The Buddy Scheme was designed to help and support colleagues who are relocating from overseas to join the University of Bristol.
- New international colleagues are asked if they would like to join the Buddy scheme as part of their relocation support. This involves being allocated a buddy who is an existing member of staff who will help them settle in to University life, and life in Bristol.
- The Staff Immigration Team recruit 'buddies' from the existing staff population and maintain a database.
- When a new starter asks to join the scheme the Staff Immigration Team find a suitable buddy from the database, and provides them with the new joiner's details and guidance on what the buddy needs to do.
- The buddy will then contact the new joiner directly and offer help and support over the period of their relocation, and after they have arrived and started work.
The suggested duration of the 'informal' buddy relationship is 4 months after the new joiner starts their role.
Feedback from existing buddies:
"The buddy system has been a real joy so far. In the last week or so, I received good news from a previous buddy about the arrival of a baby. Having continued our friendship throughout lockdown virtually, and then managed to finally go on a trip out with them with my own children to enjoy walking in the Mendips, the experience of being a buddy has been really rewarding.
"I think the scheme is a really great initiative and I believe it has been helpful for incoming international staff, especially over the past year and a half. I was assigned a buddy last year who unfortunately had to arrive in Bristol during one of the lockdowns / periods of heavy restrictions. We met virtually several times before and soon after her arrival, and she found it helpful to get to know about Bristol and how to do things like look for accommodation, set up a bank account, etc. I think it really helped her get settled in Bristol as she didn’t know anyone here when she first started, so having a point of contact to ask questions or even just to have a chat every now and then. And of course it seemed to help settle some of her nerves coming to the UK in the midst of a pandemic. We had the opportunity to meet up in person after restrictions eased and we continue to be in touch. I think it has been nice to make a new friend as well."
