Creative community engagement with Sparks Bristol!

Posted on May 27, 2024May 28, 2024 by Careers Service

City Challenges went off-campus with a trip to Sparks Bristol on Wednesday 8 May.

The event started with a tour of the different departments at Sparks and a talk about what Sparks does, why it was founded, and what they stand for.

Lucy, Volunteer Coordinator, said

“Sparks Bristol is a sustainability and creativity hub. It’s a community space in the centre of Bristol where we want people to explore what a fairer and greener future looks like. And they consider the climate crisis, the cost of living crisis, and what we can do with an empty, massive building right in the middle of the city.”

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Student Volunteering Week Panel Event: What can you achieve through volunteering?

Posted on March 25, 2024March 22, 2024 by Careers Service

In conjunction with Student Volunteering Week, the Bristol PLUS Award team held a panel event where a brilliant panel of student volunteers shed light on the holistic benefits of volunteering.

Looking to start volunteering but not sure how to get started? Dive into this blog to learn about the key takeaways from our panellists.

Our panellists included:

Aditya Verma – Socio-Legal Studies (MSc)
Dinara Shaimakhanova – Education (PhD)
Charmaine Sew – International Social and Public Policy (BSc)
Rowan O’Clarey – Mathematics (MSci)
Ione Howells – Environmental Policy and Management (MSc)

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How volunteering can transform your university experience

Posted on August 7, 2023July 21, 2023 by Careers Service

Volunteering in your local community connects you with others and creates positive change.

Over the past academic year, the team at Bristol Hub have supported over 180 Bristol students to engage in social action.

Bristol Hub manager Sorcha Young shares the impact that volunteering can have:

“Social action takes many forms. It can range from donating money to good causes to creating campaigns or running community-based events. I love making a change by getting hands-on and volunteering in my community.”

Niamh Harrington, Bristol Hub one-off Volunteering Coordinator

How volunteering enhances wellbeing

85% of Bristol Hub’s student volunteers agreed that participation enhanced their well-being during university. Where there are many challenges to university, such as loneliness, academic pressures and an overwhelming amount to do, volunteering provides a space to escape and connect.

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How a City Challenge helped Bristol Walk Fest make strides

Posted on June 12, 2023March 20, 2024 by Careers Service

In April, Bristol Walk Fest partnered with the Careers Service to run a City Challenge, with the goal of getting input from student volunteers on ways to engage younger walkers with their events.

Bristol Walk Fest is an annual walking festival, with events taking place all over the city.  We chatted to Jennifer Graham, their 2023 Event Manager, about their experience.

Jen, can you tell us what Bristol Walk Fest is all about?

Bristol Walk Fest began over a decade ago and is a celebration of all things walking. The free festival, which regularly attracts over 7,500 attendees year-on-year, showcases the best of Bristol for everyone to enjoy, either individually or with others.

The festival takes place during May to coincide with Living Streets’ National Walking Month and offers a wide variety of walking activities, personal challenges, self-guided walking routes and discussion events. The (mostly free) walks and activities are for all backgrounds and levels of fitness.

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Meet the Bristol PLUS achievers who are championing mental health in their community!

Posted on May 17, 2023May 11, 2023 by Careers Service

Mental Health Awareness (MHA) week is an opportunity to think about mental health, tackle stigma, and discover tools and techniques to protect our mental wellbeing.

We're proud to support Mental Health Awareness Week
15 to 21 May 2023
Mental Health Foundation

This year, MHA week is themed around anxiety. We caught up with three Bristol PLUS Award achievers to learn how their work has improved the wellbeing of others in their community.

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The Student Volunteering Fair: connecting students with the community

Posted on March 15, 2023March 15, 2023 by Careers Service

Last month, the Bristol Students’ Union hosted its much-anticipated annual Student Volunteering Fair, as part of Student Volunteering Week.

A busy crowd of students speaking to organisations at their stalls in the Anson Rooms at the Bristol SU Richmond Building.

The fair had a lot to offer, with over 40 organisations showcasing their work and encouraging students to get involved.

From supporting refugees to empowering older people, there was a diverse range of organisations present at the fair and it was an excellent opportunity for students to develop their skills and make meaningful connections with like-minded individuals.

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5 reasons to get involved with volunteering – from a PLUS Award achiever!

Posted on February 6, 2023January 24, 2023 by Careers Service

Hello! I’m Toby Ferris, chair of the Volunteering and Fundraising Network.

Having used lots of volunteering hours towards my Bristol PLUS Award last year, I’m here to give you five great reasons to consider volunteering, especially during Student Volunteering Week.

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Engaging in the Bristol community: Our Winter Tea Party

Posted on December 21, 2022January 4, 2023 by Careers Service

Towards the end of term, as many of us were beginning to wind down for the winter break, the Careers Service, in collaboration with the SU Volunteering Team, were busy organising a Winter Tea Party for some of Bristol’s elderly residents.

This initiative, one of the Service’s community engagement activities, saw them take over the Richmond Building’s Carpenter Room and share some festive cheer in the form of food, chat, and entertainment.

A picture of elderly residents and volunteers enjoying the table top activities

The Winter Tea Party welcomed fifty members of the community from Parkway Methodist Church, Brunelcare, and St. Monica’s Trust; together with a number of student volunteers and society representatives who supported the guests and helped ensure they had an enjoyable afternoon.

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