Last week we were pleased to host an insight day for a group of young people from Babbasa, an award-winning social enterprise in Bristol that inspires and supports under-represented young people to pursue their ambitions.
We kicked off the insight day with a visit to our Avonmouth wind farm where the group were able to view the turbines up close and learn how they work. Adrian, our Head of Operations led the tour, explaining the processes and jobs involved in the operation of a 8.2MW wind project like this – from planning through to construction and maintenance. There were some brilliant questions and discussions as the turbines worked hard in the background.
Next it was back to the Thrive office, where Louise our Head of External Affairs delivered a short presentation on the renewable energy industry, Thrive’s impact and the diverse range of roles that exist within the sector.
Over lunch, members of the Thrive team enjoyed chatting with the group to provide insight on their job roles and answer any questions about the day-to-day of working in renewables.
For the final activity of the day, the group split into teams for a fun learning activity. Each group was tasked with planning a new wind farm in metaphorical ‘Thriveshire’, taking into account various social, economic and environmental factors that go into the planning of clean energy projects. The teams presented their ideas to the wider group with some very impressive proposals and learnings from the day.
“It was very informative, the tour was cool and I learned so many things I didn’t expect. I got so much information in 2 hours but can see there’s so much more to know. Preparing for the task really made me think, I changed my initial thoughts and had to consider all of the factors Adrian had taught us about earlier in the day. It was perfect.” - Insight day participant
“I enjoyed understanding the efforts behind ensuring renewable energy is utilised by undertaking and executing wind turbine projects in Bristol. Visiting the site and seeing the practicality of the turbines and sustainability office was interesting and has set me up mentally for being involved in the industry. I’d like to see more insight days!” - Insight day participant
Having provided a grant last year to support one of Babbasa’s core services, it’s been fantastic to continue our partnership with an opportunity for some of their Young People to learn about careers in renewables. Thrive’s £1,000 grant will help Babbasa to continue offering its Support Programme that works with young people who are at risk or have dropped out of education or employment, who may be facing multiple barriers or challenges, or who are disadvantaged by their background.
We’d like to say a big thank you to everyone from Babbasa who attended our insight day – we hope you found it inspiring!
