Last month, the Bristol Achieve Year 10 cohort for 2025/26 stepped into PwC’s Bristol offices for a powerful final presentation event, and what a day it was.
Bristol Achieve, part of the Bristol Education Partnership within Bristol Charities, works with young people across the city to raise aspirations, build confidence and open up pathways to future opportunities. This cohort of students from Bridge Learning Campus in Hartcliffe have spent the last two years on an incredible journey of growth and transformation with us.
From relaxed networking over pizza in PwC’s stunning loft space to delivering presentations about their future ambitions, the students demonstrated resilience, confidence and real ambition. Supported by PwC staff and the Bristol Achieve team, they explored university and apprenticeship pathways, tackled nerves, and developed the confidence to speak about their goals and potential.
What stood out most was the transformation we witnessed: young people moving from uncertainty to aspiration, from anxiety to achievement. Whether presenting to a room full of professionals or taking brave first steps in smaller conversations, every student was supported to feel that they belong in professional spaces and that their future matters.
Some of the most powerful moments came from students overcoming significant personal challenges. One student who has struggled with school attendance this year attended the event and fully engaged in an informal group discussion with Alice, exploring their future aspirations with enthusiasm and humour. Another student, initially too anxious to present to the room, found the confidence after a smaller group conversation to deliver their presentation to a more intimate audience – a huge personal achievement.
These moments remind us that success is not always measured by polished presentations, but by courage, progress and self-belief.
Alice Mosely, who alongside her role at PwC is also an inspirational speaker, brought warmth, encouragement and insight to the session, hoping to inspire the young people with her words – which she undoubtedly did. As she said to one student during the session:
“You understand your values and what’s important to you – and I love that.”
As Hetty Brown, Founder of Bristol Achieve, reflected:
“As founder of Bristol Achieve, I continue to be inspired by the courage, resilience and potential of the young people we work with. Watching these students grow in confidence over the last two years, and seeing them step into professional spaces with such authenticity and ambition, is exactly why Bristol Achieve exists. When businesses, schools and charities come together, we can help young people recognise their strengths, believe in their future and realise that there are no limits to what they can achieve.”
This is the impact of businesses stepping up alongside schools and charities: creating opportunities, building confidence and helping young people across Bristol see what is possible.
A huge thank you to PwC and all the volunteers and mentors who helped make the programme possible.
If your organisation would like to support Bristol Achieve and help inspire the next generation of young people across Bristol, we would love to hear from you. Together, we can create more opportunities, stronger partnerships and brighter futures.
Heartfelt thanks to Alice Mosely Alice Mosley | LinkedIn and Benjamin Smith – MCMI ChMC | LinkedIn and Ben Pykett as a PwC leader who remains committed to Bristol Achieve’s vision. Ben Pykett | LinkedIn
Huge gratitude to Bristol Achieve’s funding partners: Provelio | Property Consultancy & Project Delivery, Churchill Wealth Management Financial Advice Bristol – IFA Bristol – Financial Advisers Bristol, Web Design Agency | Fanatic, Future Quest Explore Higher Education Options, Build Skills, and Find Opportunities | Future Quest and John James Bristol Foundation | Grantmaking Foundation | Bristol, UK.
