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Civic Value to Our Community
Bishop Grosseteste University plays a significant community role and contributes to the economy locally and regionally. In 2018-19 income of over £24m was generated, primarily from student fees and accommodation – many students were employed locally on a part-time basis as well as spending on housing, travel, food, hospitality, and entertainment. The University is a large employer with a workforce of over 360 staff investing in the regions goods and services, and during 2018-19 we invested £3m in the University’s estate through the development of the Lincolnshire Open Research and Innovation Centre. Over the last three years our careers, employability and enterprise centre, BG Futures, has worked with over 1,000 businesses in Greater Lincolnshire. Outward-facing projects also include our support for the long-term unemployed through the MOVE Project and the Lincoln Teenage Market. The recent Graduate Outcomes Survey for 2020 showed that 93% of BGU’s graduates in 2018-19 had secured employment or further study within 15 months of graduating, the majority of whom remained within Greater Lincolnshire and the East Midlands. In collaboration with City of Lincoln Council and the University of Lincoln, BGU is a signatory to the Civic University Agreement – a clear commitment to the people of Lincoln and builds on our deserved reputation as a ‘community university’. Through it, we will continue to work with local stakeholders to deliver its Action Plan which includes five linked pillars of civic engagement: education and skills; growth and the economy; health and wellbeing; housing and social cohesion; and responding to the climate emergency. -
About Knowledge Exchange at BGU
BGU is committed to excellence, creativity and innovation in knowledge exchange. The University’s external engagement activities are well established in Lincoln and more widely across Greater Lincolnshire and beyond. Support for knowledge exchange is represented most prominently by the Lincolnshire Open Research and Innovation Centre and the BG Futures Business & Enterprise Centre. KE engagement is also directed by academic departments, and through a range of subject-based and interdisciplinary Research and Knowledge Exchange Units. BGU is developing further its engagement with a range of KE fields, especially: Business and economic growth;Education, schools and skills;Culture and heritage;Health, wellbeing and social care;Digital solutions and open data;The environment and resilient development. -
Student turns troubles into truffles during lockdown
During the Spring Lockdown Becca Taylor, a first year BA (Hons) Sociology student at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU), thought that baking cakes for her family and friends might give them something to smile about. Little did she know that this would sow the seed for a lucrative business venture. As Becca explains, her plans looked like they might fall at the first hurdle: "I went to buy ingredients and found the shelves empty of flour and eggs but I still wanted to send a gift to our families as we couldn’t see them much" Undeterred Becca realised she could buy what was needed to make truffle treats instead. After positive feedback and a request to make more Becca experimented, tasted and tested and before she knew it 'Taylor’d Truffles' was born. As we enter Global Entrepreneurship week, the world’s biggest celebration of entrepreneurship, Sarah Moseley, Enterprise Development Manager within BG Futures caught up with Becca. When asked what key piece of advice she had for BGU students with fledgling enterprises, Becca said: "Do your research first. It pays off to get everything you need together such as registrations, paperwork etc. all the boring stuff done and ready for opening. It makes the process much more organised and professional. Ideally, post-graduation, I would like the business to have grown and be successful enough for it to be run on a full-time basis." Last month Taylor’d truffles received the highest-level Food Hygiene Rating meaning customers can order with confidence that all food safety and hygiene guidelines are followed. Taylor’d Truffles have seen an increase in orders since Lockdown 2.0 and are now taking preorders for Christmas which will be dispatched using Royal Mails first class service. To find out more about Taylor’d Truffles: Facebook Instagram www.taylordtruffles.com taylordtruffles@outlook.com If you are a BGU student running your own enterprise, or have an idea that you need support with developing, our Enterprise Team within BG Futures would love to hear from you. Contact sarah.moseley@bishopg.ac.uk Tel 01522 563817 -
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BGU Graduate’s Café Project to Offer a Future to Young People in Skegness
At the start of the year the impact of the pandemic on the education of children in Skegness was featured by Sky News*. Enterprise Development Manager, Sarah Moseley, chatted with Ruth Campbell, who graduated from Bishop Grosseteste University in 2020, as she embarks on a new venture to support young people in the area. The project, Café YOU (You Opportunity Union), aims to support young people who might have missed other opportunities to grow their skills as Ruth explains: “I have a background of working with young people and have always been passionate about youth work and concerned about those who fall through the gaps and miss opportunities to grow and develop. Whilst I was at BGU I started working on an idea for a youth project which I called Youth Opportunity Union (YOU). The vision is to support NEET young people aged 16-19 to get back on track, through short courses and work experience.” After highlighting a suitable premises, the BA (Hons) Professional Studies in Childhood and Youth graduate completed a business proposal and, following a successful pitch to the board of the Charity at The Storehouse, North Parade in Skegness, Ruth took over management of a coffee shop at the end of 2020. Lockdowns and restrictions have inevitably slowed progress, but the base will enable the delivery of vocational education and work experience along with the provision of courses, qualifications and a small group environment for learning. Ruth has registered with the awarding body ASDAN, so young people who access the project are able to work towards qualifications whilst gaining work experience. Ruth’s vision, COVID-19 and restrictions permitting, is for the project to grow, for Café YOU to be fully run by young people, and to be able to welcome customers back in: “I want the community to use this space to their advantage. We can arrange a safe space for 1:1 work for professionals; tables can be booked, and we have allocated space for groups to meet. There is even a soft play area for little ones to enjoy. Currently we could be operating as a Takeaway but the Storehouse has recently become a Covid-19 vaccination Centre.” When asked what advice she has for students and graduates wanting to start their own enterprise, Ruth had this to say: “Start small! I am so passionate about what I want to do that I can get carried away and take on too much. I have learned to work realistically within my own capabilities even if it’s frustrating at times! To accept help and advice. There is usually more than one way to achieve what you need to, and it is always worth listening to people who might know more than you do. Stay true to your vision. The clearer you are about your ultimate vision, the end goal, the easier it is to stick with, and for it to make sense to other people. Believe in it yourself and your confidence will attract others to your idea. It can be hard not to get swept along with other people’s ideas for your business/project, but when your vision is clear it makes it easier not to get side-tracked “. To find out more about YOU visit their: Website Facebook page Instagram *View the full Sky Feature here If you are a BGU student or alumni running their own enterprise, or have an idea that needs shape, our Enterprise Team within BG Futures would love to hear from you. Contact sarah.moseley@bishopg.ac.uk Tel 01522 563817 -
Business & Community Services
At BGU we believe in the importance of being an active part of our community and are proud to be able to support business and groups across Lincolnshire. Below you can find information on how we may be able to support you. -
Applying for paid employment
You may wish to supplement your income whilst you are studying with part-time paid employment, should your visa permit you to work. Before you start looking for work, you need to have for a National Insurance (NI) number from the UK Government. -
New virtual enterprise room provides first step for entrepreneurs at BGU
In January the Enterprise Team within BG Futures re opened their student enterprise room…in a virtual capacity. Sarah Moseley, Enterprise Development Manager explains: “National lockdowns and the ‘stay at home directive’ have led us to consider innovative ways to support our self-employed / entrepreneurial students and graduates. At the end of January, we held the launch event for the collaborative enterprise space via MS Teams. In the context of their business / enterprise / idea, attendees were asked to come prepared to give a brief overview if their business / idea, their very own ‘top tips’ for starting a business, and to share barriers to progression. We believe that our own BGU student’s and graduate’s experiences can offer a great many rich learning points; not just for their fellow entrepreneurs, but for ourselves as professional support staff.” Cassie Rainey, Enterprise Advisor added: “This is a safe and supportive environment where our students and recent graduates are given the opportunity to engage with like-minded people. We are keen to unearth common themes and to identify specific areas of support so we can tailor future sessions.” Initial responses to the session have been overwhelmingly positive with feedback from participants of “Great to chat with everyone and see how we can help each other” “Really good to meet other students wanting to start their own businesses” The next session will take place on Wednesday 24th March at 7pm – 8pm via MS Teams. We will be joined by Mikey, Student Enterprise Coordinator at the University of Lincoln who administers the Growing Graduate Enterprise scheme. This will be of particular interest to anyone who has graduated within the last 3 years or is due to graduate this summer and is thinking of starting a business in Greater Lincolnshire. On hand will be George Hughes, BGU Graduate of 2020 who made a successful pitch for £5000 for his venture. Email sarah.moseley@bishopg.ac.uk for the link to the session. To keep up to date:Check the Student & BG Futures portalsFollow us on Twitter Like us on FacebookConnect with us on LinkedIn -
Nikki Smith
Nikki joined BGU in 2017 originally taking up a post in BG Futures Business and Enterprise Centre alongside running her own Business and working as an Accounts Manager at Woldgrain Storage Ltd. Nikki started lecturing on the Business programmes at BGU in 2019 initially delivering the Finance and Economics modules on the BA Business. Nikki now leads on the Finance, Economics and Project Management modules across all of the Business provision and relishes the opportunity to share the skills and knowledge that she has developed over a career in finance spanning over 30 years, 26 of which were in banking.Nikki is passionate about enterprise and business start-up and is credited with bringing the Lincoln Teenage Market to BGU in addition to taking a lead on Enactus. Nikki has previously acted as a regional judge for Young Enterprise, is a corporate member of the CMI and holds Fellowship of the HEA. -
Business and Enterprise Centre to Re-Open with New Support Offer for Students
As the UK moves to step 3 of the roadmap out of lockdown, the BG Futures team at Bishop Grosseteste University are delighted to announce that the Business & Enterprise Centre will reopen its doors on Monday 17 May. As part of the re-opening the Centre's Student Enterprise room will be available to book for student-led groups to use. Bookings can be made for a University society, Enactus group or an individual quiet space for students to work on their enterprising idea, business start-up or volunteering position. The facilities are open to view to all students when they are next on campus. Bookings can be made by emailing jennifer.jenkins@bishopg.ac.uk a few days in advance. The room will normally be available Monday – Friday between 9am – 4.30pm Sarah Moseley, Enterprise Development Manager at BG Futures, discussed the team's motivation for opening up the facilities and what benefit they hoped students could expect: "The opening of the Business and Enterprise Centre and the return to on campus teaching has allowed us to consider how our facilities can be utilised to enrich the student journey. Access to the Enterprise room provides the perfect opportunity for small groups of students to work collaboratively, or individually in a safe space. Our centre has not been the same without the hubbub of tenants and students. Myself and the rest of the team cannot wait to welcome people back in person." Erin Bell, Bishop Grosseteste Students' Union President, shared her excitement at the opportunities on offer to the student community: "Having the Enterprise room available to students is a great opportunity for them to have somewhere they can safely and privately meet and can act as a nice introduction to the BG Futures team and give insight into the amazing support they can provide students throughout and after their time as students. It’s amazing that our campus can facilitate such a variety of social and study spaces for our many students’ individual needs, and I think making this space available will add to the collaborative and communal nature of BGU. " To create your own successes in our collaborative learning community, visit our website, speak to a member of our Enquiries Team or join us on one of our Open Days.
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