University of Portsmouth celebrates student successes in business consultancy

Students and clients involved in this year’s business consultancy projects (BCPs) at the University of Portsmouth have been recognised for their hard work and achievements.

These projects help students gain valuable real-world experience by applying what they’ve learned from their studies to supporting local businesses.

Their clients then had the chance to give back by nominating students for one of three awards: Outstanding Leadership, Outstanding Collaboration, The Peter Wainwright Award for Outstanding Impact.

The latter is named in honour of senior teaching fellow Peter Wainwright, who led the BCP programme for many years and sadly passed away at the start of the academic year.

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His award was presented by Alice Wainwright, whose moving tribute to her father touched on his passion for student engagement and its impact on the local business community.

She delivered the award to final-year students Bianca David, Joshua Fearon, Jack Hayward and Ernest Turay – members of Team #1 Consultancy.

Together they worked with AX Studio director Andy Bullock on the Coconuts Delivery project, a sustainable cargo bike delivery service for Portsmouth.

Andy said: “We applied for BCP as a nice local initiative to get involved with but came away with much more.

“#1 Consultancy was made up of students who were gifted, dedicated and good fun, both as individuals and as a team.

“We’ll definitely be applying their recommendations to the next steps of our business and also hope to join BCP again next year.”

Taking home the Outstanding Collaboration award were Sean Chizwina, Trisha Gob, Oliver Brimble, and Dan Stoddart from Team Dota.

They ‘went above and beyond’ on behalf of local venue Southsea Cinema and Arts Centre, even hosting a ‘Die Hard with mince pies’ event for Christmas.

And the Outstanding Leadership award – sponsored by entrepreneur in residence Anne Stevens – was won by Mark Grey of Team Zesty, who worked with Ryde Town Council projects officer Annette Johansson-Steed.

Annette said: “Team Zesty truly left a lasting impression on us with the sheer depth and calibre of their research efforts.

“Their presentation of findings not only exceeded our expectations but also provided invaluable insights that we plan to integrate into our project presentations and grant applications, propelling our project forward.

“We’re thoroughly impressed with their dedication and competence, and we couldn't be happier that they received well-deserved recognition at the awards ceremony.

“With such exceptional work ethic and talent, it’s clear that Team Zesty has a promising future ahead, and we extend our best wishes for their continued success.”

The university also welcomed keynote speaker Sue Newman, co-founder of Boogie Mites UK, who worked with a student team in 2022 on the successful launch of a new web-based offering for her business.

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