Each year, students completing their Bristol PLUS Award have the chance to take their achievement further, and win a prestigious Outstanding PLUS Award in one of 6 categories.
Nominations closed on 26 February, and after judging from a panel of industry experts, the winning 6 students received their Award at a Celebration Event hosted at Bristol Beacon.
Now, we’re thrilled to share with you the winners of this year’s Awards! Congratulations to all of our Outstanding PLUS Award winners and well done to everyone who took part in the nominations.
Better World
Brief: Contribute to tackling global challenges in a local or global context, these should be linked to the United National Sustainable Development Goals.
Adishree Bansal – Electrical and Electronic Engineering with Innovation (MEng)
‘I founded Pleasantri, a social enterprise aimed at ameliorating period poverty in educational institutions.
This year, I have hosted workshops, launched a menstrual education based podcast, partnered with the SU to launch a campaign and will host a panel discussion and donate 3000 napkins to the University by the end of the academic year.’
Change Maker
Brief: Create positive change in your workplace or university to benefit the organisation and its people.
Louis Angoy – Mathematics (MSci)
‘As Sports Officer for the African and Caribbean Society, I transformed our football team into a thriving, inclusive community with custom kits, expanded inter-university events, and team-building activities.
My work helped ACS win Bristol’s ‘Most Inclusive Society’ award, fostering pride and belonging for over 70 student-footballers of African and Caribbean heritage.’
Civic Superstar
Brief: Be a community hero and make a positive difference to the people you serve, such as peers or customers.
Lisa Inneh – Biology (MSci)
‘I am the founder and director of d.irt.collective. Dirt Collective focuses on promoting LGBTQ+ creatives, especially people of colour.
At its core, d.irt.collective is about breaking down barriers and empowering individuals to see themselves reflected in the creative industry. We run club nights, fundraisers, film/games nights, workshops, and networking sessions.’
Innovation
Brief: develop a new idea, such as a product or service, in response to a real-world problem or need.
Hasini De Silva – Bioinformatics (MSc)
‘I’m the founder of Infinity, a drug repurposing platform using computational algorithms to tackle antibiotic resistance.
From validating the proof of concept through computational studies, international research conference presentations, and a public awareness campaign to refining the business model and technology, I’ve made significant progress in developing a scalable, sustainable solution to this health crisis.’
Partnerships Builder
Brief: Build relationships with multiple stakeholders and work in partnership to reach a common goal.
Ben Allen – Robotics and Autonomous Systems (PhD)
‘As Vice President of an autonomous racing society, I created a business team and fostered industrial and academic partnerships to propel our society forward.
This resulted in numerous national and international industrial partnerships, £12,000 pounds of funding, and workshops to build our members’ skillsets, granting academic research roles and helping to secure post grad jobs.’
Wellbeing Champion
Brief: Work to improve the wellbeing of peers, your wider community or workplace.
Alfie Dickens – Zoology (BSc)
‘I directed a documentary on Men’s Mental Health, partnering with several Bristol charities to ensure the film reaches those who need it most.
Realising from student interviews the common issue of loneliness in the community, I subsequently founded the 20 Minute Society aiming to help more students connect with each other at our weekly events.’
If you’d like to read about this year’s runners up, check out our next blog post, publishing Friday 21 March.
The Outstanding PLUS Awards are open to you in the same year that you complete your Bristol PLUS Award. If you’d like to nominate yourself, register for the Bristol PLUS Award when registration re-opens in September.
