Edventure Start-Up

10 students. 11 weeks. 1 challenge.

Taunton 26 Sep - 8 Dec 2022. Frome 16 Jan - 30 Mar 2023. Taunton 17 Apr - 29 Jun 2023
What it is

A practical 11 week course in community entrepreneurship and turning ideas into reality.

How it works

Students learn by setting up a community enterprise that tackles a local need on behalf of a local organisation.

Who its for

Young adults 18-35 who learn best by doing and are up for a challenge.

Apply Now for Frome or Taunton

TAUNTON 26 SEP - 8 DEC 2022

Applications Open
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The challenge for your team will be to support people and our planet by creating a working circular economy project for used tech equipment.  Your team will build pathways for people to donate broken/unwanted IT equipment to be restored and distributed to people who need it – thereby reducing waste by diverting products that were heading for landfill and giving those items a new lease of life. In order to have maximum impact, your team will also be challenged to create a programme to give people the skills to fix, repair and rebuild tech safely and effectively. And to develop a community around this project through communications, marketing and events.

You will be doing this work for two local not-for-profit clients – Donate IT & Tech Lab at Bold & Brave

Apply Now

FROME 16 JAN - 30 MAR 2023

Applications Open
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The challenge for this team will be announced by end of Nov 2022.

Apply Now

TAUNTON 17 APR - 29 JUN 2023

Applications Open
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The challenge for this team will be announced by end of Jan 2023.

Apply Now

A typical Start - Up challenge

We gave our students an empty shop, £500, skills & tools, local support and the challenge to boost the sharing economy in Frome

What students say about Edventure

This is what the 9th student team said having just completed a challenge to develop a small space living company in response to the housing crisis

Core Content

Content we will deliver to enable you to complete the team challenge.
Collaboration Tools

Community Engagement

Ideas Development

Business Planning

Project Management

Conflict Resolution

Social Impact

Personal Development

Facilitation Skills

Reflective Learning

Course Structure

Wk 1

Welcome to Edventure! Week 1 is to about getting to know the course, the rest of the team and people from the local community. This week is about setting intentions for what you want to learn from the course and sharing what you can bring. You will learn tools for working well in a team and complete a first ‘Mini challenge’ together.  During this week your team will be given the course challenge brief.

Wk 2

Discovering: This week is about discovering more about the course theme and about similar projects. You will be equipped with the skills to go out into the community to learn as much as you can about the challenge and will also get to meet key stakeholders and people who will support the project.

Wk 3

Business ideas: Week 3’s main focus is about generating ideas and refining them ready to get  feedback from stakeholders and experts in the community.

Wk 4

Plan & go: Week 4 is about getting ready for action: You will gather resources, define team roles and create a project plan. Once you have the basic building blocks for working effectively together, it is time for the Edventure facilitation team to step back and for the group take the lead.

Wk 5-10

You are in the driving seat: During weeks 5-9 you will be bringing the start-up to life. Having decided on a leadership structure and individual roles, you will start to implement the project plan. The Edventure team will be at hand to provide mentoring, run reflective learning sessions and to bring in local experts to run workshops on topics such as branding, marketing and other practical skills.

Week 11

Reflecting and Future Planning: It’s pretty amazing what a small team of people can pull off in a short time! We will spend this week visiting some beautiful locations around Frome to reflect, celebrate, draw out learning’s and do some future planning and designing.

The next 6 months...

Next Steps: During the course, each student is offered the opportunity to work with a professional coach in order to support them to make the most of the experience. Once the course finishes, this coaching continues for a minimum of 5 more sessions to support each leaver to step into their future.

We also offer you 6 months free membership of our coworking space (worth £600) to work on your own projects and ideas. This includes use of our shared office space The Welsh Mill Hub, our workshop Remakery: Frome, and The Cave our stone-built meeting room which you can use for all kinds of smaller meetings, events & workshops.

Apply Now for Frome or Taunton

What Past Edventure Start-Up Students say

I feel more confident in myself, more empowered, and even more myself than I have in a long time” feel more confident in myself, more empowered, and even more myself than I have in a long time”

Louise, Edventure Start-Up Team 16

What Edventure does is really real. It is real business in real life. It’s real learning and real, authentic communication

Tugba, Edventure Start-Up Course 16

It’s given me a new confidence and direction in life. I’m going to carry their amazing ways of working together with me forever.

Jake, Edventure Start-Up Team 15

It’s been beautiful. A lot of incredible lessons learned. Made new friends. It’s put me in a new space that I wouldn’t have otherwise been able to get to in such a short space of time – so many new opportunities! I recognised that I can put lot of energy and effort and work into something but it not necessarily feel like work and for it to feel valuable and meaningful. I have learned things that I will carry forward with me for the rest of my life.

Ben, Edventure Start-Up Team 16

It would definitely recommend the Edventure Start-Up Course. I have come out of my shell, made some good friends and started a lean start-up that I really care about and hope will affect the community in a positive way.

Ellen, Edventure Start-Up Course Team 16.

Being at Edventure 100% kickstarted my career as a garden designer, it gave me the confidence to embrace myself and what sets me apart, rather than trying to fit the norm. Edventure gave me the permission to be me.

Diane, Edventure Start-Up Team 13

It has been intense and wonderful and such a wild journey of learning and making and doing.

Izzy, Edventure Start-Up Team 16

Edventure is my second family in Frome. Being here has helped me to focus on developing a creative career. It’s full of people on my level who communicate well. Edventure is my second home.

Ruby, Edventure Start-Up Team 9

A really safe & open space for people to grow. I enjoyed bonding with a group of like-minded people and making something appear in 10 weeks. I’ve got my spark back! Chloe, Edventure Start-Up Course 16

Chloe, Edventure Start-Up Team 16

Constructive, creative, cooperative. Very positive and joyful in many ways.

Julia, Edventure Start-Up Team 13

The Edventure Start-Up Course has changed my life. I’ve come away with new skills, a job, regained confidence, a network of support & friends, purpose in my life and most of all I now have fresh hope. The team supported me to achieve my goals and for the first time in years, I can dream big again. I have found my place in the community, made connections and been supported to turn my skills and dreams into a livelihood that matters to me.

Leah, Edventure Start-Up Team 12

It’s giving me the opportunity to put the professional skills I have learned to practical use whilst genuinely creating a positive impact in the community.

Benedict, Edventure Start-Up Team 9

Edventure Start-Up has honestly changed my life. I arrived at a moment of change and uncertainty and left feeling confident, empowered, inspired and with a new network of support.

Cassie, Edventure Start-Up Team 12

I can feel quite overwhelmed and I’m not always brave enough to leap into the unknown. Edventure is a guiding hand in taking that leap. Spending everyday doing things your not familiar with, playing, exploring and discovering new things.

Rosa, Edventure Start-Up Team 9

The Start-Up Course is a truly unique experience. Edventure supports you where you are in life and makes you feel at home

Rosie, Edventure Start-Up Team 12

Edventure is impacting me again! Being involved gives life and meaning and gives me something to do. I love helping people and being part of something.

Allen, Edventure Start-Up Team 9

The practicalities

Who can apply?

Anyone aged between 18-35 can apply. You don’t need any formal qualifications or experience. We are looking for a team of people with diverse backgrounds and skills who are motivated and are up for a challenge. Apply for the course because you want to learn from it, learn from each other and make Frome a better place to be.

Are there any costs?

There is no fixed course cost, but it isn’t free either. We want our course to be as accessible as possible but we also want to know that you are committed. Once you have received a conditional offer after the interview, your challenge will be to help raise funds and resources for the start-up you will be working on as a team of students. You can set your own target as to how much you think you are able to raise (dependent on circumstances, your support network etc). You will need to prepare a fundraising plan which we will discuss at your interview.

What will be the project or challenge I'll be working on?

There is a different start-up challenge for each Edventure course. Challenges always involves starting up or developing a community enterprise. Our aim is to grow the community and social enterprise sector in Frome to tackle local problems. Details of the upcoming challenge are below.

How to apply

The aim of the application process is for you to see if Edventure is right for you and enable us to select a good team.  We recruit on a rolling basis, so the sooner you apply, the more likely you are to get a place. This is how it works:

  1. Apply online: click here.
  2. Attend an informal interview: On Skype or in person at the Welsh Mill Hub
  3. Receive a conditional offer: We will contact you within 2 weeks. If successful, you will be given an offer of a place, conditional on you taking part in the fundraising challenge and demonstrating that you have done your best to meet your target.
  4. Confirm offer and start fundraising: Email us to accept your offer of a place. Complete your fundraising challenge before the course start date.

Dates & Times

Our courses run for approximately 11 weeks from Mondays -Thursdays from 9.15 -2.45 pm. In addition, students need to be available for an additional 4 hours of work/study time a week and to attend the occasional evening or weekend event. For dates please check the upcoming courses section below.

What students took from Edventure

Confidence to turn ideas into reality82%
Practical skills to work in business82%
Felt more integrated in the local community73%
Access to helpful opportunities72%
Paid work opportunities45%
Help with creating a meaningful livelihood82%
Knew more about what mattered to them personally100%
Positive, supportive friendships90%

Apply Now for Frome or Taunton

With Thanks to all our past Edventure Start-Up Teams

Apply Now for Frome or Taunton

Life After Start-Up

Edventure Start-Up students in their own words
My experience with Edventure continues to ripple through my life

My experience with Edventure continues to ripple through my life

Rosa Beesley shares her story: "My experience with Edventure continues to ripple through my life. I am thankful to making some great friends there that helped me find my home in Bristol. I am grateful for all the skills I gained while working with this vibrant community project; which undoubtedly opened up the opportunity into [...]

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I wouldn’t be where I am today without Edventure

I wouldn’t be where I am today without Edventure

Ben Goodey shares his story: When I first joined Edventure I had made the decision to change my path in life from one of sitting in an office, bored, to one filled with things that I was interested in and passionate about and ideally one that had a positive impact on other people. I had [...]

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This course is possible thanks to funding from Somerset Skills & Learning, Somerset Community Foundation and The Tudor Trust