This year CCCU’s Student Enterprise Service, LaunchPad, proudly introduced The Big Idea Challenge: a brand-new competition encouraging all CCCU students and recent graduates to share their impactful ideas in hope of winning a £100 prize. 

Entries were submitted to the following categories: 

• Creative – ideas for a new product or service that is out of the ordinary 
• Community – ideas that tackle inequality, safety and the wider needs of society 
• Freelance – showcase a freelance career and ideas for impact 
• Innovation – ideas that change up the way we normally do things for the better 
• Sustainability – ideas that will make the world a cleaner and greener place 

(Image description from left to right: Matthew Humby: Freelance Winner, Abel Shynu: Innovation Winner, Tobias Sanderson: Community Winner, Jamie Forster: Sustainability Winner, Chad Gazi: Creative Winner, Sophie Chadwick: Director of Graduate Futures) 

A plethora of fantastic ideas were entered, and now, we’re pleased to announce the winners and runners-up of the inaugural 2023 Big Idea Challenge! 

• Creative Winner: Chad Gazi, Creative & Professional Writing, 3rd Year  
  Idea: Wellbeing workshops utilising photography, poetry and prose as creative therapy. 
• Creative Runner-up: Mathea Martin, Visual Communications Masters 
  Idea: A digital theatre company showcasing interactive and educational productions. 
   
• Community Winner: Tobias Sanderson, Visual Communications Masters 
  Idea: A mental health campaign for men struggling to talk at university. 
• Community Runner-up: Kai Hay Da Silva, Business Information Systems, 1^st Year 
  Idea: Creating a metaverse futuristic community experience within the Roblox platform. 
   
• Freelance Winner: Matthew Humby, Graphic Design 2nd Year 
  Idea: A freelance portfolio utilising digital art and AI to secure brand partnerships. 
• Freelance Runner-up: Arafah Sydney Adenekan, Media & Communications, 3^rd Year 
  Idea: An online jewellery shop “Iced by Thee Tooth Fairy” with a growing client base. 
   
• Innovation Winner: Abel Shynu, Computer Forensics & Security, 1st Year 
  Idea: Specialised socks for beachgoers that repels sand. 
• Innovation Runner-up: Amina Hebouche, Business Management & Sociology, 2^nd Year 
  Idea: An app that combines all social media messaging in one platform, reducing doom-scrolling and retaining messaging functionality. 
   

• Sustainability Winner: Jamie Forster, Business Management & Sport and Exercise Science, 3rd Year 
  Idea: An app to enable students to sell their course books to other students 
• Sustainability Runner-up: Archie Molt, Biomedical Science, 2^nd Year 
  Idea: A CCCU on campus greenhouse to grow produce for students in partnership with the Student Green office. 

We look forward to continuing to support all of our Big Idea winners and runners-up over the coming year through our range of programmes designed to help them take the next steps with their business ideas, starting with the How To Make Money workshop series on 31^st January. 

All winners and runners up were announced and celebrated during Global Entrepreneurship Week 2023; and Sophie Chadwick, Director of Graduate Futures at CCCU, presented them with a cash prize (£100 for the winners and £25 CCCU bookshop voucher for the runners up). 

We would like to say a big congratulations to all of our winners, runners-up and everyone who took part this year, and thanks to our competition partners for supporting us in making it such a success! 

Special thanks to the following CCCU staff who acted as key panel members assessing the ideas: 

• Dr Peter Rands, Director of Sustainability Development – Sustainability Category Panellist 
• Mr William Hill, Senior Lecturer in Graphic Design – Creative & Freelance Category Panellist 
• Rev Dr Jeremy Law, Dean of Chapel – Community Category Panellist 
• Rev David Stroud, Chaplain – Community Category Panellist 
• Mrs Lucy Woodward, Public and Community Engagement Manager – Community Category Panellist 
• Mrs Susan Odev, Head of Careers and Enterprise – Innovation Category Panellist 

The Big Idea Challenge will open again in May 2024 – all students and recent graduates can apply! 

Keep an eye on www.canterbury.ac.uk/launchpad for more details. 

To express your interest in The Big Idea Challenge or to offer your expertise as a future category panellist, simply email launchpad@canterbury.ac.uk