Stories with Impact: The Promise Group

For a group of care experienced, estranged and young carer students, the UHI Moray Promise Group became an opportunity to turn lived experience into action. By creating their own awareness campaign and short film, they found the confidence to share their stories, support others and challenge the idea that difficult experiences define a person's future.

For many young people, the journey into further education is not always straightforward. For care experienced, estranged and young carer students, the journey can leave them feeling isolated or unsure where they belong.

Created in partnership with our Student Support team, our Promise Group provides a space where students can share experiences, support one another and influence how we support learners facing additional challenges.

As students got to know one another, they realised they shared many of the same experiences. Conversations about confidence, belonging and difficult experiences at school led to a common goal: they wanted other young people facing similar challenges to know they were not alone.

An opportunity to share that message came through our partnership with Moray Council. Building on our ongoing work to support care experienced young people, funding was secured to help develop the group and enable students to decide what they wanted to create and how they wanted their voices to be heard.

They began by developing a leaflet introducing the Promise Group and encouraging other students facing similar challenges to get involved. Working with our marketing team, they led the messaging, ensuring it reflected their experiences and spoke directly to the people they wanted to reach. As the project developed, they began thinking about how they could reach an even wider audience, deciding that a film offered a powerful way to tell their story and connect with other young people who might be questioning what comes next.

Working alongside local film company Wildbird, they developed a short film shaped by their own experiences, hopes and aspirations. The students were involved throughout, developing ideas, influencing the tone and content, contributing to the music and helping shape the creative direction.  Staff and partners provided support and encouragement, but the students remained firmly in the lead which became an important source of personal growth.

Many of the students involved had experienced low self-esteem, anxiety and challenges that had affected their confidence. Developing ideas, making creative decisions and working together on a shared vision gave them the opportunity to express themselves in new ways.

The group also created a safe environment where students encouraged one another, shared experiences and built trust. For some, taking part in the project would have felt impossible only a few months earlier. Through the support of their peers, they reached a point where they felt able to participate fully, both in front of and behind the camera.

The completed work carries an important message for other young people. It challenges the idea that difficult experiences place limits on potential and shows that pathways into education remain open. At the same time, it has helped raise awareness of the importance of listening to care experienced young people and ensuring their perspectives are heard.

That message was recognised on Care Day when members of the Promise Group were invited to Moray Council to raise the flag and attend a screening of their film in the Council Chambers. The event provided a public platform for students to share their work and demonstrated that their experiences and voices were valued beyond the group itself. We are also continuing to work with Moray Council to share the film with local schools, helping its message reach even more young people.

The group's legacy continues within our college community through the Connected by Care wall outside Student Services. Created as a space for students to share messages, experiences and encouragement, it ensures future students can continue adding their voices and building on the work that has already begun.