Find your people, find your purpose
We know that fitting into a big university like UCL can be hard, and it’s not always easy to feel connected to others and to the wider London community. Our Student Social Enterprise events are here to help: they're designed to bring together local and community organisations who are doing things with students who care deeply and want to make change happen.
All you need is an interest in making something better - you don’t need a business degree, start-up idea or any experience. If you’re open-minded and excited about connecting with new people, this programme gives you a chance to build community and create something genuinely meaningful.
As one student shared:
“I now feel more connected to other students and to the community around me in London.”
Learn through doing, not just reading
Every Social Enterprise event is hands-on, interactive, and built around real-world impact. Whether you’re working with a local organisation, joining a hackathon, or taking part in a walking tour, you’ll learn by doing, not just listening.
You’ll build confidence in communication, teamwork, systems thinking and facilitation all while exploring the causes you care about. In a recent Climate Resilience Assembly, which took place in collaboration with Islington Climate Centre, students were given the chance to join community practitioners, organisers, and local leaders and join the interactive seminars, workshops. They even learnt to facilitate their own People’s Assemblies in the future.
Students told us they really valued:
- “Meeting and speaking with inspiring people working across sustainability, policy and design.”
- “Learning in an intergenerational setting alongside people of different lived experiences.”
- “Using facilitation skills from the Assembly in my group discussions and projects.”
How Social Enterprise creates lasting change
Social enterprises exist because communities identify a problem… and decide to solve it. By combining purpose with practical action, they create solutions that can last long after a project ends, focusing on sustainable impact. They:
- Address local needs with creativity and limited resources
- Fill gaps in social systems through innovation
- Transform entire systems and sectors
- Connect lived experience with practical action
- Bring people together across backgrounds, generations and disciplines
If you have a passion or an idea for change, your unique lived experience gives you a perspective no one else has - and that’s exactly what can make you a great social entrepreneur. This is learning beyond the classroom - the kind of experience that builds leaders, collaborators and changemakers.
How you can get involved
There’s something for everyone within Student Social Enterprise - whether you're just exploring, looking to build skills, or ready to launch something of your own.
We have lots of events to look forward to and get involved in - look out for:
- Social Enterprise Walking Tours - monthly, beginning Tuesday 16 December
- Hackathons - solve an issue in a creative way where you 'hack' the problem in groups - open to all degrees
- Speaker Events - hear from founders and community organisers
- Grand Challenges InnovationFest (June) - our biggest showcase
- Masterclasses, workshops, trips and more
Meet the team
Ida – Social Enterprise Coordinator
Hi, I’m Ida. I support students to explore social entrepreneurship and create projects that make a positive social and environmental impact. My background spans sustainability, food systems and community engagement, and I’ve worked across corporate, start-up and grassroots spaces. I also founded Garden of Ida, a community-focused yoga project that helps people connect with themselves and each other. I’m passionate about helping students turn ideas into action through collaboration, creativity and community.
Levi – Social Enterprise Manager
Hi, I’m Levi. I support students to launch and scale their social enterprises. Before joining UCL, I co-founded For Change Co., a social enterprise dedicated to supporting young people out of the cycle of homelessness. We ran a bunch of hospitality businesses (cafes, food trucks and catering) and provided paid employment and training for the young people we worked with. To date, we’ve supported over 150 young people out of homelessness into secure housing and paid employment. I love making social entrepreneurship accessible, supporting students to test ideas quickly, and creating spaces where people from all backgrounds feel confident to innovate for good.
We’re here to help you :
- Discover social entrepreneurship as a way to create impact
- Meet local social enterprises you can volunteer, collaborate or learn with
- Build practical skills through workshops and training
- Develop and grow your own student-led projects or ventures
Ready to make something happen?
Have a project you want to grow? An idea you want to test? Or simply want to chat about where to start?
📩 Email us at: [email protected] - we’d love to help you explore your interests, shape your ideas and take action.