Budding business brains have been giving Greater Manchester’s largest hospice the benefit of their expertise.
Nine students from Manchester Business School decided to help St Ann’s Hospice as part of their final year management course studies.
The group set up Silver Lining Consultancy to offer voluntary marketing advice to the charity which they visited as part of their in-depth research.
The students have now presented their findings to lecturers , hoping they have done enough to get top marks towards their degrees. Representatives from St Ann’s were there to hear the students’ report.
Student Victoria Fraser-Jung, from Hale, was able to offer a personal insight after a late family friend was treated at the hospice.
Victoria said: “We chose the name Silver Lining carefully because the hospice offers hope to patients, enabling them, their family and carers to lead as good a quality of life as possible.
“We’ve all played equal roles and the project’s been carried out instead of a dissertation so has been a big part of our academic year.”
The students learned the value of awareness, especially as the hospice relies so heavily on fundraising for its range of free services.
They also organised a flash mob with Wilmslow-based dance studio Dance Fever in the city centre to encourage people to take part in the charity’s Manchester Midnight Walk on Friday, June 19.
They have also recruited more than 100 entries – including themselves – to run on St Ann’s behalf in the Morrisons Great Manchester Run on Sunday, May 10.
Fellow student Charlie Dick said: “We were surprised how many people have been touched in some way by the hospice and therefore why the community is so important to them. There’s also a strong emotional attachment to St Ann’s so it’s not just about profit and statistics.”
Silver Lining Consultancy (from left, back row) – Oliver Black, Edward Routh, Charlie Dick. Middle – Clare Jones, Joel Seaton, Alice Reid. Front – Holly Semple, Rebecca Manning and Victoria Fraser-Jung.