From Graduation To A Lifetime Of Connection: The Power Of A Connected Tribe.

I've always been an admirer of the American-styled Alumni system. The one we hear much about and sometimes see in movies or TV.

You know how it goes — a student attends a college (university) — leaves and ends up being a donor or sponsor.

They make it look so easy, don't they? Or it seems it anyway.

Before I attended the University of Portsmouth, that's how I pictured it to be. Call me a fantasiser if you wish.

It wasn't until I was in the environment did I realise how far back we were in the UK in comparison.

• Hardly any connection to previous alumni and current students

• No real efforts to building a long-lasting culture of giving back

• The current attempts by universities to build on the engagement are poor.

A Newbie at University

Each year thousands of students flock to new cities. They know no one and look to reinvent themselves.

And each year, university sports clubs, groups, and societies (we'll call all these tribes) look to increase their numbers.

If you've ever been to a freshers fayre, you'd know exactly what I mean. You walk in empty-handed — and walk out stuffed with freebies and officially a member of 12 new tribes.

This was me. Thinking I could balance all these new interests with studies and social time. It didn't last long.

To make a long story short, I spent the next four years part of one tribe — the University of Portsmouth's American Football Team. The "Portsmouth Destroyers".

The problem

I made lifelong friends and unforgettable memories, but what happens when graduation day comes around? You're no longer part of the tribe.

That's where the concept of an Alumni support programme came into play. It was an attempt to maintain that sense of community, even after you've left the university. 

As I came to the end of my studies, the problem stared me straight in the face. Alumni in the UK are not catered to or cared for. Universities want their cooperation, but there isn’t much buy-in, incentives or a fun way to keep the engagement and interaction with them. 

My fresh-eyed thinking knew I could do something about it.

• Am I the only one who wants to keep in touch with all these people I met?

• Why hasn't someone done anything to solve this issues?

• Is there a way to build a foundation or system to improve the student experience with the support of alumni?

• How can we make the alumni feel connected to their time their?

But there was a mountain to climb. Everything about this idea sounded good... but boy, was there a lot of work to do.

The launch of the programme

To gain support for the programme, I had to take these steps:

• Create a platform for alumni to connect and have conversations.

• Involve current players in the long-term benefits of the programme.

• Preserve and showcase the team's history.

• Offer incentives and sponsor current players and the team.

• Give back to alumni in various ways.

To launch the programme and bring the alumni together, I did the following:

• Shared the story of who we are and what we aim to achieve.

• Built connections between the leaders and the alumni.

• Gave the alumni something to do that reminded them of the programme's purpose.

• Spread the word by reaching out to many people.

We launched a website and Facebook groups to keep Alumni connected. A monthly newsletter was also sent with updates on the current team. The response was positive, and the programme was successful.

In the first year, we raised over £500. By the second year, we had £1800 for new equipment, sponsored top players, created playing cards with statistics and kept over 200 Alumni updated through social media. 

In total, we had raised over 

We were doing the thing!

We handed the reigns of this new project to the current students. They were to create content that kept Alumni engaged. You know, photos, information about the team, coaches and more. 

It worked for four years!

The downfall

In the fifth year of running the programme, we faced some difficulties. The strength of the programme relied on the most dedicated members and transparency. There was a lack of trust when it came to raising funds.

Additionally, we noticed a decrease in engagement. This was due to a shortage of content from the team to the Alumni and support from volunteering Alumni.

We hadn't established a system to sustain the movement. Among many things, this was the grand realisation the idea was failing.

This failure was a wake-up call. It showed the importance of data and statistics. We had not tracked the success or identified areas for improvement. It was necessary to gather data on engagement from Alumni and current players to improve the programme.

In 2022, the website ceased to exist, marking the end of our attempt to build a long-lasting Alumni programme. But it was a valuable lesson. It highlighted the need for data tracking and continuous improvement.

Reflecting on the programme

When looking back, there was a lot of stress to make the project successful. It took a lot of dedication and hard work to serve the group well. 

The lesson I learnt is that you need to give more than others in the project. No one else will be as invested as you are in something you start. 

Getting feedback is necessary — both those who have already been involved and the team had different ideas. We had to find a way to listen and respond to both sides.

A Gap in the market.

I am willing to be wrong.

The grand idea to bring alumni together worked until it didn't. But I learnt a few things along the way.

I imagined something and brought it to life. My lack of knowledge to keep it going is what failed us. 

The big question — How we can cater for alumni in the UK is still alive. We managed to prove it can work. In fact, there is a demand for it. 

Long-term success for future programmes

I've spent time talking about the challenges, so let's discuss ways to improve future programmes. 

I believe there can be a sustainable system to keep alumni connected to their time at university and support current students.

To address the challenges for long-term success, there are several suggestions to consider. Here are my key takeaways:

• To build something that will last a long time, you need a plan that others can keep doing even when you're not around.

• Keep working on it while it's still exciting, and always plan ahead. Just because something worked in the past doesn't mean it will work in the future.

• You can't do it all by yourself, so find people who are just as passionate as you are and work together to find a solution.

• To get more people interested, it's important to explain why the idea is important. Call it a manifesto and make it easy to share and understand.

• Make it easy for others to follow your idea and connect with others who believe in it too.

• Money shouldn't be the most important thing about your movement.

• Keep track of your progress and let everyone see it.

• Be open and honest, and make it easy for others to get involved and help out.

I leave you with these insightful questions asked by someone commenting on the above original post. 

Now I'm not sure if others in the U.K. are also thinking and trying to make this work. If you are — hit me up. 

There will always be sceptics. They might think this is a silly idea, but it's not for them, it's for those interested in making it work. 

Some people might say it's disorganised, not practical, or requires too much work. Let's focus on those who are interested.