Education Youth

Through its partnership with the Bristol Achieve programme, Fanatic provided mentoring and practical support to twenty Year 11 students from Bridge Learning Campus, helping them develop valuable workplace skills while gaining insight into careers in the creative and digital industries.

Over the course of four weeks, six Fanatic mentors worked alongside students as they explored projects in digital marketing, design, coding and web development.

The challenge

Many young people have limited opportunities to engage directly with professionals working in the digital sector. Bristol Achieve was created to bridge this gap by connecting schools with local employers, enabling students to build confidence, develop transferable skills and better understand potential career pathways.

Fanatic’s involvement focused on giving students practical experience while creating an encouraging environment where they could learn, collaborate and challenge themselves.

The mentoring approach

Drawing on expertise from across the business, six mentors from Fanatic guided students throughout the programme, offering support, sharing industry knowledge and encouraging creative thinking.

Working in teams, students researched and developed projects across digital marketing, design, coding and development. Throughout the programme, mentors helped students strengthen their communication, problem-solving and teamwork skills while encouraging them to take ownership of their ideas.

The programme concluded with a presentation event held at the Tobacco Factory, where each team showcased the work they had developed over the previous four weeks.

Although some students arrived feeling nervous, they quickly grew in confidence and delivered polished, engaging presentations that reflected both their hard work and enthusiasm. The event highlighted not only the quality of the students’ research but also the confidence they had developed through the mentoring process.

The impact

The programme demonstrated the positive influence that workplace mentoring can have on young people.

Students spoke positively about their experience of working alongside Fanatic’s mentors and reflected on the knowledge and skills they had gained throughout. They also demonstrated strong collaboration, supporting one another throughout the presentations and celebrating each other’s achievements.

Following the presentations, students were invited to tour Fanatic’s studio, where they met members of the wider team and gained a first-hand insight into life at a creative digital agency. The visit provided an opportunity to experience a professional working environment in an informal and welcoming setting.

Partner feedback

The impact of Fanatic’s mentoring was recognised by Bristol Achieve Programme Lead, Hetty Brown, who said:

“Fanatic are an absolute pleasure to work with. Motivated by Milly Collis-Smith and the team of purpose-driven leaders at the company, they provided us with a team of brilliant mentors from across all areas of expertise. Without exception, they gave 100% to support the development of our young people, treated the students with such attention and respect and invested more than their time: they also invested by caring about the outcome with the utmost professionalism. I cannot recommend them highly enough.”

– Hetty Brown, Bristol Education Partnership Programme Manager

Looking ahead

The partnership with Bristol Achieve demonstrates how businesses can play a meaningful role in preparing young people for the future. By sharing expertise, encouraging confidence and providing real-world industry experience, Fanatic’s mentors helped students develop skills that will support them beyond the classroom.

Following the success of the programme, Fanatic looks forward to continuing its partnership with Bristol Achieve and supporting another cohort of students in 2026.