Reflections: Portsmouth Youth Cabinet End of Year Celebration 2024/25
30 October 2025
The Portsmouth Youth Cabinet’s End of Year Celebration was one to remember and an amazing way to end the 24/25 academic year!
The Portsmouth Youth Cabinet’s End of Year Celebration was one to remember and an amazing way to end the 24/25 academic year! The Portsmouth Youth Cabinet (PYC), facilitated by Unloc and supported by Portsmouth City Council seeks to represent all young people in Portsmouth, hearing and amplifying their voices, and driving positive change.
We believe that Portsmouth is enhanced by the voices of the young people within it. It is our vision that an active and connected youth voice will have meaningful interactions and will influence decision-making, which will, in turn, enhance young people’s ability to thrive across the city.
The Portsmouth Youth Cabinet is led by Portsmouth’s Member of UK Youth Parliament (the MYP) who is a youth representative elected in a city-wide vote every two years, with the most recent elections having taken place in March 2024. The home of the Youth Cabinet is our Changemaker Studios: Portsmouth space within the Portsmouth Guildhall, so what better place to come together at the end of the 2024/25 academic year this Summer, and celebrate an incredible year of youth voice, action, and impact!
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We started the party with an Opening Speech from Mackenzie Bird, previous PYC Chairperson, who via video gave thanks to Jessi, PYC Facilitator, Maya, PYC Chairperson, and Amelia, the PYC Vice-Chair, as well as to all of the Youth Cabinet Members, stating “Today is all about celebrating you all and your amazing achievements – you should all be so proud of yourselves because I’m proud of you!”
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We also had a few messages of apologies and thanks for guests who were unable to attend the event but keen to thank everyone for their efforts and work in the Youth Cabinet and various projects the group had been able to contribute to.
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We then launched into an Energiser of a Picture Challenge. Everyone had to get into groups with a mix of PYC Members and guests and given 20 minutes to complete a variety of tasks to earn points! Tasks included taking a photo of all of the team members jumping (which deemed harder than it seems!), filming a one-minute video of one of the team members talking about why youth voice is so important, as well as making a PYC hero cape out of paper, tape and colouring pens, and then having the team take a photo pretending to be Avengers with one team member proudly wearing their hero cape!
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The three Subgroups of the Youth Cabinet each proudly reporting back, reflecting on their year, sharing their achievements, learnings and their upcoming plans:
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Climate Change and Environment
Climate Change and Environment spoke of the Climate Conference they hosted and facilitated, supported by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, back in April, their Student Voice Celebration Day Consultation with Years 1, 2 and 3 students, and their application for a Changemaker Grant of £250, which they were successful in gaining! The group hope to host another Climate Conference in 2026 to build on their success and learnings from the ‘pilot’ this year.
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Crime and Safety
Crime and Safety reported back on their learnings from their SVC Day Consultation with Year 5 students, as well as their findings from a survey looking at safety in the city. Their upcoming plans are to utilise Op Sceptre (Knife Crime Awareness) week in November where they hope to hold a consultation with young people around the issue.
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Health and Wellbeing
Health and Wellbeing celebrated the success of their survey and gained lots of useful responses to aid their work, their SVC Day Consultation with Year 4 students, and the group’s creation of a powerpoint focusing on Sexual Education. They are currently planning to consult more primary school children on their physical health.
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We are so proud of each subgroup for the hard work they’ve put into this year!
We then heard from the Executive Committee, who shared what the previous executive achieved, which included introducing lanyards, accountability sheets, youth voice updates and more. The new Executive Committees plans are to introduce a minute quiz, Song of the week and a brand new accountability sheet.
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They then shared what their outcomes of this would be, which were to keep everyone in contact between meetings and ensure everybody has read last meetings minutes in full.
Unloc’s Reporting Back of highlights not previously mentioned:
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Upcoming and looking forward to in the next academic year:
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We then moved onto Youth Voice activities which were packed with creative ways to share thoughts, opinions, and dreams for the future:
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We thank everyone for being involved and contributing to these activities!
After a break with delicious pizza, Maya and Amelia led our Circle energiser where everyone had to get into ‘order’ of their name, birthday and height, all without speaking to each other so having to use non-verbal communication to ‘speak’ to each other!
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We gave out the PYC Awards for people who we recognised for their amazing contributions to the Youth Cabinet:
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Kindness & Community – Acknowledging empathy, teamwork, encouragement, and how young people support others.
Cheerleader Award: For always uplifting peers – Oscar
Team Player Award: For always being helpful and cooperative – Cora
The Golden Rule Award: For always treating everyone with respect – Kaitlyn
Learning & Growth – Highlighting academic mindset, curiosity, progress, and dedication to learning.
Brainpower Award: For always showing sharp thinking – Freya
Curiosity Award: For asking great questions and loving to learn – Chan
Growth Mindset Award: For never giving up, no matter the challenge – Hope
Participation Pro Award: For always engaging and being involved – Meghan
Rising Star Award: For showing amazing progress this year- Dyuthi
Personality & Passion – Celebrating unique traits, energy, creativity, and the spark students bring to the group.
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Movement Maker: For big ideas and even bigger passion – Quinn
Big Energy Award: For bringing the hype, vibes, and volume – Lesley
Human Sparkler Award: For lighting up every room and meeting – Theo
Loud & Proud Award: For not being afraid to speak up and stand out – Daria
Idea Machine Award: For never running out of wild, brilliant, and doable ideas – Imi
Comedic Relief Award: For always bringing the laughs in meetings – Kam
Leadership & Advocacy- Recognising strong youth voice, leadership, and impact in advocacy and community change.
Resilience Award: For overcoming barriers to make a difference – Jayden
Youth Voice Innovation Award: For new approaches to youth participation – Austin
Peer Leader Award: For guiding, championing and uplifting peers – Mimi
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Bridge Builder Award: For connecting vital youth groups – Iulia
Youth Communicator Award: For excellence in representing youth perspectives – Henry
Emerging Leader Award: For a rising star showing exceptional potential – Hayden
Changemaker Award: For creating powerful and meaningful impact – Maheep
Voice of the Future Award: For honouring outstanding leadership in youth advocacy – Mackenzie
Youth Voice Champion: For consistent and powerful youth representation – Amelia
Bold Voice Award: For courageously speaking truth to power – Maya
Well done to everyone and thank you for everyone’s individual contributions to the Youth Cabinet and our success this year!
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To close off the evening, we heard from our Chairperson, Maya Choudhury. Maya said:
“Serving as Chairperson of the Portsmouth Youth Cabinet so far has been such a great honour. This year has been a testament to the power of young voices, your voices, and the change we can create when we speak up, show up, and stand together.’”
She spoke of the power of the three subgroups and being able to tackle issues that matter deeply to young people in Portsmouth, as well as being able to represent youth at events like the Mayor Making Ceremony and the Shaping Portsmouth Conference. She went on to thank every member of the Youth Cabinet, past and present; Jessi for ‘being the backbone of everything we do’; and Mackenzie whose ‘leadership laid the foundation for so much of what we’ve accomplished this year.’
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Maya finished by reminding everyone to ‘be bold, be kind, and let’s never forget that the future isn’t something we wait for, it’s something we build.’
What an amazing finish to a wonderful academic year full of passion, energetic and action by the wonderful young members of the Portsmouth Youth Cabinet. Every single one has been an inspiration and offered so much to the wider team and community around them, we can’t wait to see what the year ahead brings.
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For more information on Portsmouth Youth Cabinet click here!
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It’s that time of year when we invite our partners, stakeholders, schools, colleges and supporters to take a peek behind the curtain and see what we’ve been up to over the past 12 months. The past academic year has been an incredibly busy one for Unloc, we’ve achieved so so much, expanding our reach, developing our programmes, leading new and exciting initiatives, grown the Unloc Changemaker Alliance, and met some truly inspiring and motivating young people and business leaders.
From events such as our Changemaker Moments and Cash Kickstarters, Seed 2030 and another amazing year of The Young Entrepreneurs Challenge, to programmes such as Young Women in Tech and Grow Your Ambition – the offer this past year has been wide-ranging, innovative, and covered so much new territory to improve the lives of the young people we work with.
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Here’s our Co-Founders Ben and Hayden to explain more.
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Download the report (below) by clicking the downward arrow button to the top right of the window, or by clicking the link underneath.
We hope you enjoy this overview of just a small sample of our work over the past 12 months, and to those of you who have worked with us, experienced our programmes or events, and helped us on our mission to empower young people – we couldn’t do it without you. Together we make such a difference to the futures of the next generation.
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What a whirlwind of inspiration, energy and learning these past two weeks have been at Innovation Fest 2025! As you know, at Unloc we love to innovate, look at different perspectives, and find new, unique and dynamic ways to to do things. Each Summer the Unloc team enjoy a wide range of activities based around the topic of innovation in order to do this, from powerful staff-led sessions to guest speakers who challenge and inspire us, the festival this year has been a true celebration of creativity, collaboration, and connection.
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We kicked things off with Unloc staff speed sharing and wow, what an awesome team we are! The energy in the room was electric, and it was clear this is something we need to do much more often.
Next up, Joshua Dale brought co-production with young people to life, introducing us to the story behind his brilliant invention “Can’t Say Um”. His journey of game inventions added so much value, and fun to the day.
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We then welcomed back Josh Robinson, who built on his incredible session from our Innovation Fest event last year. This time, Josh wowed us with marketing ads designed to spark discussions, helping us dive deeper into the art of influence. He broke down the jargon, making marketing crystal clear and relevant for our work with young people. His golden reminder: “Social media is a room – make sure you’re seen in the right ones. Influence isn’t ego, it’s trust, value, and confidence. And confidence comes from evidence, so let’s get posting!”
To round off Week 1, Tom Lloyd led “When Tom Met Sally”, exploring Your Special Sauce, the Power of Questioning, and that timeless truth – people buy from people they like. A really great session about Networlking.
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We were honoured to welcome Ahmad Jooma (aka Shook Man), who took us on a powerful journey of possibility. His message was clear: when we connect with ourselves, we connect more deeply with others. Young people are tuned into authenticity and this session gave us the tools to tap into our own. Highly recommended for anyone seeking to align purpose, passion, and impact.
Of course, no festival is complete without some fun and our staff summer social at Flight Club (plus ice cream in Buckingham Palace Gardens!) hit the spot.
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We then got hands-on with Podcast 101, guided by two amazing young podcasters in our Portsmouth Changemaker Studios. From learning the equipment to recording our own clips, it was a playful and practical session with Jess on hand to help us see how podcasting can become a powerful resource for our young people and programmes.
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Finally, to close two inspiring weeks, Larissa led us through reflection and feedback, before we wrapped things up in style with a rejuvenating yoga session with Curvaceous Carla, followed by a special guest appearance from TV and radio presenter Hayley Palmer. Hearing her personal story and career journey was both uplifting and motivating, and the finale, a celeb-style interview with our very own Ben Dowling ended Innovation Fest on a true high.
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Unloc’s Co-Founder & Chief Executive Hayden Taylor commented:
“Another Innovation Fest comes to an end, and once again the team have knocked it out the park when it comes to thinking outside the box, trying new things, and investigating dynamic fresh approaches to teaching, learning and sharing. Each Summer we like to take this time to step back and look at where we’ve been, where we’re going – and how we can best get there! Innovation and Technology have always been at the heart of our approach to educating and empowerment, and hearing from different members of the team, and those guests we’ve welcomed in to speak and share – really helps broaden all our horizons and perspectives.
Well done to everyone who helped put this year’s event schedule together, in particular Beth and Jess who have worked relentlessly to make it a roaring success. I can’t wait to see what you have planned for next year!”
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Innovation Fest 2025 has reminded us that innovation isn’t just about new ideas, it’s about people. The connections we make, the stories we share, and the courage to show up authentically all fuel the work we do with young people.
Here’s to more sharing, more learning, and more innovation together!
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Unstoppable Energy, Unforgettable Impact: Inside the First-Ever Student Governor Destinations Conference in London 2025
What do you get when you combine the ambition of young changemakers, the prestige of Burberry’s London headquarters, and a powerful collaboration between Unloc and Rockborn? You get an electric, inspiring, and unforgettable day that marked the launch of the very first Student Governor Destinations Conference, AND our first ever Student Governor of the Year Award, and we are still buzzing from it.
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This wasn’t just another conference. It was a celebration of student leadership, a gathering of passionate voices, and a platform to spotlight those making real change in their colleges and communities. And yes, it absolutely lived up to the hype.
From the very first moment, the energy in the room was undeniable. The space was packed with student governors, governance professionals, and inspiring thought leaders from across the country. The goal? To elevate, connect, and empower a new generation of changemakers. Recognise their input and impact, learn best practice from one another, network and celebrate the difference they make.
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The day was filled with dynamic workshops and thought-provoking panel discussions, but it was the atmosphere that truly made it special, the kind of buzz you only get when people are genuinely passionate about what they’re doing.
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And the speaker lineup? Next level. We were joined by a stellar cast of changemakers and leaders who shared their insights and stories, including:
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Their collective message was clear: student voice matters, and young leaders are not just the future, they are the now.
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But the day wasn’t just about conversation. It was about recognition too. For the very first time, we held the Student Governor of the Year Award ceremony, and the response was overwhelming. For the passt few months colleges across the country have nominated their standout governors, and the calibre of nominees was nothing short of inspiring. Choosing a winner was no easy task for the panel, in fact, it was a total nightmare.
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After much consideration, we were thrilled to present the award to Ivy Knight, a 20-year-old floristry student from Moulton College. Ivy has been a force for good at her college since 2021, using her role as a Student Governor to drive meaningful change — and always doing it with integrity, courage, and heart.
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From joining sustainability and EDI groups to calling out issues like bullying, accessibility, and environmental shortcomings, Ivy has shown what it means to lead with purpose. Her attention to detail, her relentless drive, and her commitment to improvement are exactly what this award was designed to celebrate. Ivy always confidently and appropriately calls it out when things need improving, be this bullying of the LGBTQ+ community, poor accessibility for wheelchair users or lack of information around sustainability. Ivy didn’t just speak up — she created change.
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As Ivy herself puts it:
“I’ve always been passionate about making a difference and having my voice heard, and participating as a Student Governor gave me a platform to channel this alongside my studies.”
Well said, Ivy, and well deserved.
The Student Governor Destinations Conference wasn’t just a success, it was a movement in motion. We’re beyond proud to have launched this event with our brilliant partners at Rockborn and to have celebrated the power of student leadership in such a bold and vibrant way.
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To everyone who attended, contributed, nominated, or simply cheered from afar: thank you. You made this event what it was, energetic, empowering, and absolutely unforgettable. Also special thanks to another partner of Unloc, the amazing team at Burberry for providing such a fantastic venue to hold this debut event. We appreciate you!
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Here’s to Ivy. Here’s to every student governor out there. And here’s to the future they’re already shaping, we’ll see you at next year’s Destination Conference event!
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To find out more about Rockborn click here
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To find out more about Burberry click here
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Student Governor Changemaker Programme: Destination Conference
Thursday 26 June 2025
Burberry Headquarters, Horseferry House, London
From 11:30am – 4:30pm
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Calling all Student Governors! Get ready for an unforgettable day on Thursday 26th June, as student governors from across the UK come together in the heart of London for a high-energy celebration of leadership, impact, and empowered changemaking!
We’re taking over Burberry’s iconic London headquarters for a jam-packed day of inspiration, insight and empowerment as we mark the first year of our Student Governor Changemaker Programme! If you’ve served as a student governor this year – this is your moment.
Over the past year, in partnership with Rockborn, we’ve been on a mission to equip student governors from across the UK with the tools to lead, and the voice to succeed. Through our range of invigorating bootcamps, dedicated skills development sessions, guest speakers and workshops, we’ve worked closely with you to bring out your inner leader, give you the confidence to speak your mind, share your thoughts, and take affirmative action to make positive change a reality in your college.
Now, it’s time to celebrate that journey together.
Our Destinations Conference is dedicated to bringing together young leaders from around the country, sharing what you’ve learnt, connecting with your peers, and celebrating with us the landmark first year of the first dedicated nationwide programme created specifically to provide Student Governors with the highest level of training and support. We’re also opening up this opportunity to invite along your Governance Professional to help celebrate your success!
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What to expect:
This is your chance to reflect on how far you’ve come, the change you’ve led, and the skills you’ve built, while connecting with others who share your drive to make a difference in their colleges and communities.
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Meet Our Incredible Guest Speakers:
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Unloc’s Co-Founder and Chief Executive Hayden Taylor said:
“What an amazing year it’s been. The Unloc team recognised that there was a severe lack of training and support for young people entering into their role as a Student Governor, being thrown in the deep end with little available to prepare them or show them how to be heard, how to engage with both students and professionals, and how to be empowered to make positive change in their college. “
“The Unloc Student Governor Changemaker Programme was born! As we celebrate our first year of the programme we’re inviting young people from colleges across the country to join us in London to mark our first year. It’s going to be a fun packed day with some truly inspirational guest speakers, we can’t wait to see you all there.”
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Rockborn’s Company Director Peter Ryder said:
“Rockborn is so proud to be sponsoring the Unloc Student Governor Changemaker Programme. This past year has been such a huge success and we’ve loved being involved and watching young people develop and grow in real time as Student Governors. Each workshop and session has been eye-opening and impressive, and seeing the maturity that young people display in the programme’s supportive learning environment has been so rewarding. We hope to see you all at the Destinations Conference so we can celebrate this landmark achievement together!”
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Don’t miss out on the student leadership event of the year.
Seats are limited, energy will be high, and we cannot wait to celebrate all you’ve achieved .
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Ready to be inspired, empowered, and connected?
If you haven’t already signed up, get in touch with: [email protected] for more information.
What a year 2025 has been so far, and it just gets bigger and better – we are so excited to announce that we are expanding our wide range of specialist programmes, courses and events into the Leeds area this September just in time for the Autumn term!
We have long had our sights on bringing our innovative programmes to the Leeds city region, having delivered previous programmes and events there, we’ve seen that we can have a strong and positive impact on the region and make a lasting difference in the lives of the young people there, empowering and equipping them with the skills they need to thrive in a fast-changing world.
Our vision for Leeds is clear: to help young people build confidence, become young changemakers, develop entrepreneurial mindsets, and create a brighter future for themselves and their communities.
We believe that every young person has the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, and we work hard to level the playing field by connecting talent to opportunity, tackling inequalities, using their voice for the good of all, and promoting social justice.
Bringing our mindset, skills and knowledge to Leeds is an exciting new journey for us at Unloc, building upon our dedicated teams in London and Portsmouth, and widening our reach. Our facilitators will be based in Leeds City Centre, ensuring that our programmes are responsive to the local needs and aspirations of young people in the area.
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How will local people and industry be involved?
Firmly believing in the power of partnerships, we’ll work closely with local youth organisations, businesses, industry, and the local authority to ensure that programmes complement existing efforts in the community. We are already incredibly proud to be partnered with Burberry, based in the City Centre, and are also working with the Luminate Education Group, by collaborating with local partners we can amplify their impact and create a more supportive network for young people to grow and flourish.
Volunteers from local businesses will play an active role in our programme roll-out. These volunteers will bring real-world knowledge and expertise to Unloc’s initiatives, providing young people with valuable insights into the world of work, behind the scenes experience across a range of industries, and the ability to connect and communicate with professionals from a diverse range of backgrounds and careers.
What are our goals in Leeds?
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How we will achieve our vision in Leeds
We will be taking a multi-faceted approach to empower young people in Leeds, tailoring our programmes to the needs of the young people in the region, reaching all ages and levels of knowledge. This will involve a series of dynamic Changemaker Challenge Days for both Primary and Secondary Schools, Enterprise Events aimed at growing the mind of an entrepreneur, Changemaker Moments Events and Leadership Bootcamps.
Each event is focused on developing confidence, an entrepreneurial mindset, employability skills, incubating a ‘changemaker outlook’, and encouraging career aspirations. They’ll enjoy skills workshops, learn from professionals, engage with reverse-mentoring, develop core employability skills, network with local entrepreneurs and develop the mindset of a changemaker – recognising how to make positive change and effect impact in their communities and wider society.
These skills will help empower young people and connect diverse talent with industry, networking with professionals and career experts, and creating clear pathways to employment, entrepreneurship, and being an empowered changemaker.
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Unloc’s Co-Founder and Chief Executive Hayden Taylor said:
“We could not be more excited to bring the Unloc method of creating, developing and empowering young changemakers to the Leeds area. We know from our previous events just how passionate and engaged young people in the region are, and we have heard from them directly on the issues they face and the changes that they want to see, and create in society.”
“At Unloc our speciality is not just equipping young people with a changemaker mindset, but also empowering them with the confidence, the skills and the tools to create the positive change they want to see. Not just see the change – be the change.“
“If you’re a business owner, a skilled professional or an entrepreneur in the Leeds area, and you’d like to be involved in inspiring future generations – then we would love to hear from you. Involving the industry, professionals and community of Leeds is so important to what we want to achieve. Whether you’re interested in sponsoring a programme, engaging young people with your business, being a guestspeaker, providing opportunities, or engaging with creating positive change in the community – we’d love to hear from you.”
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How can local businesses in Leeds get involved?
Unloc’s programmes and events offer businesses, industry, partners and entrepreneurs an opportunity to make a tangible, positive impact on the community while also reaping the benefits of increased visibility and engagement.
Sponsor an Unloc programme or event and become an active part in nurturing young talent and empowering young people. Your sponsorship helps Unloc to deliver their vision – offering young people exclusive opportunities and connections with industry which inspires and empowers them on their career path.
It also gives you the opportunity to engage your employees with a greater aim, share knowledge and experience, champion your brand, and raise awareness of your journey, what you do and what you stand for. The inspiration and motivation your knowledge and experience can provide to young people is invaluable.
Interested in sponsoring an Unloc programme or being involved?
Whilst we won’t be officially launching until the Autumn, we’re currently building out our strategy and roll-out. We firmly believe it’s those on-the-ground local stories and professionals that make all the difference, people that can talk face to face, answer questions, and share lived career experience.
If you’d like to get involved and do something inspiring for the generation of tomorrow, be a guest speaker, attend a session or sponsor a programme or event – we would love to hear from you. Together we can make a difference.
Email [email protected] for an initial conversation.
For more information on Unloc visit: unloc.org.uk
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We are thrilled to announce that in partnership with Rockborn, we are launching a search nationwide for the UK’s Student Governor of the Year 2025! This new award aims to recognise and appreciate the important contribution that student voice and leadership has to a college environment, celebrating those Student Governors who work as the voice of students to improve their college, it’s services and support, and ensure that student needs are met.
It’s estimated that around 900 Student Governors work within their colleges around the country each year. As the voice of student leadership, their platform provides young people with the opportunity to inform and have a say in their education, helping to shape their college environment and the services they offer.
Together Unloc and Rockborn have long recognised the importance of student leadership and student voice in the education environment, rolling out our comprehensive Student Governor Changemaker Programme across the UK this year to provide the highest level of support and training to Student Governors as they get to grips with their role and learn how to have a positive impact, working with both education professionals, school boards, key figures and students themselves to achieve tangible outcomes that enhance and improve their education experience.
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At Unloc we have long championed, supported and invested in Student Governors across the FE sector, most notably through their dedicated training and support programmes, student voice workshops, and in-depth governance training for young people.
Rockborn boast an impressive track record of success as management and governance consultants in the Further Education sector, long supporting Further Education boards through governance reviews, training, consultancy and project managing mergers in the sector.
Both our organisations cultivate exceptional learning environments, working with staff, boards and young leaders to develop rich and vibrant educational spaces that allow young people to flourish. Now we are asking colleges across the country to nominate their Student Governors, recognising them for the excellent work they do, and the important contribution they make to their college.
To nominate a Student Governor is very easy, colleges are invited to complete a very simple online application form by clicking the button below. It only takes a few minutes, and asks for a few details about the young person being nominated, and why they should win the award.
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Click here to nominate your Student Governor!
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The deadline for nominations is 30th April 2025.
The 2025 Student Governor of the Year will be announced this Summer at Unloc’s Student Governor Destination Conference to be held in London. Further details to be announced.
All nominees will also receive a certificate of commendation to recognise their contribution to their college and the wider education sector.
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Unloc’s Co-Founder and Chief Executive Hayden Taylor said:
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“We are incredibly excited to be launching the 2025 Student Governor of the Year Award, a chance to recognise and celebrate the contributions, impact and dedication of Student Governors across the country, acknowledging the positive change they make within their colleges, and to the community around them. Recognising the important contribution young governors make in their learning environment is so important, so we’re asking colleges to take five minutes out to nominate the Student Governors who make a difference in their college, one of which will be picked as our 2025 Student Governor of the Year!”
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Rockborn’s Company Director Peter Ryder said:
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“Rockborn is really proud to be sponsoring the Unloc Student Governor Changemaker Programme and to be getting behind this new award. We’d like to encourage colleges that want to nominate a Student Governor to fill in a very short application form, it will only take five minutes, and recognise your Student Governor’s contribution!”
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For more information about the Unloc Student Governor Changemaker Programme click here
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For more information on Unloc’s school and college programmes click here
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For more information about Rockborn and their services click here
Nominate your Student Governor now by clicking here!
Finalists will compete in this year’s Young Entrepreneurs Challenge showcase in March in a bid to win £10,000 (€11,750*)
Five young entrepreneurs have been named as finalists in the latest Young Entrepreneurs Challenge (YEC), an initiative launched by Verizon and Unloc. The challenge, now in its seventh year, aims to discover the business leaders of tomorrow by tasking young European entrepreneurs between the ages of 16 and 25 to devise a tech-led business idea that addresses a key industry or societal issue.
This year’s challenge has brought to light a number of business models that tackle current sustainability and healthcare challenges including water restoration robots, biodegradable textiles from kombucha by-products, reforestation hexapod robots, a floating solar solution and a robotic glove for stroke rehabilitation. The team received over 100 competitive and innovative business ideas from a wide range of countries across Europe including the UK, Ireland, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Greece, Slovakia, Turkey, Portugal, Austria, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Estonia and Poland.
“Throughout the past seven years, the Young Entrepreneurs Challenge has been a brilliant opportunity to discover young and promising talent across Europe. There is nothing like the imagination and innovation of a young mind. The YEC serves as a platform to help bring their ideas to life,” said Sanjiv Gossain, General Manager and Head of EMEA for Verizon Business.
“Young entrepreneurs in Europe often face hurdles and scepticism in accessing funding and mentorship. Verizon Business is proud to play a small role in helping this next generation of tech leaders stay a step ahead in the industry, as they work to make a positive impact around the world.”
“We are in an era where technological innovation is crucial for tackling complex challenges in sustainability, climate change, and health. Investing in the next generation of leaders and their ideas is essential to addressing these issues,” said Hayden Taylor, Co-Founder and Chief Executive of Unloc. “Each year, we are amazed by the ingenuity of young entrepreneurs and are impressed to see the innovative ideas submitted for the Young Entrepreneurs Challenge.”
The five finalists will now compete head-to-head in a grand finale held in March 2025, pitching their business concept live to a panel of expert judges and invited guests representing both the worlds of business and education. The winner receives £10,000 (€11,750*), mentorship and a technology support package to help kickstart their business. In addition, the winner will also receive a ticket to attend the Global One Young World 2025 Munich Summit.
Each runner-up will receive £977 (€1175) to fund their start-up business, a personalised development plan that focuses on key priorities, and access to a series of masterclasses over the next year that will pair the finalists with various industry experts.
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Here are the 2025 finalists:
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Aleksandra Daniljuk – AquaRenew
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Aleksandra aims to address the global environmental crisis of water pollution caused by excess nitrogen and phosphorus in water bodies. Her solution involves small, solar-powered robots that use wire meshes to collect harmful algae blooms, release oxygen through air stones to combat oxygen depletion, and utilise zeolite biofilters to absorb excess nutrients, thereby preventing further eutrophication.
The key selling point is its self-sustaining business model. The collected algae will be sold to businesses that convert them into biofuels and other sustainable products, creating a revenue stream to fund more robots. This approach not only restores aquatic ecosystems but also fosters sustainability and generates economic value.
Aleksandra’s solution also aligns with the UN SDG 14: Life Below Water, promoting ecological restoration and sustainability.
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Luisanny Martinez – Skomb-By-Tex
Skomb-by-Tex is a solution to modern challenges in fashion and sustainability that offers a sustainable, biodegradable material made from kombucha fermentation by-products. The eco-friendly alternative to traditional leather and textiles is crafted from bacterial cellulose, offering a lightweight, durable, and unique texture.
The material is 100% biodegradable and compostable, and can even be reused as planting capsules. To further enhance the sustainable model of the business, the team uses natural dyes like turmeric, spirulina, and saffron, ensuring no toxic chemicals are involved.
Skomb-By-Tex collaborates with local kombucha producers in order to reduce waste and emissions. Luisanny’s long-term vision is to scale production while maintaining low-impact manufacturing practices, such as sun drying and ambient-temperature fermentation.
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Marta Bernardino – Trovador
The precision reforestation market is projected to reach $9.77 billion by 2033, growing at a 5.74% CAGR, with high demand from the private sector. Recognising a billion-dollar opportunity, Marta developed Trovador, a reforestation robotics company that combats climate change by planting trees in hard-to-reach areas. Unlike drones, which have a low survival rate for seeds, Trovador’s hexapod robots plant saplings with a 90% survival rate. These AI-driven robots navigate challenging terrains like cliffs and slopes, ensuring effective reforestation.
Trovador’s unique hexapod design preserves essential soil conditions for sapling survival and operates autonomously, overcoming obstacles in real-time. This innovative approach supports sustainability by providing rural communities with a safe, efficient reforestation solution, aligning with several UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The service is quite simple and self-explanatory: clients select the planting site, the robot is deployed, and reforestation is monitored remotely. With just £2.5 (€3) per tree, Trovador is 30% more affordable than traditional methods, while excelling in speed, safety, and sustainability.
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Sebastiaan Schalkwijk – Solar Sub
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Solar Sub’s floating solar solution revolutionises renewable energy by placing solar panels on water bodies, maximising land use and harnessing natural cooling. This approach enhances system efficiency, increasing energy yield by up to 27% compared to traditional solar systems.
Solar Sub’s advanced cooling technology and optimal panel positioning improve efficiency and durability, reducing operational costs and extending the lifespan of solar installations. This innovation sets Solar Sub apart from competitors facing issues with panel overheating and degradation.
Sebastiaan adopts a licensing business model which allows rapid scaling without significant capital investment. This reduces upfront costs and risks, enabling us to focus on strategic partnerships. His model has gained traction with support from key industry players, confirming market interest and feasibility.
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Zain Sumdani – Exoheal
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Exoheal addresses the global shortage of physiotherapists and the inaccessibility of effective therapy with a robotic glove and a machine-learning-powered app. This solution delivers personalised, real-time therapy, enabling stroke recovery from home. Early trials show a 50% improvement in recovery time compared to traditional methods.
Exoheal app connects patients with hospitals and clinics, allowing remote monitoring and real-time feedback. Its modular design and scalable production ensure affordability and the ability to meet global demand. By 2028, Zain and his team aim to transform 100,000 lives, saving governments $178 million in healthcare costs and enabling $16 million in inpatient earnings.
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For more information on the Young Entrepreneurs Challenge click here!
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About Unloc
Unloc was founded in 2013 by award-winning young leaders and advocates Hayden Taylor and Ben Dowling. Our mission is to empower young people to be innovative changemakers who seek to build stronger communities and sustainable businesses. We develop young people’s skills, enhance their potential and boost their determination to succeed.
This is encapsulated in our ‘Developing Young Potential’ tagline. We work towards our mission by delivering inspiring educational programmes in our growing network of schools and colleges, our physical Changemaker Studios spaces in Portsmouth and London, and work with business leaders to deliver a range of programmes that help us achieve our mission. For more information about Unloc visit www.unloc.org.uk
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About Verizon
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) powers and empowers how its millions of customers live, work and play, delivering on their demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity and security. Headquartered in New York City, serving countries worldwide and nearly all of the Fortune 500, Verizon generated revenues of $134.8 billion in 2024. Verizon’s world-class team never stops innovating to meet customers where they are today and equip them for the needs of tomorrow. For more, visit verizon.com or find a retail location at verizon.com/stores.
VERIZON’S ONLINE MEDIA CENTER: News releases, stories, media contacts and other resources are available at verizon.com/news. News releases are also available through an RSS feed. To subscribe, visit www.verizon.com/about/rss-feeds
Student voice has been at the heart of celebrations in Portsmouth for us this past week as we and Portsmouth City Council celebrate the 21st anniversary of the Council of Portsmouth Students (known as CoPS) which culminated in an event at out Changemaker Studios: Portsmouth space at Portsmouth last Thursday 21st November 2024.
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The event saw young people, educators and city leaders come together to celebrate, with speeches from current CoPS Chair and Vice Chair, Daria Nitu and Lotti Pabari, CoPS Vice Chair 2017 Ella Reilly, and CoPS Chair 2008 Ben French.
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All spoke of the heartfelt impact CoPS has had on their lives, and after the celebrations everyone pledged their support to ensure CoPS can continue with strength into the future so that other young people can reap the benefits.
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Facilitated by Unloc throughout the city, CoPS members gather for three in-person Summits each year to discuss the top priorities and issues in their institutions, to problem-solve, speak on lived-experiences, and share best practice with their peers.
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It’s a unique forum that empowers young people in the city to think about the situations, community and environment around them, and to work together to find solutions and proactive approaches to making things better for all.
The Council of Portsmouth Students was first created after the very first Student Voice Day event was held in 2003. Secondary school students came together for the first time in one place to share ideas on how they could improve their schools and make them better.
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The young people agreed it would be valuable to have a cross-city student council where students from different schools could meet regularly to discuss ideas of common interest and concern, and take action together. CoPS was born – and developed into a forum for sharing their experiences of education matters and as a way of offering solutions to any concerns that they identified.
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Ideas and solutions often originate from within the Learning Community schools network; examples include: anti-bullying strategies, the development of student radio, student feedback to teachers on lessons, and student involvement in teacher and head teacher interviews. Many of these improvement ideas have become part of the landscape of schools locally and nationally.
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At the time CoPS was created, Portsmouth City Council also had the resources to develop a Primary Council of Portsmouth Students (PCoPS) recognising the voices of even younger children, and replicating a significant amount of Student Voice activity in the city’s Primary Schools.
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Members of CoPS and the Student Voice Alumni were so well established that they were able to use the funding cuts in 2011 as an opportunity to develop a social enterprise project to ensure the continuation of CoPS and to develop further opportunities for young people to engage and develop their own enterprise initiatives.
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Unloc’s Co-founder and Chief Executive Hayden Taylor said:
“We are so thrilled to be celebrating 21 powerful years of the Council of Portsmouth Students. Youth voice is so important, and thanks to the support of Portsmouth City Council and local schools – we’ve been able to empower so many young changemakers on their journey into society, making their schools, their lives and their communities better as a result. It’s because of this very forum that our organisation Unloc exists today, as a former chair of CoPS myself.
Through this forum, I came together with my co-founder Ben when funding cuts placed it at risk – and together found a way to save CoPS and make it sustainable for future young people. We used the skills we’d learnt to found our own organisation – motivated to empower young people and bring them into positions of leadership. To be here celebrating 21 years of this fantastic movement is such an achievement, we are so immensely proud.”
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Cllr Suzy Horton, Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education said:
“It’s important that Portsmouth students can have their voices heard, share experiences, and make improvements in their schools, which is exactly what they’ve been doing as part of CoPS over the past 21 years. We’re proud that many of the ideas developed are embedded in schools both locally and nationally and hope the young people enjoy the 21st anniversary celebration.”
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Unloc continues this work with all schools in Portsmouth in partnership with school leadership teams to ensure that the foundations of participation that they learned and experienced through school councils, assessment for learning and CoPS remains in place for future generations of students in the area.
For more information about Unloc visit: Unloc.org.uk
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About Unloc
Unloc was founded in 2013 by award-winning young leaders Hayden Taylor and Ben Dowling. The organisation’s mission is to empower young people to be innovative changemakers who seek to build stronger communities and sustainable businesses. The organisation is focused on developing young people’s skills, enhancing their potential and boosting their determination to succeed.
Unloc works towards achieving its mission by delivering inspiring educational programmes to over 20,000 young people each year, including on entrepreneurship and self-employment, in our network of 250+ schools and colleges in the UK and beyond.
To find out more about Unloc and all our latest news visit: unloc.org.uk/news
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Our new series ‘Courses Up Close’ looks more in-depth at some of the wide variety of programmes, courses and bootcamps that we offer at Unloc. One of our favourite courses to deliver is our Unloc Leadership Academy. Available to Secondary Schools and Further Education, the Unloc Leadership Academy is a fun and dynamic initiative to incubate passionate young leaders, support their personal development, and channel their energy into tackling the kinds of social issues faced by young people in their school, college or community.
Young people participating will take part in a core leadership and social action training programme at the beginning of their time at the Academy before specialising in a social issue they would like to address. This could be from a wide range of topics which impact their everyday lives such as Climate Change, Equal Rights, Politics, Homelessness or Food Poverty (for example).
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It’s a brilliant opportunity to get young changemakers thinking critically about the world around them, the issues which impact them and their communities, and to challenge them to consider how they can pro-actively do something to help or improve that problem.
Typically this leads to some fantastic and engaging discussions, peer on peer debates and challenging each other’s views and perceptions – which really grow young people’s confidence and encourages them to speak their truth and feel empowered to do something on a topic they feel strongly about.
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During the course students will learn a wide range of skills including:
Academy participants will then deliver social action projects (usually peer-led presentations) of their own design, focusing on one the priorities they’ve chosen. Often this can include multi-media approaches such as film and video, photography, designing a campaign, slideshow, poster or fundraising.
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Our Co-Founder and Chief Executive Hayden Taylor said:
“Working with young people every day, we know better than many just how engaged and passionate this generation is about social issues, and the problems that many in society face. I don’t think we’ve ever seen that before – young people so engaged with politics and social issues, but if they’ve never had the opportunity to tackle those topics, to learn how to be a leader, or be confident in their own decisons – many don’t understand what they can do personally do to make a tangible difference.”
“Our Leadership Academy is just that opportunity, allowing young people to feel comfortable, confident and empowered to talk about the things that matter the most to them, then working together, utilising the decision making, speaking and communicating skills, and using their new leadership abilities to create something which demonstrate their planning, communicating and creativity to tackle their chosen problem.
“The reaction we get from young people during the academy is always so fantastic to experience, you can see them come alive with ideas and strategies, their minds ticking over in the moment, and the excitement bursting out of them – it’s such a dynamic introduction to Leadership and benefits them enormously in their future.”
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By the end of our Leadership Academy participants will have:
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By the end of the programme, participants will have constructed…
Whether your students have leadership experience already, or are completely new to the concept of leadership, our Leadership Academy will provide an empowering experience for all.
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“We were looking for a dynamic and contemporary leadership programme for our Year 13 Prefects and Unloc more than delivered. They were an absolute pleasure to work with. Their excellent organisation, strong communication and willingness to adapt the course to the needs of our pupils was very impressive indeed. We will certainly be working with Unloc again.”
Luke Rees, Deputy Head, Portsmouth Grammar School
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Interested in a Leadership Academy for your students or young people?
Get in touch for more information and a no obligation chat on how we can help.
Giveus a call us on: 02394 008 180
Or email us at [email protected]
Or click here to fill out our easy to use contact form!
The Portsmouth Youth Cabinet’s End of Year Celebration was one to remember and an amazing way to end the 24/25 academic year!
It’s that time of year when we invite our partners, stakeholders, schools, colleges and supporters to take a peek behind the curtain and see what we’ve been up to over the past 12 months.
. This Summer Unloc were proud to host our very first Student Governor Changemaker Programme Destination Conference. The event, held in London in partnership with
Shelly Ashwill-Powers is a new member of the Unloc Changemaker Alliance family and has had such an inspirational and interesting career journey. Join us as we interview Shelly and learn about all that brought her to her current position.
The Portsmouth Youth Cabinet’s End of Year Celebration was one to remember and an amazing way to end the 24/25 academic year!
It’s that time of year when we invite our partners, stakeholders, schools, colleges and supporters to take a peek behind the curtain and see what we’ve been up to over the past 12 months.
. This Summer Unloc were proud to host our very first Student Governor Changemaker Programme Destination Conference. The event, held in London in partnership with
Unloc,
Portsmouth Guildhall,
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