University of Portsmouth students help people with mental health issues find jobs

Team Diversity (James Grout, Salin Pun, Benjamin Sully, Yu Yang and Firat Ebcin) won the Best Impact Award for their work with Mayfield Nurseries cafe, in Titchfield, and have since donated their £500 prize to the nursery.

They developed a working business plan for the café, which supports the development of people experiencing mental health issues with the skills necessary to move into employment.

The team undertook market research; visited a number of local cafes in the area for comparison; undertook social media analysis; and as the result of this research, devised menu plans, a programme of themed events and costed the redevelopment of the cafe, culminating in an operational plan.

Using the team’s work, Mayfield Nurseries has already increased its income and is providing further opportunities for people with mental health issues to gain recognised skills in the workplace.

Rachel Hampton, Head of Mayfield Nurseries, nominated the team for the award. She said: ‘Team Diversity’s work reaches further than a financial impact on our social enterprise, as part of our mission is that no-one should face a mental health problem alone.

‘The more people we reach, the more people we can support through our mental health services and the more opportunities we can offer, means the more our community is building up the skills and confidence necessary to live well with mental health issues.’

James Grout, Diversity Team Leader, said: ‘As a team we relished the challenge we were assigned. The project allowed us to use our initiative and express our capabilities. The module has taught us well and enhanced our development for the future.’

The awards ceremony celebrated the work of 360 final year business students, in 74 teams working on their Business Consultancy Project (BCP) with clients from all types of organisations in the local area.

There’s no such thing as a free return

A new study, led by the University of Portsmouth, has found that returns from online sales, particularly returns to store, are seriously impacting company profits.

Lead Investigator Professor Lisa Jack said: ‘Increased online sales are not bringing in the profits that were anticipated and one reason for this is the complexity that returns from online sales create. We wanted to investigate the reasons why this might be the case, and what can be done to bring about a more profitable environment for the future.’

The researchers make a number of recommendations to improve the management of returns and increase profits from online sales. For more information, please call (023) 9284 4488 or email [email protected].

New Solent region business collaboration event

Learn about new opportunities for UK and global growth and expansion at a new event, ‘Winning in the Solent Region’.

Delegates will be able to listen to speakers from Portsmouth International Port, Southampton Airport and Solent LEP and make new business contacts from across our region.

Search #WISR2019 to join us on June 19, 2019 at the Ageas Bowl.