Hist comes out top of CSC funding in 2017/18

The college debating society received €21,007 from the capitated body

The College Historical Society (the Hist) received the most funding out of all 126 societies that fall under the Central Societies Committee (CSC) last year. The debating society received €21,007, an increase from €18,872 in 2016/17.

The University Philosophical Society (the Phil) received the second largest amount at €19,180, a decrease from €24,210 in 2016/17.

The figures do not take into account sponsorship or funding from other sources, with the CSC accounts noting: “Expenditure across the categories of societies’ grants is dependent on what is claimed for by the societies from the CSC. Societies will generally spend more money than is claimed from CSC, so this expenditure is not a definitive account of what societies spend.”

The Phil and Law Soc, who did not receive any funding from the CSC, receive headline sponsorship from PwC and A&L Goodbody respectively.

30 societies received more than €1,000 in funding, with DU Players receiving €16,923, an increase from €13,438 in 2016/17. Trinity Zoological society received €2,800, an increase from €1,200 in 2016/17. Trinity Orchestra received €3,263, up from €774, and Trinity Musical Theatre received €2,725, which was also up from the €1,000 given in 2016/17. The Joly Geological Society received no funding in 2016/17 but was awarded €1,023 last year. The Society for International Affairs (SOFIA) saw a decrease in funding from €3,250 to €2,637 last year, while the Christian Union received €1,459.  Trad Soc were awarded €2,130, and DU Gamers received €1,821, up from €558 in 2016/17.

20 societies received no funding this year from the CSC, including DU Geographical Society, which received €1,458 in 2016/17. DU Food and Drink Society also received no funding, down from €600 in 2016/17, while DU Germanic Society was down from €394 in 2016/17.

Out of the six political parties that have Trinity branches that fall under the CSC, People Before Profit received the most funding with €439, down from the previous year’s €500. Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, and Labour received no money from the capitated body, while Fine Gael received €228. The Green Party also received €105 in 2017/18. Meanwhile, the Politics Society received €1,326, down from €1,602 in 2016/17.

Vincent De Paul (VDP) received the most CSC funding out of the six charities in Trinity at €2,281, down from €4,500 in 2016/17. The Cancer Society and Enactus received no funding, while Suas received €100. Trinity FLAC received €707 and AIESEC received €650.

The CSC recorded a deficit of €20,027 in 2017/18, decreasing its revenue reserves to €355,517 from €375,544. The organisation received €360,103 from the Capitations fund, up from the previous year’s €353,623. The CSC’s deficit was slightly higher than the previous year’s, which stood at €19,784.

The CSC spent a total of €148,269 on societies last year, down from €161,842 the year before. Overall, €28,090 was given to societies for competition entry and affiliation, while a total of €29,165 was spent on travel and accommodation for societies.

Other costs of the CSC totalled €158,793, down from €169,078 in 2016/17. Administration and sundry accounted for €141,182, while society printing cost €3,053, and the annual CSC dinner cost €680. €2,246 was spent on Freshers’ Week, with a further €11,155 going towards Fourth Week events. The accounts note that the organisation “remains in a very sound financial state at year’s end”.

The CSC granted full recognition to the Space Society and Trinity Musical Theatre Society last year, with the Vegan Society, Pagan Society, Nursing and Midwifery Society, and Workers Party Society receiving provisional recognition.

Niamh Lynch

Niamh was Editor of the 65th volume of Trinity News. She is a History and Politics graduate.