University News Last updated 29 July
A BCU alumnus has been recognised in the NatWest Social & Community Capital and Pioneer Post’s top 100 Social Enterprises list for their enterprise, Step Up Network.
Ben Hobbis, who graduated from BCU with a BA (Hons) in Primary Education with Qualified Teacher Status in 2021, founded Step Up Network in 2023.
Step Up Network is a network for new and aspiring leaders in education.
In its first year, Step Up network raised over £4,000 in funding, and increased its volunteer team from six members to 29. They’ve organised and hosted seven events with over 250 attendees and provided over 45 speakers with the opportunity to speak at network events.
The SE100 list was created by Pioneers Post over ten years ago, in collaboration with Social & Community Capital, a charity that was set up by NatWest bank.
On how it feels to have been named in this list, Ben says: “I am incredibly proud of everything that we’ve been able to achieve within one year. I never imagined the Step Up Network growing how it has.”
“This was an incredibly proud moment for me.”
Ben is also the founder of EdConnect, a global community for early career professionals in education to network. When Ben isn’t working on these networks, he is a Class Teacher and Curriculum Lead at a primary school in Solihull.