Enactus Leeds

Enactus Leeds: Empowering Change Through Enterprise and Social Impact
Interview with Enactus President, Oscar Willis

At the heart of the University of Leeds’ student entrepreneurial scene is Enactus Leeds, a dynamic society that blends business innovation with real-world social impact. Enactus is an international organisation and society at the University of Leeds with massive partners like Amazon, EY & HSBC who sponsor university teams around the globe. The society was focused on creating real-world projects that would tackle social and environmental issues. Led by Oscar Willis, a second-year neuroscience undergraduate, the society has experienced a transformative year. 

Oscar’s journey into leadership was inspired by a close friend who served as President of Enactus at King’s College London. Despite coming from a non-business background, Oscar stepped into his first leadership role in October with no active projects carried over from the previous year. What followed was a semester of vision-building and community engagement.

By November, Enactus Leeds had a full committee in place and was ready to make its mark. The turning point came at a project accelerator event in Hull, where two early-stage project ideas were catalysed. With guidance focused on identifying real, tangible social problems rather than forcing solutions, the team carried out extensive market research—including street interviews and consultations with local charities.

The overwhelming response pointed to one major issue: homelessness in Leeds. From this, SkillBridge was born—a project that combines two powerful aims: tackling food waste and supporting the homeless community.

The SkillBridge model is simple but effective. The team sources surplus food from farmers, food banks, and local businesses, transforming it into nutritious smoothies, which are then sold at pop-up stalls in areas like Hyde Park. Smoothies were chosen for their ease of production, storage, and appeal.

But the social impact goes deeper. SkillBridge works directly with individuals facing homelessness or employment struggles, offering them temporary job opportunities and linking them to accommodation providers. This served as a stepping stone, with Enactus acting as a primary reference for future, more stable employment.

The project has not only mobilised a core team of 15–16 dedicated student volunteers but also caught the attention of Rothschild & Co, who now sponsor SkillBridge. The team’s efforts were recently recognised nationally—reaching the Top 5 out of 60–80 project applications and being named “Ones to Watch” at a national Enactus Expo.

None of this would have been possible without clear communication, trust, and shared purpose. Oscar reflects on how this leadership role taught him to rely on his team rather than micromanage:

“It’s incredible to be in a room full of people all working together for a cause. Having people from different backgrounds brings fresh perspectives, and seeing everyone come together like that has been the highlight of the year.”

The current committee includes Diva Mishra (Vice President), Mycah Walker (Social Media Lead), Emily Chagas-Poinsot (Vice President of Engagement), and Jocelyn Cheng (Social Secretary), all of whom have played vital roles in driving the society forward.

Looking ahead, Oscar hopes that  Enactus Leeds can grow further in the future, focusing on weekly consistency, expanding membership, and continuing the impactful work of SkillBridge.

The Centre for Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Studies is proud to support student-led initiatives like Enactus Leeds, where enterprise is used not just to drive profit, but to change lives.

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Interested in joining Enactus Leeds or learning more?
Keep an eye out for upcoming events and follow them on social media (@leeds.enact.us) to get involved in shaping social enterprise at the University of Leeds.