Local Hub staff supported students through resources, training, advice, guidance and access to our Hub network to successfully scope, design and implement projects. We also connected students to existing community partners through our local networks and had the expertise to support them in making new connections if required.
Our approach
Incubation can involve piloting new projects as part of existing delivery, or may be a brand new project following a student identifying a particular social or environmental need. Hub staff support students throughout the process to make and lead the scaling of the activity, and find sustainable funding or support for it to continue.
Incubation support for social action can attract a different profile of student from those that typically engage in entrepreneurial activities, and can support students with unique perspectives to make change in a practical and impactful way. Support included training, 1:1 engagement, our incubation framework and internal resources.
Working with the Hub has greatly enhanced my experience at the university. I have been able to add a lot of skills to my CV [and] have learned a lot about how to work in teams and how to communicate effectively. Personally, I have particularly enjoyed the friendships I was able to build with other volunteers. We were able to build a tight-knit group among the volunteers which made our work so much more fun and made my university experience a lot better.
Hans Dyckerhoff, Invent Plus at Southampton Hub