May has been a mega month at Student Hubs for lots of reasons. As we got used to our second month of lockdown in the UK – virtual meetings and home setups became the norm. However, it hasn’t put a dent in our positive energy and proactive nature. Below are some of our good news headlines from the month to put a smile on your face.
Awards Season
With the end of the academic year, comes the Student Hubs awards season. We were beyond proud to see Southampton Hub’s student-led project, Biocycle, win the Community Impact Award at the University of Southampton SU’s Society & Volunteering Awards. Biocycle have set up a food waste collection service in Southampton, organised entirely by volunteers on bicycles. They provide 130 households with caddies and collect the waste weekly, delivering it to Aldermoor Community Farm to be composted.
Cambridge Hub recently held its annual Vice Chancellor’s Social Impact Awards ceremony. Supported by the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Stephen Toope, the awards were launched in 2019 for the first time to recognise the exceptional commitment to, and achievement in, student social impact. Curious who won? Read the profiles here.
A Successful Showcase
At the launch of Bristol Hub’s Spring Social Innovation Programme on 11 March, no one was prepared for an entirely remote cohort. For 8 weeks, 4 groups of 5 students worked on 4 community briefs. From volunteer recruitment to fundraising strategies, they entered the back office world of charities and delivered some unbelievably high-quality work.
The work was celebrated on the 13 May at the Bristol Hub SIP showcase. Colleagues from Burges Salmon, Student Hubs and our community partners joined the Zoom showcase to watch the students present their work.
Impact, Impact, Impact
A lot of our regular programmes at Student Hubs have come to an end for 2019/20. This means we have been getting feedback on our students and partners’ experiences with their local Hubs. Here are a few of our highlights so far:
Seeing the children improve over the weeks, getting to know the parents as well as the children. I find it really gratifying when I manage to convince the children to keep working and they do their work well even after they want to give up. – Schools+ Volunteer
Being part of LinkAges has been a really fulfilling experience which I plan to continue and develop further this year, as coordinator. This has been my first direct involvement in any sort of social action project and I now feel more aware of and engaged in tackling social issues. – LinkAges Volunteer
The ability to use research and analytical skills to volunteer in a way that is different to alternative ways which may have a longer lasting impact on the charity- this was so rewarding. As well as the fact that I was able to meet genuine friends through working with my allocated group. – Social Innovation Programme participant
In The Spotlight
This month’s spotlight is shining on Schools+, our in-school tutoring and support programme.
In response to Covid-19, our brilliant Schools+ network lead, Clara, has been working hard on alternative delivery. We are piloting a virtual tutoring platform, creating guidelines for pre-recorded video lessons and supporting volunteers with making worksheets. In these unusual times, we want to support our partner schools more than ever.
What to look out for
- We’ll be sending out our graduate outcomes survey next month. We want to hear about where you’ve been and what you’re doing 🔎 Have Student Hubs influenced your career choices?
- Over summer we’ll be recruiting for some roles across the network, watch your inbox for job opportunities in the near future. 👔