Let’s face it – Durham is populated by students. It’s hard – maybe even impossible – to walk down the street without seeing about five different people you know within the space of five minutes. Yet, you might have also found that businesses often miss the mark when it comes to understanding what we, the students, really want…
Enter Student Community Consultancy (SCC), the student-run solution aimed at bridging that gap. Founded just last year at Durham University, SCC is all about using data-driven consulting to help businesses connect with students in a way that’s meaningful, authentic, and, most importantly, effective.
So, what is SCC?
We kicked things off in 2023 right here in Durham. Durham University is more than just a place to study; it’s a hub of creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit. One of the things I love most about being a student here is the culture that encourages us to think big and take risks, which was one of the key motivators to put the idea of SCC into action. For us, this supportive environment was key in helping launch the Student Community Consultancy (SCC). From connecting with like-minded peers, Durham has been instrumental in getting SCC off the ground.
Since then, we’ve been all about using data to help businesses figure out what students really care about. We are a data-driven consultancy that aims to bridge the gap between the student mind and the businesses in university towns. Think of us as the go-between for students and businesses. We’re not just guessing what students might like; we’re actually collecting data from you directly to back it up, so businesses can have the insight of the student voice.
How do we do it?
You’ve probably seen us around campus – maybe outside the TLC or Billy B – asking you to fill out a quick survey. That’s us, the “sweet people” (literally – we bribe you with candy!) But those surveys? They’re not just busywork. The data we collect from them is super valuable because it helps us track what students are thinking over time. We update it four times a year, and when we come back in September 2024, there’s more than just sweets to look forward to. There’s a raffle for £100 cash prizes, free clubbing tickets, and of course, sweets! We can’t lose our trademark!
We dive into the “why” behind the collected data by asking more open-ended questions and even having one-on-one chats with students. This way, we can really get into the details of what drives our decisions and opinions – stuff that quantitative surveys might miss.
As we are a non-profit, we also give money to local charities, currently partnering with local food banks and homelessness shelters so that we can give back to the Durham community as much as possible.
What’s in it for you (and us)?
When businesses understand us better, they can create products, services, and experiences that actually appeal to us students. And honestly, that benefits all of us. We work with businesses over a 12-week period to help them get their strategy right. Durham is a small place, so we believe it is imperative that businesses target the students correctly!
Who’s behind the scenes?
SCC is run by students for students – students studying a range of courses from Theology to Accounting to Politics. We’ve got a whole squad working on different things. Some of us focus on client projects, others handle social media (so give us a follow if you haven’t already!), and we’ve got teams managing the legal and financial administration to keep everything running smoothly. SCC is pretty rewarding because we’re all learning and growing together while also making a real impact.
What’s next for SCC?
We’re just getting started. In addition to being founded in Durham, by September 2024, just in time for Freshers’ Week, we are expanding to St Andrews and Exeter to ensure we can create this impact all over the UK and Scotland. But no matter where we go, our mission stays the same: making sure businesses understand what students want, based on real data and real conversations.
It would mean so much to us if you gave us a follow on Instagram – not only does it benefit us, but it benefits you as you can stay in the loop of all upcoming events and survey collections!
Follow us for your chance to win a whole range of things such as free Rotate tickets, £100 cash prizes, and more!
So, if you feel like you know, or have, a business that would benefit from us, or you’re ever curious about what we’re up to, or simply just want to get involved, just reach out! We’re all about bridging that gap between the student world and the business world.
Discover more
Follow us on: Instagram
Find us on LinkedIn: Durham Student Community Consultancy | LinkedIn
Contact us: [email protected]
You can find out more about student societies at Durham here
