Looking at the constitution of the Royal College of Music Students’ Union
The Royal College of Music is, as British universities go, relatively small. As a result its students’ union is quite small too. In line with most unions of this size, RCM SU is an unincorporated association. This is a common legal form for charities in the UK. Most students’ unions began as charitable unincorporated associations and some still are.
As a result, the union does not exist legally in its own right. Legally speaking it is not separate from the college and the trustees of the union are legally and financially liable for its actions. Because it has no legal identity and, as an excepted charity, it is not required to register with the Charity Commission, its governing document has no prescribed format. This can prove an issue for trustees and officer seeking to establish their responsibilities to members. In this case, it also means the constitution is quite funny…