After a restful winter vacation, Student Hubs is back and well and truly in the swing of things. This month we wanted to share three stories from across our network to brighten up your day.
The Social Innovation Programme
Fat Dad’s Community Kitchen (FDCK) is a Bristol-based charity who have ambitious plans to convert an American school bus and use it to promote conversation, wellbeing and skills development whilst serving up great food. Bristol Hub got involved with the organisation last term as they provided a brief for the Social Innovation Programme (SIP). You can read more about FDCK and their crowdfunder here.
One of the SIP student consultants working with FDCK was Morgan, a second year Law student. When asked about how working with Bristol Hub had impacted their university experience, Morgan said:
“I have… made lots of new friends throughout this experience, and I am dedicated to staying connected with my community partner FDCK and helping them continue to champion social deprivation in Bristol. I genuinely believe that SIP has helped me feel more connected to the Bristol community, and I hope to work with Bristol Hub on another project in the future. Furthermore, I think the skills I have acquired throughout this process will help me pursue a career in the social impact sector in the future.”
LinkAges
Cambridge Hub volunteer Kate, was part of a LinkAges project which launched in the city last term, inspired by Desert Island Discs. Kate was matched with Keith and Jan and they spent weeks chatting over video, sharing stories and musical memories. Kate captured the conversations in a podcast which you can listen to here. Read Kate’s thoughts on the experience below:
“I am a postgrad geography student and moved to Cambridge in the middle of the pandemic. At a time when we were all feeling isolated, Cambridge Hub offered to pair students up with residents in a local care home through the ‘LinkAges’ project. I thought it might be a nice way to connect with the local community and make Cambridge feel like ‘home’, but I had no idea what a precious experience and lovely friendship it would lead to! Listening to Jan and Keith’s story was the perfect antidote to lockdown-blues, and it gave me the space to explore the more creative sides of my mind. It’s a real testament that, in any type of service or volunteering, you always get more than you can give. I’m looking forward to the day when it’s safe to visit in person — and hopefully play some music for the residents too!”
Service Learning
Last term Kingston Hub supported two Service Learning projects with longstanding community partners. All of our Service Learning projects provide students with an opportunity for in-curricular social action focused on developing their professional skills and cultivating a community-based mindset. Learn more about the programme in our earlier blogs; Service Learning: Accessible Opportunities for Meeting Student and Community Need and Service Learning: Addressing Participation Barriers With ‘Real-World’ Learning.
This term they are launching four projects with some amazing new partners. We thought we’d share a little bit about our new partnerships, and the projects they will be working on with students.
- The Rio Ferdinand Foundation are an established youth organisation who work collaboratively with young people, communities and businesses. Their brief will be set for Graphic Design and Children and Youth Development students.
- Cosign200 are an alliance that work with UK criminal justice campaigners to amplify and educate young people on their causes – aiming to catalyse true and continuous social change. They have launched a campaign focused on ‘joint enterprise’ and will be working with Criminology students on a brief.
- Caius House are a youth community centre based in Battersea, South London. They remain committed to giving young people in the local community a safe place to go where they can try new things, further develop their talents and have fun. They are working with Kingston Hub on a brief for Graphic Design students – creating a social media campaign called ‘Youth Battersea’, aimed at local young people and families.
- Oasis Therapy is a start-up youth counselling business which supports young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. The owner Da-Sheena Fulford is a qualified therapist with a masters degree in counselling. Oasis Therapy’s brief for Children and Youth Development students will include working on a case study.
In the Spotlight
This month we want to put Natalie and Aaron in the spotlight, the newest members of the Student Hubs staff team. Aaron has joined Winchester Hub as Projects Officer and Natalie is the Bristol Hub Programmes Manager. They have both been spending the month getting to grips with all things Hubs and getting the ball rolling on some exciting projects.
Welcome to the team Natalie and Aaron! It has been wonderful getting to know you and I’m looking forward to working together over the coming months.
What to Look Out For
- The Alumni Ambassadors have planned a social. Everyone is invited to Crafty Chatters on Thursday 4 Feb from 5:30pm, join us with your craft project or just swing by for a chat here. All alumni welcome.
- We have launched our 2019/20 impact report. We are so excited to share our stories from last year with you, give the report a read here.
- In case you missed it, the Student Hubs Management Team released a blog outlining our approach to the national lockdown.
- We also announced our brand new webinar series, which is set to launch in Student Volunteering Week. Read more about the webinar series here.