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Written Work

I’ve always loved writing — it’s how I make sense of the world and connect with people, places, and purpose. I enjoy crafting pieces that are driven by people and ideas, while also confidently working with data and research.

From interviews and feature articles to personal reflections and creative writing, I’ve tried it all. I bring techniques from my creative writing background to enrich my non-fiction storytelling, making facts and ideas come alive with empathy and imagination.

The Sutton Trust •

My social mobility journey: Navigating without a map - The Sutton Trust

Our Alumni Leadership Board member, Bethany Spain, writes about her social mobility journey and what she’s learned along the way.
No one tells you how to do this bit. The bit where you’re supposed to step forward (confident, qualified, collected) and say, “I’m ready.” Ready for work, for career moves, for adulthood. Ready to know what the right answer is. But what happens when no one in your family has walked this path before? When you’re the first to go to university, the first to graduate, the...
The Sutton Trust •

Unpaid work is killing class diversity in the creative industries - The Sutton Trust

The Sutton Trust has long campaigned to put an end to unpaid internships. Following the publication of the Government’s consultation on banning unpaid internships, our Alumni Leadership Board member, Bethany Spain, draws on her personal experience of working for free.
There’s a familiar phrase that floats around the creative industries like a rite of passage: “It’s all about getting your foot in the door.”. But over the past few years (between jobs, volunteering, studying, and freelancing) I’ve...
Groundwork •

BLOG: Where the Hills Are Home – Growing Up Outdoors in Clackmannanshire - Groundwork

Some people mark home by a street name or a postcode. For me, it was always the hills. 

Growing up in Clackmannanshire, you couldn’t miss them. Bold and looming, never quite the same shade twice. On clear days, they were sharp and green. On others, softened by fog or dusted with snow. Whatever the weather, they were there. They made our landscape feel bigger than any map could show.
Groundwork •

BLOG: The Space to Speak – What I’ve Learned from Youth-Led Change (and Why It Matters for Nature) - Groundwork

I didn’t grow up thinking of myself as a ‘youth voice’. At 16, I signed up to volunteer mostly to get out of the house. It was something to do, a way to meet people, and (if I’m honest) a chance to travel on someone else’s budget. I didn’t know it then, but that decision was the start of something much bigger. That one opportunity led to years of involvement in youth-led groups, campaigns, and creative projects. It taught me how to speak up, and more importantly, how to listen.


Since then, I’...
The Sutton Trust •

Don’t make me move to London - The Sutton Trust

The theme for Social Mobility Day 2025 is #ShiftMindsets. To mark this important day, our Alumni Leadership Board member, Bethany Spain, discusses why we need to challenge traditional narratives around success and social mobility.
It’s a phrase I’ve heard countless times. Both from others and, if I’m honest, from myself: “You have to move to London if you want to make it in the media.” It’s the unspoken rule, the default expectation, the supposed gateway to opportunity. But the truth is, moving...
Brig Newspaper •

Living in Migraine Town: The Hidden Reality of Chronic Pain

The first time I got a migraine, I thought it was just a bad headache and a worse day. It was 2020, I was 19, midway through my undergrad and mid-lockdown. Everyone had something they were dealing with then, so I didn’t want to make a fuss. I took paracetamol, drank some water, and shut the blinds. But it came back the next day. And the day after that. And the day after that.


At first, I kept thinking, maybe it’s stress. Maybe I’m dehydrated. Maybe I’m just tired. It turns out it was none of...
Brig Newspaper •

The Things You Don’t List on the Application: What Volunteering Has Really Taught Me

I never started volunteering to ‘gain experience.’ Not really. That’s the phrase you use on your CV, or when you’re nervously explaining why you’re giving up your weekend again. But the truth is, I started volunteering because I wanted to feel useful. To feel part of something. I wanted to believe I could do something good, even if I didn’t have much else to give.


And maybe I wasn’t always sure where I fit: too shy to lead a room, too anxious to network, too stubborn to sit quietly when somet...
Brig Newspaper •

Seats Taken: What the Bus Taught Me About the World

The first time I got a bus alone I was 13. I was heading into town to meet friends; it was someone’s birthday, and we were going to see the latest Marvel movie. I was finally old enough that my mum let me go without panicking about whose parents could drive me there and back. I’d never been on the bus much before then. There was never a reason to, we could walk everywhere we needed to go. That was the perk of living in a village, it was small, familiar, and easily walked.


It was simple enough...
Brig Newspaper •

Celebrating 900 Years of History at 2024 Stirling Photography Festival

Stirling’s annual Photography Festival returns this September with the theme Roots and Rituals to mark the city’s 900th anniversary.


The event features a series of exhibitions, talks, and photo walks, celebrating Stirling’s rich cultural heritage and artistic talent.


This year’s festival has already been a hit, drawing large crowds to many events, including the standout panel session Keeping the Stories Alive at The Tolbooth.


The session celebrated Stirling’s musical history, featurin...
Brig Newspaper •

The 2024 Emmy Awards Round Up: A Record Breaking Night

The 76th Annual Emmy Awards were hosted on September 15 and it’s officially been a record breaking year for the awards.


Ahead of the ceremony, Shōgun became the most-nominated series in a single year of Emmys history with 25 nods, while The Bear set the new bar for comedy shows with 23 nominations. During the Creative Arts Emmys, Shōgun won 14 of its nominations whilst The Bear won seven of its 23.


During the Primetime Emmys, Shōgun made history by winning four awards during the ceremony,...
Brig Newspaper •

Leighton Library among historic sites featured in the 30th annual Doors Open Days Festival

Scotland’s oldest purpose-built library, Leighton Library in Dunblane, will be one of the standout attractions featured in this year’s Doors Open Days festival. The festival’s events align with Stirling’s continued celebration of its 900th anniversary.


The event, set for Sept 21-22, marks the 30th year of the Doors Open Days. The popular, free festival gives visitors behind-the-scenes access to some of Scotland’s most fascinating historical landmarks.


Leighton Library, built in 1687, will...
Strathclyde Union •

Society Stories: Travel Society

We spoke to Jessica Corfield, President of the Strathclyde Travel Society, about being a new society, what kind of travelling they do and upcoming trips!

Tell me about the Travel Society and what you get up to.

We are the Strathclyde Travel Society, we are a new society for this academic year focussed on travelling and travel-orientated events and socials. Just this semester we’ve been to Budapest, Newcastle and Berlin, and did a few great socials and events too!

We try to be as accessible as
Strathclyde Union •

Society Stories: Neurodiverse Students' Association

We spoke with The Neurodiverse Society to learn more about their society and the upcoming Neurodiversity Celebration week!

Tell me about the Neurodiverse Society.

The Neurodiverse Society started up in August and aims to create a support network for Neurodiverse students and spread awareness throughout the wider student body about different neurodiversities.

What do students need to get involved with the Neurodiverse Society?

Everyone is welcome to join our society. We don't require any stud
Strathclyde Union •

Society Stories: WILN+

We sat down with WiLN+ President, Emma Reavey to talk about the opportunities provided and upcoming awards night!

What is the WiLN+ and what do you get up to?

Strathclyde Women+ in Leadership Network is a community of enthusiastic and ambitious women+ students studying within the University of Strathclyde, who focus on empowering each other and promoting women+ in leadership roles!

The society has members from all around the world, across all year groups and degree disciplines found here at S
Strathclyde Union •

Society Stories: English Society

We sat down with Lauren Hunter, the Social Media Executive for the English Society to talk about being a new society, upcoming events, and the English Ball!

What is the English Society?

At the English Society we exist to support English and Creative Writing students primarily, but we’re also really keen to nurture people’s investment and enjoyment of the arts in general, so we’re open to any student who has an interest in creativity across any form. The society was only founded this year (so w
Strathclyde Union •

Society Stories: Strathclyde Vegan Society

We spoke to the Strath Vegan Society President Kat Chan about everything the society gets up to, what to expect when you get involved and Vegan snack suggestions!

What is the Strathclyde Vegan Society?

We’re a group of like-minded students, all at different stages of exploring veganism! We provide a network of support for anyone who wants to explore veganism or get involved in the activism that we do. We advertise a lot of climate change and animal-focused activism and attend events and protes
Strathclyde Union •

An Introduction to Hear to Listen

Hear to Listen is a free-to-use, peer-to-peer wellbeing support service that is there to provide a listening ear to anyone who needs it!

It’s not counselling, nor intervention, but simply pastoral support. It’s an informal chance to chat, vent or simply not be alone for a moment.

The Hear to Listen service is provided by volunteer listeners – who come from a range of backgrounds, courses, and stages of life. When you come along, you’ll be talking to fellow students who have been trained to lis
Strathclyde Union •

Strath Pantry Launched

Strath Union have teamed up with the SU Foodbank Society to launch Strath Pantry ahead of Christmas

This year Strath Union wants to help support students through the cost-of-living crisis and so, in partnership with Strathclyde University Foodbank Society, they’re launching Strath Pantry! The pantry will operate in the run up to the Christmas break and will be available to any student that needs it without question or judgement at any time the Union is open.

Any items left at the end of term a
Strathclyde Union •

Society Stories: Strath TV

For this week's Society Story, we sat down with StrathTV to talk about their recent project Photographic and future plans for the society. President Aidan Cooper shares some exciting, yet vague, details about this year's upcoming projects and everything you need to know to get involved.

We’re Strathclyde’s one and only filmmaking club!

We make films, mostly short films, and over the last year, we’ve been working on our first project since the newest team took over. The club has made films in t
Strathclyde Union •

Society Stories: Chatting with the Language Cafe

Read all about the 2022 Society of the Year, The Language Cafe!




We caught up with the 2022 Society of the Year winner, The Language Cafe, to find out everything you need to know about their plans for the year. We spoke to Ina Matuszyk, Society President, to learn everything about how to get involved, why you should get involved and exciting information about their new language classes!


What is the Language Cafe?


Well it's kind of the old society in a sense. I think we're gonna hav
Strathclyde Union •

Societies and Clubs

University is all about finding friends, community, and yourself. One thing that can help you with this? Student Societies and Clubs!

What are they?

Societies and clubs are student led groups that provide an opportunity to socialise, learn and get involved with the student community outside of class. There’s around 200 societies and clubs at Strath Union and all of them will be actively recruiting new members this freshers!

We’ve got almost anything you can think of societies for your course,
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