E M O C L E W UR TO O
O11 2 R E M M SU ER T T E L S W E N Student Hubs is working to transform student involvement in social action. We act as a catalyst, empowering students to become active changemakers in their local and global community, both now and in the future.
Dear Hub Supporters, Welcome to our summer newsletter, and here’s to the end of yet another successful year for Student Hubs. Thank you for your support. Since our Spring update, student life has become quieter as many have been taking exams. However, all of our Hubs have been busy with events and activities, and this newsletter brings you all the highlights. Most excitingly, we are delighted to be bringing on Warwick Hub, which is the newest addition to the network and will be launching officially in October, based at the University of Warwick. As always, please feel free to get in touch with any comments or questions about Student Hubs by emailing us on info@studenthubs.org.
Have a wonderful Summer!
The Hubs Here are some highlights from across the network. Brookes Hub involved some new students in volunteering projects across the city of Oxford. Students also had the opportunity to attend training sessions hosted by the Oxford Hub. In the last two months we have been building links with the students' union and the university in order to have a more coordinated approach and raise the profile of student volunteering across all Brookes campuses. Bristol Hub welcomed a new committee of 12 students excited about the year to come. Work also began at the end of last term with the Social Enterprise Society to plan a Social Enterprise Conference at the University of Bristol. This is due to run in the first term of the next academic year. Cambridge Hub has focused on consolidating activities and planning ahead for what promises to be its most ambitious year yet. Building on the success of its inaugural term of speaker events, Cambridge Hub ran talks with the Cambridge University Environmental Consulting Society and Save the Children. A larger committee was also recruited to work closely with member groups, and an end of term garden party celebrated the work of ethical societies in Cambridge (photo above). A brand new Ethical Guide to Cambridge is also being prepared to greet students at Fresher's Fair. Oxford Hub's focus for the past term has been on weekly training for student volunteers, including sessions on teaching skills, safeguarding children and effective handovers. Oxford Hub also held an end-of-term celebration to reward student volunteers' hard work. Everyone had great fun with live music, Pimms, vegan food and a visit from a local school (see photo below right). The summer term ended with the delivery of the Vice-Chancellor's Civic Awards, which recognised and celebrated seven inspiring students’ volunteering and social action endeavours. Southampton Hub hosted a Student Power Debate and trained 30 students in campaigning and activism. A new committee of dedicated students was also recruited and inducted, and the new team has been working on getting the annual plan ready for next year. The Southampton Hub team attended the Hubathon (see update overleaf) and really enjoyed meeting students from across the network. Warwick Hub has been busy preparing for its launch in October. We have recruited a committee of enthusiastic students and have started building relationships with member groups. The team has been writing up an annual plan and looking into the different initiatives that Warwick Hub will be running next year, which include The Series, some Ethical Internships initiatives, and a Climate Forum. a: Student Hubs The Old Music Hall 106 - 108 Cowley Road Oxford, OX4 1JE
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Ethical Internships
After the initial 200 applicants from across our five Hubs, Student Hubs interviewed around 70 and selected 37 students to join the 2011 Ethical Internships cohort. The scheme this year sees Ethical Interns interning in London, Oxford, Bristol, Cambridge and West Lexham, with 24 organisations including The National Trust, Age UK, Fairbridge and social enterprises like Oxford House, OxFizz and Hub Islington. Ethical Interns receive weekly training facilitated by Student Hubs, including sessions on project management and communications. We also partner with organisations such as Teach First and UnLtd to deliver specific training.
Summer Hubathon
Twice a year, students and staff from across the Student Hubs network get together for the “Hubathon”, a weekend of training, workshops and collaborative planning. This year, our summer Hubathon took us all back to Oxford (the Christmas Hubathon took place in Bristol), where we camped on the local community allotment, OxGrow, which is run by one of Oxford Hub’s member groups. Alongside getting to know one another, we focussed on annual planning for each of the Hubs, welcoming the fledgling Warwick Hub on board, skills share sessions including fundraising and pitching, and strategic planning for Student Hubs as a whole. In three short days, with over 40 attendees, we achieved a great deal and had lots of fun. The Hubathon was neatly summed up by one attendee: “Great weekend, great weather, great company.”
Student Power Debates New venue update The Student Hubs central office in Oxford will soon be moving, as we take on a new multi-purpose building for student social action. The new space, in the very heart of Oxford, will host offices for student groups, an events space, meeting rooms and a resource library. There will also be a cafebar-restaurant to generate revenue to support the charity, Turl Street Kitchen.
In the spring of this year, Student Hubs organised seven student conferences on activism across the UK. The Student Power Debates provided professional campaigning training in partnership with ten national organisations, including ActionAid, Oxfam, the Howard League, Friends of the Earth, UNICEF, Christian Aid, UK Youth Climate Coalition, the Electoral Reform Society and more. Despite the quick turnaround between finalising crucial funding for the project and the end of the university terms, the Student Power Debates were deemed a success and received good feedback. Building upon the lessons learned this first time, and with the strong backing of the InterAction group, we are already underway with planning for the next round of conferences, so watch this space!
Work is well underway to renovate the space, which is a 9,000 square foot Georgian townhouse spread across five floors, and we have been involving students at every step (including holding an impromptu fashion shoot! - see above photo). You can follow our progress online (see web address for our blog above), and we look forward to welcoming you into the space come September!
With thanks to our supporters: Student Hubs is a registered charity in England and Wales, number 1122328.