Category: Bristol Volunteers

Nominations open for 2021 Alumni Association Community Award

Posted on by Ellie

Nominations for the Alumni Association Community Award are now open. The Alumni Association Community Award (previously known as the Alumni Association Medal) is given out to recognise volunteers who have worked hard to build and strengthen the University’s alumni community. This could be through organising alumni networks, coordinating events or actively participating in the Association.

The Alumni Association is the official body of the University’s alumni community – anyone that has studied at the University automatically becomes a member. The Alumni Association Committee represents the Association and it is now looking to recognise individuals who have championed the Alumni Association through their service.

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Creating opportunities through mentoring

Posted on by Ellie
(c) David Pratt

Chemistry student Farhan Khawaja and alumnus Hamish Beeston (BA 1992) were paired up by the Bristol Mentors programme.

Farhan’s story

I’ve always been interested in both science and the media and I’m hoping to enter a career path which combines those interests. Getting into the media industry is challenging because a lot of it is about who you know and getting your foot in the door. That’s why I applied to the Bristol Mentors programme during my third year. I wanted to connect with someone in the TV and film industry and learn more about the path they took to get there. (more…)

Professor Sarah Purdy on the University’s brilliant alumni volunteers

Posted on by Ellie

As Pro Vice-Chancellor for Student Experience, I know how invaluable alumni volunteers are to our University community.

There are over 2,400 alumni across the world who act as Bristol Volunteers. These volunteers help in so many different ways, whether that be through mentoring students, organising activities for fellow alumni or sharing their experiences of Bristol. (more…)

Giving back through volunteering

Posted on by Ellie
(c) David Pratt

Chris Edwards (BA 2015) shared his expertise with students by volunteering as a panellist at an alumni careers event.

I graduated from the University with a degree in Italian and Spanish six years ago, and I now work for the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. In my role, I look at how we can partner with the private sector to support the growth of start-ups across Africa and Asia. These businesses have a huge impact on the low-income groups they serve; they provide critical products and services at affordable prices, from clean energy to safe water, hygienic sanitation, digital healthcare and beyond. We work with them to expand this impact and become financially sustainable. (more…)

The five greatest impacts of COVID-19 on the creative industries

Posted on by steph.organ

The creative industries account for almost one in eight UK businesses and contributed £115.9 billion gross added value to the UK economy pre-pandemic. So what will happen to this booming industry in the aftermath of COVID-19?

We spoke to three Bristol alumni working in creative industries to get their thoughts on what the future of this sector might look like beyond the reach of COVID-19. Here’s what they had to say. (more…)

After your English degree: Seven top takeaways from our alumni event

Posted on by steph.organ

In April, three fantastic Bristol alumni hosted a digital event aimed at English Literature students and recent graduates starting out in their careers. Our hosts shared their career insights and tips on how to get the most out of an English degree after graduating.

We were joined by Alice Johnston (BA 2013), a Freelance Journalist who specialises in lifestyle pieces and has written for titles including CNN, the Daily Mail, the Metro and Culture Trip. Alongside her was Catherine Spencer (MA 2015), Senior Digital Marketer at the National Trust, who has a wealth of experience in creating and delivering marketing strategies for the organisation. We were also joined by India Fallon (BA 2014), Senior Programme Officer at Development Pathways, an organisation which aims to create evidence-based solutions to social and economic challenges faced by nations around the world.

We rounded up some of their best tips below! (more…)

Bristol Volunteers: How to boost your LinkedIn profile

Posted on by sophie.davison


 

Volunteering can be a great way to add to your professional experience and build your presence online. If you’re a Bristol Volunteer there are a few ways we can help you to enhance your LinkedIn profile and make the most of your volunteer experience.

Get a recommendation from the Bristol Volunteers Team

Recommendations written by a LinkedIn member are a great way to recognise your work and support the skills and experiences you have included in your profile. They can help strengthen your network, show that you are reliable and make your profile stand out to employers.

We can provide a written recommendation for you, acknowledging your skills and experiences as a volunteer. To request a written recommendation from the team on your LinkedIn profile, please complete this form (please note the deadline is 31 July 2021).

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Social Sciences and Law alumni give back by mentoring current students

Posted on by sophie.davison

 

Each year, the University’s Faculty of Social Sciences and Law runs a series of mentoring programmes which support both undergraduate and postgraduate students.

The programmes, which are run by the faculty’s Professional Liaison Network, benefit from the guidance of University of Bristol alumni, who volunteer as mentors. Last year was no exception and we’d like to say a huge thank you to the alumni who volunteered during the Autumn and Spring months to inspire and assist our students.

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Helping you to stay connected

Posted on by sophie.davison

Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash

Bristol Volunteers coordinate and manage lots of events for Bristol alumni all around the world. They bring alumni together to reconnect with each other and share their memories and passions. We want to work with you to help with your event in the best way that we can. So, if you currently organise events for alumni or are thinking about doing so, here’s how we can help.

At the moment, all our alumni events and gatherings are being held online. We look forward to seeing one another in person when it is safe to do so – and in the meantime, we can help you organise a digital get-together.

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Bristol’s alumni networks spring to life: Spring Showcase

Posted on by sophie.davison

The Bristol Alumni Network Steering Group: Charles Gunter (BSc 2006, PGCE 2007, MSc 2009), Savannah Coombe (BA 2020), Linda Wilson (LLB 1982) and David Richards (BSc 1988, PhD 1995)

On Friday 19 and Saturday 20 March 2021, the Bristol Alumni Network, in collaboration with the Students’ Union, presented the Bristol Spring Showcase. The weekend brought together alumni, students, and staff, through a series of digital events including tours and talks, panel discussions, a photo competition, celebrating 100 years of Geography at the University, and our very own University Challenge.

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