Source: University of Otago
Pictured left to right are members of the Give To Grow project team; Alex Boyce, Franta Novak, Oriah Rose, Eddie Morgan, Rosie Cawthorne, and Kaylee Alexander-Hall.
Our Ignite consultants wrapped up their Semester One projects at a special event with their Dunedin based client organisations recently at the Business School.
Each semester, student-run charitable organisation Ignite Consultants pairs groups of the best Otago University students with local Dunedin not-for-profit organisations, helping with business needs such as finance and marketing.
Clients in this round were the City of Dunedin Pipe Band, Ōtepoti Seed/YouthGrow, Diving Ōtākou and Give to Grow Ōtepoti, and each of these groups were delighted to work with a team of Ignite consultants, lead by an Ignite project manager.
Ignite Dunedin CEO Sam White is a final year BA LLB student at Otago and says she is extremely proud of the tangible impacts the Ignite teams made for their clients and the communities those clients serve.
The Pipe Band was particularly pleased with the focus the team had on the band’s connection with the Highlanders and the advice they gave on how to leverage this to drive recruitment. Both parties were pleased with the results and it was a great project, says Caleb Oakley, Project Manager.
Kaitlyn Payne, Project Manager for Ōtepoti Seed says “the consultants’ recommendations provided guidance around creating a social enterprise, organising the finances and resources of the organisation, strategies for marketing and for distributing the seeds. The clients described the report as a “roadmap” which would be useful to refer to help structure the organisation.”
Ignite CEO, Sam White.
Another garden-themed client, Give to Grow Ōtepoti, which redistributes gardening tools from those who have a surplus to those who need tools, worked with a team led by Emile Aiken, Project Manager. Recommendations covered volunteers, governance, accounting processes, fundraising, donations, strategic partnerships and developing a social media presence.
“The client was overjoyed by the detailed and pragmatic recommendations the consultants provided her. She expressed her gratitude, saying the consultants’ work provided clear direction for growth” says Emile.
At Diving Otago, a springboard diving club based at Moana Pool, the consultants made recommendations on formalising roles and defining mission and values, marketing, funding and grants.
“The club was very happy with the work our consultants did and they plan to implement the recommendations” says Sophia Davis, Project Manager.
Ignite will farewell CEO Sam White later this year, as she comes to the end of her studies. Sam began her Ignite journey in 2020 and says “I worked initially as a consultant for K9 Medical Detection NZ. I loved my time with Ignite so much that I wanted to stay on for as long as possible.
“In 2021, I became a member of the student leadership team as a project manager, a role in which I remained in for two years. During this time, I managed five different projects and met many incredible people and organisations along the way.
“Most of our Ignite Consultants come from the Business School but we also recruit students from across the University. This is a fantastic way to grow skills and to give back to the community.”
About Ignite
Ignite is a charitable organisation started by students at the University of Otago, who saw the potential to combine the skills of passionate and talented young students and to help build strategic partnerships with not-for-profit organisations who need their help. The students mix their business skills with entrepreneurial ability to create socially innovative ideas that will spark change and fully maximise the potential of all not-for-profit groups involved.www.igniteconsultants.co.nz/
