Ignite Consultants is a student run organisation at Victoria University. We provide charitable organisations within the Wellington community with consultancy advice from socially-motivated and talented students. Consultants work within a team of five to develop free strategic advice to their not-for-profit within an eight-week period, which is guided by a business mentor. Our organisation aims to better the local community by utilising the skills that students learn in university and applying them to real-life issues.
We have helped a wide variety of not-for-profit organizations and charities in our first few years in Wellington. Over the past few years our consultants have worked alongside charities such as Living Wage, Wa collective, Tairangi School, Nisa and more. Each semester of Ignite helping a range of different areas in our community.
Clients
Working with Ignite
Our Impact
Past Projects: Wellington
Living Wage Aotearoa/NZ is a movement made up of everyday people in community groups, unions and faith-based organisations. They advocate for workers by encouraging businesses to pay their employees the current living wage. So far this movement has transformed the lives of thousands of working New Zealanders.
Our ignite team updated Living Wages website to allow it to be more easily navigated and better represent the Living Wage movement.
Tairangi School is a decile one primary school (years 1-8) in Waitangirua, Porirua East. Tairangi's mission is to strengthen whānau who are part of the school community, rather than only focusing on creating a positive environment for kids when they are at school. This is a holistic view which prioritises looking at the wider, interconnected community environment, not just solely the school environment.
Ignite in collaboration with the students created a video for submission to the Porirua Regeneration Project.
Wā Collective started as a small university project at Massey, and has now grown into a social enterprise
which aims to reduce period poverty and increase education about menstrual health. Wā sell menstrual cups which are completely sustainably sourced, reducing waste associated with period products.
Ignite worked to research and survey period poverty in schools in New Zealand and translate this information into data. The project planned a “road trip” around schools in New Zealand to talk about period poverty.
Nisa is an ethical underwear label and social enterprise, employing women from refugee and migrant backgrounds in Wellington.
The Ignite project built a marketing campaign that aligned with Nisa’s mission and gave the company a defined image.
Ngati Kahungunu ki Poneke Community Services is an iwi charity which works closely with people in the community using Māori cultural frameworks to seek empowerment and self-reliance for whānau. Their service caters for Māori with a focus on mental health, relationships and community support.
NKKP seeks to build mana, offer support and nurture relationships while offering holistic services including advocacy and educative programmes.
This project involved the drafting and updating of the organisation’s policies to be consistent with legislation and the development of a 15-20 year strategy to deal with projected growth.
Past Projects: Dunedin
Dunedin Cancer Society
This organisation came to Ignite because they were struggling with student engagement. Ignite’s key recommendation was to start a student-run Dunedin Relay for Life. The team not only provided the recommendation, but helped the organisation implement this new initiative. The Dunedin Relay for life continues to run each year.
Dunedin Wildlife Hospital
The hospital was newly founded when they came to Ignite, and the brief had a marketing focus. The key Ignite recommendations included a film festival, a student association (which still runs through the university) and social media advice. The team helped the organisation to implement these recommendations.
The Dunedin Night Shelter came to Ignite as they wanted to raise their profile within the community, and increase their funding avenues. The main takeaway from the team’s report was to start the ‘Dunedin Sleep Out’ initiative. This event has since run annually to raise funds for the organisation and increase community awareness of homelessness.
Mamuka Point Conservation Reserve
Ignite Dunedin worked with Mamaku Point in 2019. Mamaku Reserve is based on Stewart Island and focuses on the conservation of flora and fauna. Ignite provided them with advice on how to become financially sustainable, while also raising awareness for their objective.
WEKA
Ignite Dunedin worked with WEKA in 2020. WEKA provides assistance to people struggling with their mental health and wellbeing, and was recently established in 2018 [check this with Bill I’m not too sure]. Ignite worked with WEKA for the whole year, assisting them in creating a website, gaining registered charity status, and creating marketing material. Ignite did this both by providing recommendations, and implementing them.