Over the past three years, Ryde Town Council’s partnership with the University of Portsmouth through the Business Consultancy Partnership (BCP) scheme has delivered valuable insight, fresh perspectives and tangible impact for the town.
This year’s student consultancy team, Marina Works Consultancy, produced exceptional research into how to attract more visitors to Ryde Marina. Their work combined analytical rigour with strategic thinking, resulting in recommendations that balance practical, immediate actions with ambitious, future-focused ideas. The strength of the research led to a presentation to Ryde Councillors last week, providing a strong springboard for informed discussion and the development of a forward-looking strategy for the marina.
The BCP scheme has proved an invaluable resource, offering independent perspectives that challenge assumptions and support confident, evidence-based decision-making.
Ryde Town Mayor, Diana Conyers, said:
“I was very impressed by the students’ innovative ideas and thorough research. This gives us a clear direction for the future and I will be excited to see their recommendations put into action.”
There is strong confidence that this project will help shape the future of Ryde Marina and exemplifies the impact of effective collaboration between academia and local government.
Neville Pushparajah, Teaching Fellow at the University of Portsmouth said:
“I am extremely proud of our BCP students. Their innovative thinking across the project has been so enjoyable to see. I have been lucky enough to work with Ryde Town Council for the last 3 years on a variety of interesting projects. Colleagues at the Council have been so supportive of our BCP students giving up their time to work in unison with our students. It’s been a very valuable and rewarding partnership.”
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