The last few weeks have had everything: sunshine, torrential hail storms across the country, light evenings and pollen out in full force… It must be the end of April! With students off on their Easter breaks, the Student Hubs team have been busy reflecting on the last term and looking forward to the final push of the academic year. There are plenty of things to be learned from what we’ve achieved so far in 2023/24 and lots of challenges to overcome for the future. It’s a great month for us to take stock of where we’re at and set our goals going forward. We’d love to encourage you to do the same thing: what has gone well for you so far this year, and what can you build on in the coming months? While you have a think, here are some of our April highlights:
celebrating the Social innovation project
Last Wednesday, I had the pleasure of visiting Bristol Hub to see the Social Innovation Programme in action. As a member of the national team, it’s always wonderful to be able to get out from my home office and see projects happening, so I was very excited for this one!
Students had been invited to a celebration event at the Burges Salmon offices, where they were tasked with presenting the outcomes of their projects. Working with clients – Bristol-based organisations with a problem to solve – they had done their research and proposed solutions. My fellow panellists and I were tasked with giving out awards for the best presenters; best slides and best overall presentation. It was a tough choice as they’d all have been worthy winners but after much deliberation we managed to narrow it down.
It was wonderful to see the students present so confidently on projects they’d worked hard on, and to have the opportunity to celebrate their successes. It was also incredibly interesting to learn more about the client organisations, Off the Record (Bristol); Womankind Bristol; IntoUniversity and Bristol Mind, and our hosts Burges Salmon.
Counting down to the CCSF
On Sunday, the Cambridge Climate and Sustainability Forum (CCSF) committee hosted an event for local young people in the run up to the CCSF itself.
20 young people aged 11-16 from four different schools around Cambridge attended, supported by the committee members and Cambridge Hub staff member Charlie.
Most of the young attendees were already interested in climate change and solutions and were therefore very enthusiastic, which was great to see. To start the day, there was a short session on energy and renewables from a Cambridge University lecturer – what an experience to have at secondary school age! The students were then split into 3 groups to work on mini projects for a couple of hours, encouraging them to collaborate with peers from other schools. Their respective topics were eco-tourism, where they were challenged to create an itinerary for a sustainable holiday holiday; eco-fashion, where they were tasked with building a campaign to make individuals’ fashion choices more sustainable; and finally sustainable housing, where they generated sustainability recommendations for local housing developers e.g. adding solar panels and efficient recycling systems. They had a couple of hours to work on these projects, and presented their ideas at the end: their thoughts will be shared with the City Council and at the full CCSF event, so maybe we will see some student-generated sustainability initiatives in Cambridge in the near future!
Finally, the students chose three pledges to implement in their own lives to be more sustainable, and the day was wrapped up with a closing speech from Charlie, who encouraged attendees to have hope and be positive about their ability to make a difference.
sheltering from the storm
In Southampton, Programmes Manager Stephen hosted another fantastic Branch Up day alongside Youth Options. Here’s what he had to say:
Over our 2 days with Branch Up and Youth Options our brilliant bunch of intrepid outdoor adventurers did a range of activities. From using axes and whittling knives to make swords, daggers, crafting bows and arrows to hammock erecting, they embraced the outdoors in full force (except maybe when one of the children saw some creepy crawlies).
We made shelters to withstand wind storm Izzie and roasted marshmallows and made smores. The young people took to the hammocks like caterpillars to cocoons and ran around and around the site, either on hide and chase or Beluga hunting, it was a fantastic couple of days for everyone.
Stephen, Southampton Programmes Manager
Fantastic feedback
Having come to the end of another term of Schools Plus, we have had the pleasure of collecting some wonderful feedback in Bristol. We thought we’d share some highlights with you – we’re incredibly proud of the staff and volunteers who have made this happen!
I think that this volunteering opportunity has provided me with greater insight into how best to engage students and has made me want to continue working in helping students from widening participation schools.
Hub volunteer
This is a lovely thing to hear from a volunteer – we’re glad that they have gained some direction from the experience at the same time as supporting local pupils!
Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of our partnership has been seeing the tangible impact it has had on our students. From improved reading skills to increased confidence and enthusiasm for learning, the support provided through our partnership with the Hub has made a real difference in the lives of the children we serve.
Partner organisation
And what a great testimonial from one of the schools we worked with. We can’t wait to continue developing our partnership and making an even bigger difference.
I enjoyed Schools Plus because it helped my understanding of Maths and it made me more motivated to learn. It is a great place to go if you need help with homework or with revision!
Student participant
Finally… the people who keep us coming back – the students! this piece of feedback made us smile as it’s exactly what we hope to achieve from the programme. Well done team Bristol Hub!
In the spotlight
Earlier this month, Network Director Sophie shared her advice for finding a summer volunteering placement. Though we may not all have the open possibilities of a university summer break, the blog provides some great tips on identifying a volunteering role that is the right fit for you – all year round!
In fact, Sophie shares her own experience researching, choosing and starting a role with Avon Needs Trees, something she fits around her full-time job at Student Hubs. She’s found it to be a great way to give back to her community while doing work she enjoys and getting out into nature. Why not grab a drink, have a read and see if there’s anything you can learn from her suggestions?
what to look out for
Hub Book club
Our next meeting is on May 13th at 7pm – we’ll be discussing Women, Race and Class by Angela Y Davis. If you’d like to join the discussion you can Register Your Interest on our Alumni page, or email Amy at amy.bond@studenthubs.org, and we will be in touch with joining instructions. If you don’t have time to read the book by the 13th – fear not! Our next book has been decided, and you will be very welcome to join us in reading The Most Good You Can Do by Peter Singer, which we’ll discuss on June 3rd.
Paid alumni opportunity
Write for us! We want to showcase your thoughts and ideas on our blog, and are currently seeking proposals which explore actions that we can take to be active citizens. If you’re interested, register your interest via our Airtable form, and a member of the team will be in touch to discuss your ideas. We pay £40 per blog as we know how much work goes into writing wonderful copy!