In the Spring term of my first year at the University of Bristol, I wanted to enforce positive change in the community, develop my transferable skills and gain professional consulting experience. Therefore, I joined the Social Innovation Programme (SIP) at Bristol Hub.
Over the course of eight weeks I collaborated with as team of six student consultants for Bristol Mind, which aims to improve the mental health of young adults in Bristol. Mental health is an important and large-scale social issue, which directly impacts 12.5% of the population. Through this project, I learned about the complex mental health challenges faced by young adults and the importance of support services provided by organisations like Bristol Mind. This experience has significantly changed my perspective on the mental health landscape in Bristol, highlighting the need for increased awareness, resources, and support for those impacted.
My specific role in the project was to conduct interviews with a variety of wellbeing service providers in order to identify mental health challenges and gaps in support for young adults, and to create recommendations for how to fill these. The findings were used by Bristol Mind as part of a campaign to raise funds to provide additional mental health support, improving the mental health of those who need it.
SIP helped me to develop a wide range of skills, which I am confident and excited to apply in future endeavours, as they will enhance my ability to tackle challenges effectively.
- Problem-solving and critical thinking: The project brief required us to conduct research and analysis of quantitative data regarding mental health challenges – a topic in which I did not have much previous experience. The creation of recommendations for how to solve mental health challenges through additional support included assessing the practicality and potential impacts of these recommendations, as well as considering a wide range of perspectives and contextual factors.
- Teamwork: I collaborated with a diverse team of six, organising ourselves in a way so that our respective strengths were utilised effectively. We supported each other through the process to produce the best possible outcome. We also engaged with a variety of stakeholders, to ensure a diverse range of perspectives were considered in our solutions.
- Organisation: We had a short 8-week timeframe to complete the project, so we split the workload between three sub-teams. I created a timetable for completing my own workload to help me prioritise it effectively in order to meet all deadlines.
- Public speaking: The team gave a presentation on our findings to a large group of consultants, charity workers, and members of Burges Salmon law firm, which greatly advanced my confidence.
There was also lots of support available from Bristol Hub in the form of training sessions to help guide us through the process. These sessions were on a range of topics, including leadership, project management, research design and data analysis, which further helped to advance my skills. Going forward, I will use these skills to manage projects and lead teams effectively, and conduct thorough research to inform strategic decisions.
Our project led to other exciting opportunities, such as assisting in a BBC Radio Bristol interview and having a journalist write a BBC news article about our research and its impacts.
Through the SIP, I also formed friendships with like-minded students and networked with people from a variety of career backgrounds, from charity-workers to lawyers. SIP has improved my passion for consulting and encouraged me to get involved further, such as to join the committee of Bristol Consulting Society. I would highly recommend the SIP to anyone interested in enforcing positive change in the local community, as our work makes a visible difference and is extremely rewarding.
