St Cuthbert's Society is one of the largest and oldest student communities at Durham. Founded as an alternative to college living, it still retains that independence of spirit, but now offers its students all the advantages of being a college of Durham University. It provides loads of services to members, from sports and societies, to events, to welfare and mentoring. Over the years the Society has expanded a great deal and now has a large body of accommodation on the Bailey as well as in Old Elvet. Although the Bailey colleges are generally considered to be more traditional, St Cuthbert's Society employs a unique progressive approach to university life that is keen to attract students from a broad range of backgrounds.