In November, two of our volunteer groups in Belgium and Spain held alumni-student meet up events to coincide with the arrival of University of Bristol students who were either undertaking a work placement or study abroad in the respective countries.
The first of these events took place in Brussels, where a group of 14 alumni and students met up at The Network on Place du Luxembourg. And indeed, lots of networking took place, including a budding opportunity for one alumna as a Communications Volunteer at the Bristol and Bath Brussels Office!
The second event took place in Madrid and was held at a traditional Spanish bar near Gran Vía called Toma Jamón Tabernas. Brexit had caused some unexpected complications for those studying and working in Spain this year, therefore many students were reportedly delighted by this opportunity to meet up with some fellow Bristolians.
One student told us: “I really enjoyed the event, the people that I met (both students and alumni), and the food served. I would like to thank the University of Bristol and their alumni, for organising this and I hope more events like these are organised in the future.”
Both of these events were supported by the Alumni Association Initiative Grant, which is a grant that is available to alumni groups who are interested in organising new activity that helps to strengthen the alumni community in line with the Association’s goals.
We are extremely grateful to the Bristol Volunteers who made these meet-ups possible, and we are excited to hear from other alumni that are interested in organising similar events. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at alumni-volunteers@bristol.ac.uk to discuss your plans and find out how we can support you, and find out more about the Alumni Association Initiative Grant.