Students Supporting the Wider Community Winner

Yamin Thet, Alliance Manchester Business School

Yamin is co-founder of Start smart, a no-for-profit organisation that supports young people in Myanmar.  The civil war and military coup in Myanmar has meant that many universities and schools have closed.  Start Smart aims to provide educational programmes aimed at career development and enhancing job prospects for young people in Myanmar, filling a critical void.  The initiative provides educational resources but also hope and direction to thousands of young people, fostering an environment of resilience ad empowerment. 

For example, the ‘New Year New Me’ event was a webinar focused on personal development and wellbeing. Over 3000 participants aged 16 to 26 took part. Yamin organised sponsors and speakers and showcased her outstanding event management skills. 

Yamin is an advocate and mentor for Myanmar students aspiring to study abroad, providing valuable insights and encouragement to over 3000 students. Through her Facebook and YouTube channels she has a community of over 24,000 aspiring to study in the UK.

Student Groups Winner

The Chilean Society

The Chilean Society started a campaign for the Chilean Electoral Service and Minister of Foreign Affairs to open a new polling station in Manchester.  The aim was to provide a closer alternative to Chileans living in northern England and Scotland, who have always had to travel to London to exercise their democratic right, because regulations state that people must cast their vote in person.

Following the society’s campaign and their work with the Consulate to ensure that everything was in order, the new polling station opened in December 2023 for the Chilean referendum on their constitution.  The Society staffed the polling station and gave hundreds of people the opportunity to save time and money by voting in Manchester.

Students Supporting Other Students Winner

Jenny Foster, School of Biological Sciences

Jenny has volunteered with the Want not Waste project for three years, including leading it for two.  As well as being instrumental in ensuring the smooth running of the zero-waste shop Janny has secured funding to renovate the building into a multifunctional sustainability hub.  Activities run in the hub have included a clothing sample sale, which diverted clothing from ending up in landfill and raised awareness about sustainable fashion.

Jenny has also set up ‘the Library of Things’. This addresses the cost-of-living crisis by providing students with access to essential equipment such as sewing machines and toolkits, as well as providing workshops to help students gain the skills needed to mend and upcycle their possessions.  This enhances the affordability of sustainable practices without the need for individual ownership.