Keynes College celebrates its 50th Anniversary this year.  As part of these celebrations, the Master of Keynes College, Chloé Gallien, is pleased to launch the ‘Life in Keynes’ photography competition.

This competition is open to all University students and staff past and present and participants are encouraged to submit photos that capture the essence of life in Keynes.

You don’t have to be a member of the College to enter, as we know that many of you have enjoyed the facilities offered by the College and we are looking forward to seeing what the College means to as wide a range of people as possible.

A panel of judges will choose the best entries and these will be exhibited in Keynes College during June. There will also be a prize for the top three entries: vouchers to the value of £80 (1^st prize), £50 (2^nd), £35 (3^rd prize).

Photos should be submitted by the end of the day on Sunday 19 May to the competition Flickr page.

Please see the following links for competition terms and conditions and instructions on how to enter.

Have you booked your tickets yet for events during our ‘Belong and Grow – it’s your BAG’ week, taking place from 13 May? We have received a great response, but there are still some places available.

The aim of the week is to celebrate diversity, promote wellbeing and encourage learning for all staff and students. The week encompasses EDI and Mental Health awareness, Learning at Work week, Deaf awareness week, International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia and the staff networks.

We are confident that there is something for everyone – ‘it’s your BAG’.

Have a look at the full timetable, which shows all of the events. We have 40 bookable events, which can be booked through Eventbrite.

Follow all the latest BAG news through our Social Media sites (Twitter: UoKLDev, Instagram: unikentlearndev) and join in the conversation. #bagweek

Current students and graduates from the last three years can now apply for up to £3000 to take their start-up business ideas forward.

Through the EIRA project, this microfinance opportunity supports innovative start-ups in their earliest stages, helping to get ideas developed and tested. Applicants must produce a short video pitch (up to 3 minutes) and submit a written application too, the deadline for applications will be midnight on Sunday 30 June. Shortlisted applicants will then be invited to pitch to a review panel in the summer.

What is EIRA Microfinance?

EIRA are providing £3000 seed funding to students who have businesses or starting-up businesses. Th funding is provided by EIRA to help accelerate your business, their aim is to help start-ups to progress.

How do I enter?

You will need to fill out the application form attached. where you will answer key questions about your business.

You will need to submit a three minute video pitch, which introduces us to your business. The video should be submitted privately so ensure if you do it on YouTube that you make it as a private video as to prevent public view.

Criteria

The scheme is available to current students or graduates within the last 3 years of all EIRA partner institutions.

The student must have started a business that has a business bank account. EIRA Microfinance Grants can only be paid into a business bank account.

Applicants will have to demonstrate their right to work in the UK

Applications relating to the EIRA themes of Artificial Intelligence, Biotechnology and Digital Creative, or where there is potential for the business to grow in the East of England, will be prioritised for funding.

SAGA, a company that has become the leading provider of products and services for people over the age of 65, recently engaged with the University’s Hub for Innovation & enterprise through its #InnovateIT competition via its #DigitalReboot programme, supported by Santander Universities.

A launch event was held on 13 February where Saga colleagues gave an overview of the business and the challenge at hand.  Hub Business Advisor, Paul Swaddle OBE of Pocket APP, gave an insight into how tech is currently developing and how it’s being adopted by industry at present.

They offered a £600 prize to the student individual or team who could come up with the most innovative way of using the tech of tomorrow.Students were then given 23 days to think, mind map and research their selected tech.

On 27 March, judges Emily Gardener, Leanne Brown and Simon Godfrey of SAGA, Paul Swaddle of Pocket APP and Kevin Bardwell of Santander Universities,  gathered in the Canterbury Innovation Centre, ready to make the final judgement.The three finalists teams included Hazim Abdusada & Huma Razzaq, Rebecca Humphries and Teniola Etti, who were equipped with a ten-minute pitch waited for their chance to convince the judges.

All the finalists were calm and confident and did exceedingly well at presenting their ideas. What was clear, after the pitches, was that the judges had a hard decision to make. The winner of the £600 of Amazon Vouchers was Teniola Etti, whose idea had convinced the judges that his tech was credible, possible and the most impactful submission. The runner-ups were Huma and Hazim and Rebecca.

Our thanks to the work of the finalists, SAGA, Santander Universities and the University of Kent.