It’s officially spooky season! Not to worry, this month’s Alumni Digest has far more treats than tricks (or does it..?). We’ve had a busy month getting this year’s projects off the ground in Southampton and Bristol; recruiting in Cambridge; and saying goodbye to an important part of the Hub family in Kingston. Grab a warm drink and get cosy before reading all about it below!
Kingston hub’s final celebration
As you may have seen on our social media channels, this month we said goodbye to Kingston Hub. We’re so proud of what the Hub managed to achieve but it was bittersweet to wrap up the project. A big thanks goes out to all who attended the celebration event – what a send off! We reminisced with Kingston Hub Alumni as well as the current team and committee, and reflected on our highlights. There were too many to choose from, so here are some of the most impressive facts and figures:
- Kingston Hub reached over 4,900 participants – and over 300 partners!
- 78% of 2023 Empower participants said they can now recognise their own strengths and accomplishments
- 100% of community partners agreed that participating in Community Engaged Learning added positive value to their organisation
- 58% of volunteers had never taken part in social action before engaging with us
Social innovation in bristol
On Wednesday, Bristol Hub launched their newest Social Innovation Programme. The first session was all about breaking the ice, making teams, and meeting partner organisations.
On Wednesday, Bristol Hub launched their newest Social Innovation Programme. The first session was all about breaking the ice, making teams, and meeting partner organisations.
There are some really exciting partners and briefs in this cohort for students to get stuck into:
- Young Bristol supports young people (up to 25) with community based services and innovative programmes. They are currently working on a Theory of Change and have submitted a brief following the question “What is the best way to integrate impact measurement into open access youth settings?”.
- Future Learning and Insights Platform (FLIP, with CEO of Creative Tuition Collective) is an online platform aiming to reduce barriers to STEM through high quality training and support. The brief is researching and finding support for designing the platform to be inclusive.
- Mothers for Mothers is a charity supporting families affected by maternal/perinatal mental illness. Their brief is recommending and building a Business Advisory Group of women in local business to help diversify their income streams.
- My Future My Choice creates bespoke projects with schools and community groups to improve the success and happiness for young people. Their brief is exploring and creating a marketing and distribution plan for their new sustainability board game.
We can’t wait to see how it all goes – check back for updates!
in the Spotlight
We have re-welcomed Petia Tzokova to our staff team to support us with the exciting programmes coming up at Cambridge Hub until we have a Programme Manager in place. Petia has worked as an intern at Cambridge Hub in the past, so we’re thrilled to have her back on board!
Finally, we couldn’t wrap up October’s Digest any other way than with a final shout-out to Kingston, specifically the wonderful Hub team. Unsal, Louise and Emily made the Hub a special place, and really embodied its values. They were testament to the ethos of Student Hubs and our aim of creating lifelong active citizens: both Unsal and Emily were part of the Hub’s projects and committee as students, and Louise found her role at the Hub after studying at Kingston. We are sad to see them go but know they will go on to achieve amazing things as fully-fledged Hub Alumni. Thank you, team Kingston!
What to Look Out For
- Student Hubs Book Club – Book Pick for November
Our book club pick for November is How to Fail: Everything I’ve Ever Learned From Things Going Wrong – Elizabeth Day. Join our Discord Server here to take part in discussions on what we’re reading. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this month’s pick!