UWE Bristol Fund | Alumni blog

Heart-warming stories from UWE Bristol’s 2025 Community Grant projects

Alumni Team | 16 December 202517 December 2025

Sparks International Cultural Festival © Sam Phat Production

Eight amazing community projects came to life thanks to crucial funding from the UWE Bristol Community Grant this year. In total more than £20,000 was awarded to projects which all had Bristol communities at their heart.

Each project centred on building relationships between staff, students and local communities, and provided student volunteering and practical learning opportunities.

Here are some of 2025’s highlights…

six female dancers in colourful dresses — Still from Bristol Dance Extravaganza film

The Bristol Dance Extravaganza celebrated diversity and multiculturalism through a community dance show this February in Bristol, organised by South Gloucestershire Chinese Association.

The show brought together seven local groups and over 300 participants, fostering cultural integration and intergenerational connections while raising £1,000 for Southmead Hospital Charity.

UWE Bristol students played a pivotal role in planning, marketing, and delivering the event, designing posters, creating a ticketing website, managing sound and lighting, and filming performances. One Digital Media student volunteer reflects,

“After months of hard work, watching the event sell out felt incredibly rewarding and waiting as the theatre filled up was a moment I will never forget. I will always treasure and value this experience going forward as a graduate and professional.”

Watch the video montage of the event and see who was involved on the Bristol Dance Extravaganza website, created by student volunteers.

The Sparks Bristol project delivered a series of vibrant, free cultural events in the heart of Bristol’s Broadmead. Events were all held at Sparks – the vibrant centre for creativity, sustainability, social impact and education in the old Marks and Spencer’s building in Bristol’s city centre.

Eight performers lined up, with microphones and a guitar

Three dancers wearing traditional
Spanish dress

Five performers with African drums — *Sparks International Cultural Festival © Sam Phat Production*

Thousands of locals got involved with events such as such as the International Cultural Festival part of Bristol Refugee Festival. Sparks co-founder and recent UWE Bristol honorary graduate Jenny Foster talks about the festival on the BBC website.

Designed to foster cultural exchange and sustainability awareness, these activities established Sparks as a local inclusive hub. Not only that, but UWE Bristol students gained hands-on experience in event planning, marketing, and community research.

Empowering Refugee Voices Through Drama began as a drama club led by UWE Drama. Through support from the UWE Bristol Fund it became Bristol Sanctuary Theatre – an artistic and educational initiative bringing together UWE Bristol, City of Bristol College, Cotham Parish Church, and Bristol Beacon.

Ethnically diverse group of young people holding hands — Drama club and theatre workshops, Bristol Sanctuary Theatre

The work of the theatre builds on the foundation of welcome and support demonstrated through both UWE Bristol’s status a University of Sanctuary and Bristol city holding Sanctuary City status.

The funding helped develop the project, supporting initial workshops led by UWE Drama staff and students, working closely with young refugees and migrant students from the City of Bristol College. Through the medium of drama, participants share their stories, challenge misconceptions, and promote solidarity and respect.

Find our more about alum and founder Renata Medes and the work of Bristol Sanctuary Theatre.

Other projects supported by The UWE Bristol Fund Community Grant in 2025:

Wildflowers and Wellness Day – a community gardening event in Easton led by Global Majority communities with Nature Rising, focusing on skills sharing and pollinator habitats. With the funding they also planted a medicinal garden.

Printing the Commons – a creative collaboration partnering with Bristol Commons and six MA Printmaking students to explore social transformation, socio-ecological justice and collective action through print.

Cables and Camera’s 6sense – alum founded Cables & Cameras hosted an evening celebrating diverse and ground-breaking cinema, music, and storytelling at the independent Cube Cinema in Bristol. The screening included two documentary short films from South Africa with a Q&A session and was supported by student volunteers doing promotion, social media, video and audio.

Ashton Park School Mural – a colourful mural celebrating diversity and inclusivity brightens a Bristol city underpass thanks to a collaboration between students from Ashton Park School and UWE Bristol Illustration and Fine Art students Bristol.

Wisdom for the Global Majority – UWE Bristol MA Journalism students have developed a podcast series, ‘Wisdom from the Global Majority’. It tells the stories of migrants and refugees in Bristol through their own words. Students worked in collaboration with not-for-profit social enterprise ACH, pairing up with refugees and migrants who have been supported by ACH and using their storytelling skills to explore and celebrate successes often overlooked by mainstream media.

More information

The UWE Bristol Community Grant is jointly funded with the Quartet Community Foundation.

Thank you to all supporters of the UWE Bristol Fund. For more information about the Fund and how to donate visit our UWE Bristol Fund webpages.

50 years on, Dr Bolland’s legacy endures

Alumni Team | 4 December 202417 December 2024

^{Planting trees at Coldharbour Lane (Dr Bolland in the hat) 1973}

Dr Robert Bolland was the first director of Bristol Polytechnic (1969-1974). Fifty years after his death, the values he built our institution on still endure. We look back at the life of Chemist and Educationalist Dr Bolland and find out more about how he influenced the early days of what was to become UWE Bristol.

Dr Bolland

Widening participation

“Throughout the years since Polytechnics came into being Dr Bolland made many contributions to the development of their educational philosophy…These contributions were characterised by a deep concern for social justice”

Bristol Polytechnic News, June 1974

Students who had to overcome obstacles to study were of particular concern for Dr Bolland. Under his leadership, opportunities were created at the new Polytechnic for people from all social backgrounds to access education.

The building of Bristol Polytechnic at Frenchay, 1972

These deeply felt convictions were born out of his own experiences. His career spanned diverse educational settings, and he cultivated an inclusive perspective. From his involvement in the Scout movement to his role as Lecturer at Makerere University College in Kampala Uganda, his horizons were broad. He also worked as a chemist whilst he studied for his first degree, giving him an appreciation of a hands-on approach.

Dr Bolland was passionate about opening-up alternative routes to qualifications and committed to offering part-time courses, and sandwich courses that integrated academic study with work. These principles of widening participation and practice led courses set the tone for the ethos of Bristol Polytechnic.

His ongoing gift

Dr Bolland’s inclusive approach continues to underpin our strategy. Today our equality, diversity and inclusivity vision drives UWE Bristol’s work to remove barriers to education.

We offer placements, internships, live case studies and consultancy projects to provide practical learning experiences for our students. Our ambitious apprenticeship programme combines on-the-job training with academic study, echoing our vocational roots as a Polytechnic.

But the legacy of Dr Bolland can be felt throughout the University, not just in our approach, but physically too. Dr Bolland donated money in his will to support the progression of Bristol Polytechnic.

His gift supported the development of the Bolland Library on Frenchay campus, and is remembered through a bust, sculpted by Ernest Pascoe, Head of Fine Art at Bristol Polytechnic, Bower Ashton School of Art.

Dr Bolland bust, by Ernest Pascoe, sited in Frenchay’s Bolland Library

Bolland Library, 1970s

The generosity of donors like Dr Bolland continues to impact students now. Donors give funds for capital projects, support student and alumni business ventures and provide funds for valuable grants supporting student led projects or individual hardship grants. Find out more about supporting us through the UWE Bristol Fund.

Dr Bolland and his wife at his farewell in 1969 from the University of Bath

More on Dr Robert Bolland’s life and career…

Robert William Bolland was a chemist and dedicated educationalist whose career qualified him admirably for the post of the first Director of Bristol Polytechnic, a role he held from 1969 to his death in 1974.

Born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, he was educated at the Rutherford Grammar School and College of Technology. On leaving school he studied part-time while gaining practical experience on the analytical staff of a firm of manufacturing and analytical chemists.

At 28 he had achieved the position of Chief Chemist and had graduated as an external student of London University with a BSc (Special) Honours Degree in Chemistry. His PhD (London) was to follow in 1946. He was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of Chemistry (RIC) in 1938 and was awarded the Fellowship in 1947. From 1943 – 45 he was employed by the Ministry of Supply undertaking research on ‘Gassing of Aluminised Explosives’ and ‘Sealing Compounds’.

In 1945 he was appointed Lecturer in Inorganic and Physical Chemistry at Leeds College of Technology and two years later to a similar post in Uganda at Makere University College, Kampala. A period of secondment to the Institute of Education, London University and further teaching at Makere was followed by a return to the Rutherford College as a Senior Lecturer.

He moved to the Bristol College of Technology in 1955 where, as Head of a Department of Chemistry and Biology, he showed his ability in administration. Over the following years he played a significant part in the policy and academic decisions which elevated the Bristol College first to a College of Advanced Technology, and later to the University of Bath where he became the first Professor of Chemistry and Head of the School of Chemistry. His return to Bristol in 1969 as Director of the Polytechnic seemed to follow almost naturally.

He entered fully into the professional life of chemists serving on the North East RIC Committee and later at Bristol where he occupied the Chair of the Bristol and West Section. He was elected Member of Council in 1960 and served a two-year period as a Vice-president chairing the Examinations Board and the Publications Committee. He was a founder Governor of the Further Education Staff College at Blagdon and an External Examiner to the new University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland.

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Bristol community projects get the go-ahead

Alumni Team | 13 June 202322 June 2023

Poetry slams and open mics, a refugee business hackathon and a young person’s stroke support group are just some of the activities the UWE Bristol Fund is proud to be supporting this year.

Supporting social purpose

The five projects funded this year are all are set to have a big impact on local society, and provide great learning and networking opportunities for our students.

Each project is designed to help local communities prosper and is a collaborative effort between students, staff, the local community and a partner organisation.

The long-term sustainability of projects is also important. We hope this is just the start of these five new partnerships, which will continue to build and deliver value to all involved going forward.

Find out a bit more about the projects we’re supporting (in no particular order):

1. Words on Board

Designed to widen participation in poetry, spoken and written word, this collaboration spans both workshops and performance. Working with local spoken word organisation Satellite of Love, students will partner with schools, local community members and poets. The week of events is from 26 June to 1 July, based at John Sebastian Lightship boat in Bristol city centre.

2. Independent Prescribing

The Independent Prescribing course team started working with the Brandon Trust last year to improve inclusivity within their curriculum. This project aims to encourage our students to identify, address and engage more widely in the needs of those with learning disabilities and/or autism.

The funding will enable UWE Bristol students on the course to work with the experts – Brandon’s Adventurers, a group of young people and adults with a learning disability, autism or both, who are supported and employed by the charity – to make recommendations to improve the curriculum. Research outcomes will be published and materials co-created, aimed at communicating best inclusive practice in prescribing for people with a learning disability. The materials will be shared with all prescribers trained at UWE Bristol, currently about 550 health care clinicians every year.

3. Cultivate Community Arts

This project team will partner with CentreSpace Gallery, to create a programme of community arts workshops offered by a team of emerging artists including students, graduates and local young people.

The workshops leaders will design and deliver the sessions, gaining skills in community art project delivery, supported by a team of experienced visual arts students and staff from UWE Bristol as well as Centre Space Gallery staff. The project also aims to provide young artists with professional networks and skills for a collaborative practice.

Workshops will take place in key local community arts spaces including the Chocolate Factory in Easton.

4. Stroke Survivors

This project aims to address the gap in service provision for younger people affected by stroke. A monthly social peer support group will be initiated by a collaborative team made up of local young people whose lives have been affected by a stroke, UWE Bristol students and staff, and staff from partner organisation Bristol After Stroke.

A multi-profession approach will be fostered by engaging students from diverse courses who have an interest in healthcare stroke service. It is hoped this project will create a partnership and provision that will have longstanding benefits not just for young people who have suffered a stroke but also for students and staff.

5. Migrant Entrepreneurs

This project will unite the expertise and knowledge of our business and law students with the ambition of local migrants and refugee businesses and start-ups.

UWE Bristol students and staff will collaborate with local partner organisation Ashley Community Housing (ACH), whose vision is to empower refugees and migrants who reside in the UK to lead self-sufficient and ambitious lives.

A hackathon event will be organised, with students providing free business support, advice and networking to boost enterprise in ACH’s client group, who face multiple barriers. Clients will be identified through ACH’s business support programme.

About the UWE Bristol Fund

Donations to the UWE Bristol Fund provide vital grants to our students and local communities.

The UWE Bristol Fund awards grants of up to £3,000 for community partnership projects which help to achieve the following aims:

build relationships between staff, students and local communities
develop opportunities for students to volunteer in the local community and enhance teamwork, communication and project management skills
develop opportunities to enhance student learning through practical, community-based projects
develop projects which will have significant impact for the Bristol region.

The UWE Bristol Community Grant is jointly funded with the Quartet Community Foundation.

For more information, contact communityfund@uwe.ac.uk

The impact of donations to the UWE Bristol Fund

Alumni Team | 9 December 20229 December 2022

What is the UWE Bristol Fund?

The UWE Bristol Fund provides hardship grants for students facing severe financial difficulty, and funding for extra-curricular activities through student experience grants. The fund also provides seed funding for community projects involving UWE Bristol staff and students.

Generous donations from alumni and staff make up the fund. The resulting grants make that vital extra bit of difference, and have a lasting positive impact on the wellbeing of recipients. The fund enables experiences that not only transform the quality of the lives of students, but also those in our partner communities.

So, exactly what impact does the fund have?

In the academic year 2021/22…

46 students in financial difficulty were supported with Hardship Grants

10 Student Experience Grants were awarded benefitting 650+ students

9 Community Fund projects were supported with a total of £24,000

In the last year 5 years…

6,000 students in total benefitted from the Fund’s support

295 students have been given in excess of £121,000 through Hardship Grants

49 local community organisations partnered with students and staff

16 community projects focussed on environmental issues

An estimated 5,800 students have benefited from Student Experience Grants activities

Seven fund highlights from 2022

All made possible by donations from alumni and supporters.

1. Recipes of St Paul’s

This community art project used art and food to discuss family, culture and community. Students designed and ran creative workshops, a communal meal, mural and book trolley for the children and families that access St Paul’s Adventure Playground.

Artwork produced in workshop and completed mural

“The project showed me how a community can come together to create something and the lasting positive impact that can have. I since secured a paid position at the playground, so I can continue to build relationships and make art with the St Paul’s community.”
Mattie Goddard, BA(Hons) Drama with Theatre Directing student, volunteer spoken word workshop leader at St Paul’s Adventure Playground

2. New kit for UWE Women’s Rugby Union

“The grant that we received to pay for new kit, helped with the next steps into fielding two fully competitive teams, and in creating a long-lasting structure for development within UWE Women’s Rugby Union.”
UWE Women’s Rugby Union, Student Experience fund recipients

3. Creating Culture Programme

With the help of a Student Experience Grant, the Students’ Union supported a range of projects aiming to empower UWE Bristol students of colour, explore the rich history of multi-cultural Britain, and celebrate our fantastic diversity of cultures.

World Fiesta Day events formed part of the project, giving an authentic flavour of the cultures we have at UWE Bristol. Over 200 students attended Asia Day.

Asia Day celebrations on Frenchay Campus

4. Project ReGeneration

A multi-use green area at Barley Close Primary School in Mangotsfield was created through workshops led by UWE students and environmental education specialists WellGood Projects (a venture set up by UWE student Tawny Buck).

The school’s new outdoor resource has been enthusiastically welcomed by staff, students, parents and pupils and consists of an organic food growing area and a nature friendly zone.

The ‘green zone’, it’s growers and produce

5. Bristol Palestine Film Festival Mural

A mural was painted in Stokes Croft in February 2022 by UWE Bristol Fine Art students as part of the Bristol Palestine Film Festival’s (BPFF) Artist in Absence series. The mural marked 11 years of the Bristol Palestine Film Festival, a celebration of Palestinian culture and the power of international solidarity.

Created with the Bristol Mural Collective over a two-day period, the mural was based on an original artwork by the Palestinian artist Malak Mattar from Gaza.

“We’re really grateful to receive the funding for the mural project, without which it would not have been able to happen. The students were fantastic and really embraced the experience with enthusiasm.”
Cielle Bragg, BPFF

6. The story of Fem FM

History and Media students joined forces with Sound Women South West to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Fem FM, the UK’s first women’s radio station.

The project included the creation of a three-part radio documentary series sharing the story of Fem FM and running two community training workshops. The sessions provided women from disadvantaged backgrounds with the skills and support needed to pursue careers in the radio and broadcasting industries.

“We loved every second of it and have learnt many new skills and made connections with people in our relevant career industries which we feel will be invaluable later along the line.”
Libby Sharp, BA(Hons) History student

7. Anniversary draw raises funds for Student Hardship Grants

This year UWE Bristol celebrated 30 years of being a university. We organised a prize draw and 30 fantastic prizes were kindly donated from alumni and the UWE Bristol community.

100% of funds raised from ticket sales (more than £3,500) was donated to the UWE Bristol Fund to support Student Hardship.

How to support

Your donations are crucial if we are to continue to support our students; the next generation of leaders, thinkers and pioneers. Whatever the size, your gift is extremely valuable to us. Find out more about how to support the UWE Bristol Fund.

How to apply

Want to find out more about the UWE Bristol Fund and the funding options available? Visit our UWE Bristol Fund webpage for more details.

A safe space in a neurotypical world

Alumni Team | 8 June 20223 August 2022

It is estimated that 1 out of 7 of the UK population are neurodivergent – that’s almost 15%*. A high percentage of people with neurodivergence are unemployed**. We need more solutions to make learning and workplaces more inclusive.

Angharad Davies’ designs are just that. Her MSc Computational Architecture final year project is a desk-based modular screen, designed to address neurodiversity in the workplace.

She’s also designed the Joey Pod. The calming pod is a solution for schools, hospitals, and public spaces. It’s a safe space for someone to retreat to, before experiencing sensory overloading.

Digital design drawing for Joey Pod

Designing for neurodiversity

Named after Angharad’s son Joey, the idea for the pod was born during the second year of her BSc(Hons) Architecture course, when Joey received an autism diagnosis. That diagnosis changed Angharad’s whole perception of architecture.

“I realised his outbursts were due to his surroundings. In my final project, I reached out to the autism community and realised I wasn’t the only person who felt isolated due to poor building design and a lack of understanding of autism.”
Angharad said.

There has been a lot of research about separate Special Educational Needs (SEN) rooms at schools, but Angharad’s concept offers the child a pod in the corner of a room – like a den. The pod uses audio-visual effects and provides a ‘safe zone’ for people with sensory processing problems.

It’s a place to rest and reset, something which is often necessary when interacting with the neuro-typical world. Crucially, this safe space can help avoid an oncoming anxiety attack or an exhausting and alienating meltdown.

“I want to see these solutions everywhere: workplaces, schools, hospitals, airports, festivals, concerts, commercial and sporting events – any busy or public spaces”
she explains.

Joey Pod

Entrepreneurialism

Angharad’s story is one of firsts. An entrepreneur at heart, Angharad has grabbed every opportunity available to her at UWE Bristol.

She founded the Inclusive Design Network (IDN) whilst studying for her undergraduate architecture degree. Thanks to donations from alumni, the UWE Bristol Fund supported IDN to host a series of talks on equality, diversity and inclusion within the built environment. The network has also been supported by The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Bristol and Bath.

As one of the first students on the new MSc Computational Architecture course at UWE Bristol, Angharad hopes to go on to complete a PhD in designing for neurodiversity, to enable her to become a Sensory Design Consultant.

Angharad’s modular screen will be on display at the Faculty of Environment and Technology’s degree show in 2022 (our first physical degree show since the coivd-19 Pandemic), alongside many more innovative ideas for products and services which aim to fill gaps in the market.

Degree Shows

Emerging talent at UWE Bristol will exhibit work at the annual graduate degree shows for the Creative Industries and Faculty of Environment and Technology. The events will celebrate the University’s ambitious and creative graduating students, through a mix of physical exhibitions and a digital showcase.

The degree shows kick off on Thursday 9 June with The Faculty of Environment and Technology (FET) Degree Show – covering architecture, creative technologies, computing, engineering, geography and the environment, and product design. The free event takes place between 17:00 and 21:00 at UWE Bristol’s Frenchay campus.

The Creative Industries Degree Show, covering art, design, animation, drawing and print, fashion, media, performance, photography and filmmaking, opens to the public at the University’s vibrant City Campus – Bower Ashton, Arnolfini and Spike Island – on Saturday 11 June. The week-long showcase features a series of events including live music, drama performances, a festival stage and outdoor art gallery.

*reference from Local Government Association presentation.

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“We’re going to make a little house for the bugs around here…”

Alumni Team | 4 August 20213 August 2022

“… so they can have a better home than before” explains a pupil taking part in a local environmental project funded by the UWE Bristol Community Fund.

Bug hotels, bird boxes, bogs, stone mounds and log piles are just some of the new homes for wildlife being created by children from Park Primary school.

Students from UWE Bristol and pupils from the school are renovating a neglected area of Kingswood Park in East Bristol. Together they’re creating a nature area to support local biodiversity.

After an initial audit of existing nature in the area, design work began to plan new homes for wildlife. Over the summer work parties have been busy clearing pathways, removing brambles, digging out a bog and planting hedgerows and wildflowers. There are also plans for a tree trail from school to the park.

Encouraging children to value nature

Hayley, who’s studying BSc Hons Environmental Science at UWE Bristol, is one of the students who volunteered their time to get stuck in creating and improving habitats with the children. She lives locally and was keen to get involved in a project which engages the community in looking after the nature around them.

“If you want people to care about nature, you have to first make them aware of it.”
says Hayley.

Work party from Park Primary school, Kingswood

The project has involved the entire school of 530 children, from wheelbarrow pushing 5-year olds to skilled secateurs users from year 6. They’re proud of their transformation of this part of the local park.

“Before children didn’t want to come here, but now they are asking their parents to come here all the time.”
Addison, Park Primary School Year 6 pupil

Building confidence through outdoor learning

Kelly Goodfellow, Senior Neurodiversity Practitioner at UWE Bristol saw an opportunity to help build children’s confidence through outdoor learning. Working with Kirstin Whitney, outdoor learning expert and teacher at Kingswood Park School, Kelly devised the project specifically to support children with a neurodiverse profile, who do not necessarily ‘shine’ in the classroom-based learning environment.

Outdoor learning is proven to develop children’s self-esteem, cooperation and creativity. Children are given the freedom which empowers them to be forward thinking, problem solving, independent decision makers.

Making university an achievable goal

Kingswood Primary is in an urban area of South Gloucestershire bordering Bristol, identified as a disadvantaged community. The UWE Bristol Community Fund prioritises projects where students will work with young people in areas with low progression into higher education.

The project has brought positive role models from UWE Bristol into contact with the pupils and the community of Kingswood.

“The experiences and relationships it has created are an important step towards making university education an achievable future goal for pupils,”
Kelly says.

The future of the project

A year 6 pupil reflects on how the project will continue to evolve –

“We’re looking forward to carrying on the work over the coming years and keeping a record of the insects, amphibians, spiders and mammals that we find. We hope that you enjoy it as much as we do”.

Pupil using magnifying glass to observe bugs

Notes

Find out more about the project by watching this film made by the school.

The Community Fund is part of the UWE Bristol Fund.

To find out more and to donate, visit our UWE Bristol Fund webpages.

UWE Bristol alumni – quick links

UWE Bristol Alumni homepage

Join Alumni Connect online mentoring network

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