Build a better Bristol
Work for us!
The Campaigns and Alumni Relations team will be hiring a new Student Projects Intern at the beginning of the Autumn Term. More information about the role and information on how to apply will be available on the University's JobShop from Friday 17 August. The deadline for applications is Friday 27 September and interviews will take place on Tuesday 8 October. If you would like to speak to this year’s intern about the role or about the campaign itself, please email Daniela Kistulincova before 16 September 2013 at dk0105@my.bristol.ac.uk.
2012/13 Campaign
This year, for the first time, the Build a Better Bristol campaign gave University of Bristol students the opportunity to decide how to spend £20,000 of generous alumni donations. In February 2013, the Students’ Union and the Campaigns and Alumni Relations team joined forces to give all students the chance to nominate projects that they felt would have a significant positive impact to student life. We received a wide range of ideas, from supporting student media to creating a new outdoor space to setting up a cyclist changing room. A shortlist of nominations was compiled by the Students’ Union. In May, final year students were given their chance to vote for their favourite project. Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote!
We are very happy to announce that the winning project is 'Making Sport More Accessible,' which will aim to provide greater access to recreational sport within the University for the 2013/14 academic year.
The Winning Project
Second Year BA French and Spanish student Ciara McKibben, who nominated the project, felt that there was an opportunity to get more students involved with sport and fitness. “I am really pleased and pleasantly surprised that the project has been chosen and I look forward to seeing sport become more accessible to all students in the future. I am incredibly grateful to the alumni who have made this project possible and I really hope to make good on their investment by increasing the number of students participating in sport and removing some of the cost barriers to make sport more inclusive at Bristol.”
UBU Vice President of Sports, Hannah Pollak was very pleased with the results of the voting. "I am incredibly happy that Ciara's nomination was the most popular of the many ideas which came from students. I hope that it is one more step in highlighting the cost of sport at the University of Bristol and the need for accessibility to stay at the top of the University's agenda."
This project will be funding both UBU Active and the Fit and Fab program, covering both sports and fitness classes. More information on the project will be posted in the coming weeks.
Looking to the Future
Student Projects Intern Daniela Kistulincova says “It has been so great working on this campaign and seeing the projects put forth by students. We received some truly amazing ideas. As a final year student, I’ve enjoyed being able to vote and leave my mark on the University. I would also like to thank the University of Bristol alumni. This campaign could not have happened without their continuous support and generous donations.”
This has been a great opportunity for the University to see what the students felt would improve the student experience. Senior university staff expressed real interest in learning about student ideas and preferences through Build a Better Bristol, and have said that the university plans to take forward some of the ideas generated by students about postgraduate support. We have high hopes for next year’s campaign and are looking forward to even more creative nominations and once again seeing what students think would be the best way to improve the University experience.
Alumni donations
Every year, Bristol graduates donate more than £1.2 million to the University in regular gifts. This year, £20,000 of unrestricted alumni donations were allocated to the Build a Better Bristol campaign and giving students a voice in how alumni donations are spent.
How to nominate your idea
Nominations for the 2012/13 campaign have closed. Information on how to submit your project for the 2013/14 campaign will be posted later in the year. If you have any feedback about this year's campaign, having been involved or not, please email Daniela Kistulincova at dk0105@my.bristol.ac.uk.
Let’s build a better Bristol!