A Day in the Life: PLUS Award Students and Westonbirt Arboretum in Collaboration 

In February 2025, 20 PLUS Award Students took part in an on-site skills session at Westonbirt Arboretum, where students worked together to support the team in developing their youth forum.

These PLUS students have had a direct impact on the route that Westonbirt will take to develop their youth forum, helping to ensure the student voice is embedded in this project from the outset.  

Below, hear from 2nd year Geography student, Ffion Jones, about their time at Westonbirt. 

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Fancy making a difference on campus? Nominate yourself for a student leadership role!

Each year, the Bristol SU elections are a chance for you to choose a student leader who represents you and the change you want to see on campus.

You can vote to elect the people you trust to represent your community and make a positive impact. Over 900 student leaders are elected, playing vital roles in amplifying student voices.

You can vote from Monday 10 to Thursday 13 March. Make sure you vote and make your time at Bristol the best it can be.

However, you can go one step further…

Are you the person to make a difference?

Are you passionate about improving the wellbeing services or making changes to the food options on campus? If so, do more than just vote, and run for an SU-elected role today. The SU elections are the perfect way for you to make a positive change for you and your fellow students. 

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My Journey to the IET Future Talent Awards

My name is Leonardo, and I’m in my final year of a 4-year course studying Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

A photo of Leonardo, smiling

Earlier this year, I was honoured to receive the Boost Scholarship from the Institute of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) Future Talent Awards – an engineering scholarship aiming to provide financial support and encouragement to deliver a solid foundation and turn talents into groundbreaking solutions.

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“The Bristol PLUS Award has been more than an achievement; it’s been a transformative journey that has set me on a confident path towards my career goals.” 

We asked two of our Career Service Student Ambassadors, Rose Gunning (Politics and International Relations) and Kreeshi Shavdia (Mathematics and Physics), what they felt like they got out of achieving the Bristol PLUS Award. Here is what they said…  

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One-Off Volunteering – Give two hours and make a lasting change

Hi, I’m Emily, Volunteer Coordinator at Bristol SU. 

Over the past year, the Bristol SU Volunteering Team have been running ‘One-Off Opportunities’.

These are group volunteering opportunities with various organisations across Bristol, that students can take part in on a flexible and ad-hock basis. I love joining in with these sessions, to chat to the fantastic student volunteers and learn why they’ve been some of our most popular opportunities.  

During Student Volunteering Week (Monday 10 to Saturday 15 February), we’ll be providing a range of events, talks and workshops to help you find your perfect volunteering role. This includes a number of One-Off Opportunities.

Be the first to hear about our events by joining our One-Off Opportunities WhatsApp Chat, and sign up to all events on the Student Volunteering Week campaign page.   

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Hidden benefits of the Bristol PLUS Award: From Internships to preparing you for post-graduate life!

The Bristol PLUS Award logo

Hear from 4th year MSc Chemistry student, Zahria, who achieved her Bristol PLUS Award in the 2023-24 Academic Year, whilst also securing a summer internship with telecommunications company BT! 

How has PLUS prepared you for your future once you leave university?

The Bristol PLUS Award has played a great role in preparing me for life beyond university by giving me a clearer understanding of navigating my career journey. It also opened my eyes to many career resources available at the university, that I would otherwise not have known about!

The activities required to achieve the PLUS Award helped me build and showcase key transferable skills that employers value such as teamwork, communication and time management.

Zahria smiling on a beach
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Outstanding PLUS Awards: Honourable Mentions 2023/24!

The Outstanding PLUS Awards (OPA) recognise those Bristol PLUS Achievers who have gone above and beyond within their PLUS Award activity, giving students an opportunity to articulate and reflect on their impact and personal development.  

This year we had 139 nominations across the eight categories, the highest in the history of the OPA. Though there can only be one winner per category, the judges were extremely impressed by the hard work and dedication of those shortlisted and decided to give several honourable mentions. 

Let’s meet these outstanding candidates and celebrate them for their achievements, motivation, and self-development.

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Why nominate yourself for the Outstanding PLUS Awards? – from past winners and honourable mentions

The Outstanding PLUS Awards (OPA) are open to all Bristol PLUS Award achievers. It offers an opportunity to gain invaluable articulation skills and reflect further on your achievements, leaving you with a sense of pride.

To be eligible, you must be a 2023-24 PLUS Award achiever and nominate yourself by 12 noon Monday 25 March.

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