More than just turning a profit, meet the nation’s top social entrepreneurs
And you thought your half-marathon was impressive
Most of us have made a pathetic attempt at recycling or running back up the stairs to turn the lights off.
But these students have gone the extra mile to create sustainable businesses which help their community.
Aleksandra is balancing her law degree with chipmonk
Aleksandra Gajewska, chipmonk, second year at King’s
Law second year Aleksandra only came to the UK a year and half a go from Poland but she is already contributing to a better society more than many of us ever will.
She has reactivated the Polish society, she studies law and is making progress with chipmonk, a sustainable start-up at King’s.
Chipmonk takes old apples from the supermarket and turns them into flavoured apple chips.
The business employs refugees with no work experience to help make and sell the chips.
She said: “We want to employ a long-term unemployed refugee, we’d like them to be fully trained by the end of summer and we’ll run some events for them, like language proficiency workshops.
“We’re helping to build a healthier society by employing people who are struggling in the labour market in the UK, due to a lack of language skills or a lack of work experience.”
The second year wants to pursue a career in commercial law
Aleksandra believes a lot of students are consumed by boosting their CV.
She said: “People are focused on building their CVs, but as time goes by you can see who is engaged in the project and those who are more interested in their CV.”
The workforce of six source the apples, chop them up, and flavour them with either paprika, salted caramel or pumpkin spice.
Aleksandra said it’s not all about making money and making profit.
The Law second year said: “We are trying to help these people by building a healthy business and through doing what we are doing we will somehow empower the people around us to make our society more aware of the sustainable processes in the community.”
Suraj Thakrar, Slurp, second year at Edinburgh
Suraj, an International Business and Spanish student, dived straight into the social enterprise scene in freshers.
He got involved with Slurp as it started out in his first year, he said: “I’m not worried about building up my CV, I just wanted to do it because it’s something I enjoy doing.”
Slurp work closely with the homeless in Edinburgh to make and sell soup and bread to hungry library-goers.
Suraj (centre) with the Slurp team
Suraj said: “We’re employing homeless people and empowering them.
“We have a beneficiary called Stuart and he was really vocal and he did a great job. He made the bread himself and in the 90s his hobby was bread making, he used to make the bread with salt from the Himalayas.
“I asked him why he used such expensive salt rather than regular salt and he said ‘If I use this I support a small community in the Himalayas.'”
Slurp is a hit outside the library at lunch
When Suraj first started out with Slurp he was helping out with the branding, finding people to take part, and finding charities which Slurp could partner with.
“We are working closely with The Rock Trust – a charity for young homeless people in Edinburgh.”
Suraj is motivated to give something back to society partially because he appreciates how fortunate students are.
He said: “I think it’s important to realise how lucky we are to even be at uni, some people don’t even get to go to school.”
Adam Edwards and Charlotte Wells, Bayside Market, finalists at Swansea
Adam launched Bayside Market in his final year at Swansea with fellow third year, Charlotte.
The pair wanted to start a community interest company looking to bring local traders onto the campuses at Swansea.
Their stalls will range from green grocers to clothes stands
Adam, who is studying Electrical Engineering, said: “As well as providing a great service to students, it will also help support local business in the area and promote sustainable shopping habits.
“I’m also hoping to develop student entrepreneurship at the uni by allowing students to open their own stalls at the market.
“We’re currently looking to open at the start of second semester with around 30 traders.”
Marc Gómez Melé, BioSmart, second year at Exeter
Politics, Philosophy and Economics second year Marc was only a project member at BioSmart in freshers, but he quickly became the main man.
Marc said: “Now as President I have to oversee a lot more, making sure people are doing what they are meant to do. It requires me to spend more time doing things for BioSmart.
“At the end of the day it’s nice to have something you know is having a positive impact on people’s lives.”
Marc and the team travelled to Ethiopia last summer
BioSmart is an enterprise project which was set up three years ago at Exeter turning agricultural waste into charcoal.
The enterprise venture is even partnering with farmers in Ethiopia to provide a more sustainable way of farming.
The second year only entered the world of sustainable business when he came to uni.
He said: “I liked the idea of actually setting up a business which would improve people’s lives in a long-term way.”
BioSmart helps farmers in Ethiopia
Marc is philosophical about other students getting involved in projects like BioSmart.
“If we’re not careful, we’ll just forget about doing things which improve our world and act only in our own interest.
“We need to join and lead sustainable projects and businesses which improve the world around us as well as just turning a profit.”