Doing Change: Students, Universities and Social Justice 2025

This year’s ‘Doing Change’ event, organised by the Institute for Social Justice, focused on individuals who have created meaningful change within our community. The event illustrated how small changes can lead to remarkable impacts and encouraged others to get involved.

Written by Jess Dancer, ISJ Intern and Third Year Sociology Student. 

Malcom Ovwighose: Introducing the ‘Friendly Living Fund’.

To begin with, we heard from Malcom Ovwighose, who spoke about the ‘Friendly Living Fund’. This is a new collaborative project between the YSJ Students’ Union and Living Lab aims to support student-led sustainability initiatives on and around campus. The notion that small ideas can create a big impact on society, particularly concerning climate- resilience, is promoted through the introduction of this project. Encouraging students to turn their ideas into a passion project is extremely important, as this will not only create social change but will also show students that it is possible to turn their ideas into reality. 

‘Spheres of Resonance’ : Music’s Transformative Impact on Community.

We then had the pleasure of hearing from the recently formed band, ‘Spheres of Resonance’. This unique community music project is created by the collaboration of music students and Converge (a partnership between York St John University and mental health service providers). This band is one of an international cohort within the broader ‘MetamorPhonics CIC’ initiative.  Despite being together for less than a week, they delivered a series of original songs that were truly remarkable. As their music filled the auditorium, the audience was visibly moved by their creations. The performance by ‘Spheres of Resonance’ demonstrated that community projects can yield inspiring results, showcasing music and creativity that positively impacted both the band members and the audience. 

Milo Kat: The Disabled Students’ Network and Advocate for Neurodivergent Students. 

Following the performance, Milo Kat gave a heartfelt presentation about The Disabled Students’ Network (DSN) at York St John University. In their presentation, Milo advocated for acceptance and a better understanding of neurodivergent individuals. They emphasised the need for a more compassionate approach and improved support for the well-being of neurodivergent people.

Milo took advantage of the platform offered by the ‘Doing Change’ event to raise awareness about the services and community groups available for neurodivergent students on campus. Their work has had a significant positive impact on neurodivergent individuals at York St John, providing a safe space where they can be themselves and build relationships with others. It was inspiring to hear how The DSN has personally benefited Milo, and their personable character made their words even more moving, deeply resonating with many audience members. 

Milo also reflected on how the ‘Doing Change’ event made them feel, acknowledging the importance of using events like this to advocate for meaningful change. Milo said: 

“I loved attending Doing Change. I met so many people who are just as inspired as I am to make the changes that they want to, and I was blown away by the positive responses I got from people who came to me to share their own experiences afterwards. It made me feel a lot more connected to something bigger than me, which was a very comforting feeling. 

I wasn’t nervous about presenting until about 15 minutes before… I was just thrilled to share something that I had wanted to talk about for a long time. It was liberating to be able to share the experiences and lessons I’d learned with such a lovely and receptive audience. 

I mainly wanted to build that bridge with the wider university. The Disabled Students’ Network is relatively new, and many people don’t know that we exist. In order for us to be able to make the most amount of positive impact, we need to be recognised, and strongly connected to, the rest of the university. My opportunity to talk was an opportunity to humanise our little corner of the university and help create a stronger place for neurodivergent advocacy and acceptance. I hope that everyone in the audience now recognises that they are part of neurodivergency acceptance at YSJ, just by being a part of our community, and being an understanding person”. 

– Milo Kat, The Disabled Students’ Network. 

Amy Hodgson: Institute for Social Justice Student Prize Winner and student coordinator for The Community Garden on campus.

We then heard from Amy Hodgson, the ISJ Student Prize Winner and a Living Lab intern. Amy spoke about her passion project, the community garden on campus. She outlined the positive impacts her project has had on our community while also acknowledging the challenges she has faced along the way.

One of the central messages she expressed to the audience was the value of small changes, as well as encouraging people to lean on other members of the community for support, recognising that meaningful change can be challenging to achieve alone.  Amy’s presentation displayed her extensive knowledge in gardening, highlighting the positive impact gardening has on mental well-being as well as on our environment. Amy encouraged others to take part and experience the benefits of the community garden first-hand. 

Amy’s dedication to her project is aspirational, her hard work has successfully created a positive environment that creates positive change.  I asked Amy to reflect on her experience of this year’s ‘Doing Change’ event, Amy’s response was: 

“While personally presenting never becomes any less nerve-wracking I think it’s important to who I am and what I do to share my experience and knowledge with anyone who wants to make a difference no matter how small. The main takeaway I want people to have is that trying to do good by people and the planet doesn’t have to be so much work, just get out there and engage with your community and that’ll get the ball rolling and before you know it the world around you becomes a lot more friendly and alive.” 

– Amy Hodgson, ISJ Student Prize Winner. 

‘A Conversation in Social Justice’ Chaired by ISJ Intern, Jess Dancer.

This section of the event was a question-and-answer panel, hosted by me, this year’s intern at the Institute of Social Justice. The panel included Amy Hodgson, Milo Kat and Dame Julia Unwin, the Pro Chancellor and the Chair of the Board of Governors at York St John University. Dame Julia Unwin is also admired by many for her work in social action and recognised as a key figure in the voluntary sector. It was an honour to have the opportunity to ask my own questions to such a successful figure in social action, as well as two inspirational students that have used their knowledge and initiatives to create meaningful social change on campus. 

The question-and-answer aspect allowed for a more personal and in-depth understanding of what it takes to create meaningful change; on a large scale, in wider society and on a smaller scale, on university campus. We discussed how projects can present various barriers, and the panel provided advice to both myself and the audience on navigating these challenges. 

I also encouraged questions from the audience, allowing the audience to ask direct questions to members of the panel, providing personalised advice for audience members interested in the works of the panel and of those considering starting their own project in social justice. 

Some of the key messages I drew from our conversation highlight the profound importance of community in driving social change. It’s vital to acknowledge that support from others is crucial for achieving our ambitions. Furthermore, regardless of the scale, every act of social change holds immense power for ourselves and those around us. Even a small effort is far more meaningful than choosing to remain uninvolved. 

A reflection of my experience: 

“Chairing the panel at this year’s ‘Doing Change’ event was something extremely out of my comfort zone. However, after witnessing the presentations of those before me, I felt inspired by their confidence and drive for promoting their projects. I have learned many new skills from this experience; being able to navigate conversations on stage, directing questions at the appropriate person, thinking on my feet to engage with responses from the panel, and successful public speaking. 

Once on stage, I began to enjoy the moment and appreciate the opportunity I had to talk to such inspirational people, engrossing myself in the conversations being held. The feeling of completing something that I initially found intimidating was indescribable. I’m very lucky to have had the opportunity to present in such a nice environment surrounded by encouraging and supportive people. I would even consider doing something similar again in the future!” 

–  Jess Dancer, Institute for Social Justice Student Intern. 

 

This year’s ‘Doing Change’ event was inspirational, bringing together determined individuals committed to making meaningful change in our world. I’m positive that the audience members would agree that everyone left the auditorium feeling enriched and motivated to create change, no matter how big or small.