SU will refund your payment within a further 30 days of the cancellation. To request a refund please email: bristolsu@bristol.ac.uk
These terms shall be governed by English law and are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts. Nothing in these terms shall exclude liability for fraudulent misrepresentation.
