These are all the UK unis that have student pro-life societies in 2024

Two weeks ago, students at the University of Liverpool started a petition to ban a new Liverpool pro-Life Society. Earlier in the year, the creation of a pro-life society at the University of Manchester caused similar backlash. But Liverpool and Manchester are far from the only UK unis with pro-life societies.

Yes, UK unis partially fund pro-life societies. All student societies get money from the Student Union, and unis can’t legally stop students from forming anti-abortion societies, even if the vast majority of students are really against them.

Here is a rundown of every UK uni with an active pro-life society in 2024:

University of Aberdeen

Aberdeen Life Ethics Society has over 1,300 followers on Facebook, but it’s unclear whether it’s got a new committee for the 2024/2025 year.

University of Birmingham

Although Birmingham Students for Life’s social media was pretty inactive in 2023, the society seems to still exist, because it posted a picture of this one man at the Freshers’ Fair.

 

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A post shared by Birmingham Students for Life (@bhamstudentsforlife)

University of Bristol

Bristol Students for Life’s members seem to be mostly male and to be very low on numbers.

 

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A post shared by Bristol Students for Life (@sflbristol)

The most recent Instagram post – advertising a pro-life movie night with the Natalie Portman film Where the Heart is – has a massive five likes.

University of Edinburgh

The Edinburgh Pro Life Society has a new committee for 2024.  It costs £2.00 for students to join.

 

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A post shared by Edinburgh Pro Life Society (@edinburghlifesociety)

Last year, the society ran events such as Q&As, a bake sale to raise funds, and a “Letter-writing and coffee meetup”.

University of Exeter

Many students have protested about the Exeter Students for Life society in the past. In 2021, Exeter students were so outraged that the Exeter Students for Life society was promoting itself on social media and at Freshers’ events that 8,000 of them signed a petition trying to get the organisation banned.

 

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A post shared by Exeter Students For Life (@exeterstudentsforlife)

However, Exeter Students for Life is still going, and has found a new committee for the 2024/2025 years. The society has almost 500 followers on Instagram. The society posted: “Our society exists to encourage a culture of life on campus, advocating against abortion and helping spread the pro-life message in a sensitive and respectful way. We aim to equip pro-life students to advocate for the unborn.”

University of Glasgow

Glasgow Students for Life still exists in 2024, and has already hosted a few events this year. Mary O’Brien from Alliance of Pro Life Students gave a talk to them all on 3rd October. 13 students showed up and went to the pro-life pub night afterwards.

The society regularly organises trips for students to volunteer at a “local crisis pregnancy centre” called Cardinal Winning Pro Life Initiative.

University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University

Students from these two unis formed a joint Liverpool Pro-Life Society in September 2024. The petition to ban it currently has 14,000 signatures.

The University of Liverpool and Liverpool Guild of Students released a joint statement: “The Guild recognises that our members will not always agree with every society, and that there can be disagreement between different groups.

“We are committed to facilitating respectful, inclusive debate. As with all Guild societies, this new group will have to follow the Code of Conduct, which seeks to create an environment where everyone is treated with dignity, fairness and respect.”

Their first social of the 2024/2025 year seemed to be mostly attended by men.

 

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A post shared by Liverpool Pro-Life Society (@liverpoolprolife)

University of Manchester

The Student Union at the University of Manchester
(Credit: Vita Student via Creative Commons)

Students at Manchester Uni started a pro-life society in January 2024. A petition to shut down the society reached 10,000 signatures, but the Student Union couldn’t shut down the society, as the minimum of three students were interested in it and the society wasn’t doing anything illegal.

University of Oxford

Oxford Students for Life regularly holds bake sales to raise money for anti-abortion organisations, Secret Santas for members and “pro-life themes pub quiz” nights. It discusses euthanasia as well as abortion.

 

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A post shared by Oxford Students For Life (@oxfordstudentsforlife)

In 2021, students tore down the pro-life society’s posters at the Freshers’ Fair. The committee told Oxfordshire Live that “If the goal is to get people talking about these issues then it has been amazing because a lot of people are thinking about us and going on our website and social media and a lot more people know we exist.”

University of St Andrews

 

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A post shared by Students for Life St Andrews (@lifestandrews)

Students for Life St Andrews is one of the most active of the pro-life societies at UK unis. 40 students showed up to their first event of the 2024/2025 year. John Mason, a pro-life Member of the Scottish parliament, gave a talk.

Related articles recommended by this author:

• Petition to dissolve new Liverpool Uni pro-life societies reaches almost 9,000 signatures
• Fight broke out between students at protest against Uni of Manchester Pro-Life society
• Manchester pro-life students were reportedly ‘spat on’ and told they ‘should be r*ped’

Feature image credit: Superchilum via Creative Commons. Image was resized and recoloured.