Sports Levy
All students or staff playing or participating in any sporting or physical activity whilst at Durham must pay their charging for sport fee. This includes any sporting activity at College level, including the College gyms.
Undergraduate Students
For undergraduate students the levy is a one off fee, which is on the first college bill that is received when students arrive at Durham. The cost for £2009/10 is £126 for three years.
There are two ways in which students can opt out from paying the sports levy.
1) Upon receiving their A Level grades Fresher's will receive a pack of information from their college. Within the pack there will be a letter from Team Durham informing students of the sporting opportunities available at Durham. There will also be information on how to 'opt out' of the Sports Levy. This will include a form which needs to be filled in and returned to: The Director of Sport, Maiden Castle, Stockton Road, Durham, DH1 3SE by September 11th 2009.
2) If a student misses the deadline or finds that, upon arrival at Durham, they are not playing any sport, there will be a second opportunity to opt out in week seven of term 1 (November 23rd - November 27th 2009). Students must fill in a form, located at Maiden Castle, and hand in their sports card to receive the refund.
If a student chooses not to pay the sports levy they will be ineligible to use any of the sporting facilities, (indoors, outdoors or within colleges including college gyms), and they will not be covered by Team Durham's blanket personal insurance cover.
If you have opted out, but would like to purchase a sports card, this is always possible. To do this, you need to contact Quentin Sloper at, Email: q.r.sloper@dur.ac.uk, Tel: 0191 334 2193. You will be charged a percentage of the fee, depending upon your time left at Durham.
Fourth Year Undergraduate Students
Upon arrival at Durham all undergraduates received a letter from the Sports Department notifying them of the requirement to pay a Sports Levy which would allow them to play sport, be involved in organised physical activity, and access the University’s personal accident insurance policy for the initial three year period of their degree. Within the letter there was also a note drawing attention to the fact that, if students remained in Durham for a fourth undergraduate year, they would be charged a further fee for the final year of their course. (NB This additional levy is not applicable to those students who studied abroad for one year of their undergraduate course). All fourth year students will be contacted individually, informing them of the requirement to pay the extra one year fee of £42 if they are to be involved in physical activity whilst at Durham. Those wanting to participate will be required to send a cheque to: The Director of Sport, The Graham Sports Centre, Maiden Castle, Durham, DH1 3SE before November 1st 2009. Cheques are made out to Durham University. Those who do not send a cheque will not be eligible to take part in any physical activity and Colleges will be asked to monitor the situation.
Postgraduate Students
Any postgraduate student wanting to take part in organised physical activity whilst at Durham is required to pay their sports levy on an annual basis. The cost for 2009/10 is £42. Despite course commitments, many postgraduate students do play for University and college sides. There are 52 University clubs, and they can all be accessed at the Fresher’s Fair at the Three Tuns Hotel on October 6th and 7th. (10:00-16:00) If you are unable to make these times, that is not a problem as the University clubs continually look to recruit members throughout the season, and they are always contactable on email. A contact list for Club Captains can be found on the University Club pages. Alternatively, if you are looking for some specific advice or guidance you should contact Katie Sykes, the Team Durham Student President, on: Tel: 0191 334 1699, Email: sports.union@dur.ac.uk.
Postgraduates can purchase a sports card at any time of the year. To do this, you need to come to the University Sports Centre with a passport sized photo and payment of £42. If you have less than twelve months of study left at Durham, you will be asked to pay a smaller fee. If you are in this position please contact Quentin Sloper at, Email: q.r.sloper@dur.ac.uk, Tel: 0191 334 2193. You will be charged a percentage of the fee, depending upon your time left at Durham.
Staff
For staff paying the sports levy is an 'opt in' process. The fee for the 2009/10 season is £42, and this can be taken directly from your salary. For more information please contact Maiden Castle reception on: 0191 334 2178
Members of the Public
Members of the public can also buy a Sports Card which will provide them with access to many of the facilities. The cost is currently set at £42 per year. For more information you should contact Maiden Castle reception on: 0191 334 2178
