From Personal Challenge to Social Innovation
Find out here how one idea can lead to projects that can change lives
One Big Idea can lead to projects that can change lives!
Ria’s family faced challenges that gave her a winning Big Idea for medical innovation, and now she’s received Social Impact Funding to help turn her idea into action!
From Personal Challenge to Social Innovation: The Birth of StomaShield
By Ria Hill, Postgraduate Medicine Student, University of Southampton
I’m Ria, and I’m currently studying postgraduate medicine at the University of Southampton. The idea behind StomaShield was sprouted from my dad’s time with an ileostomy whilst recovering from colon cancer, where together we talked about the physical and emotional challenges it brought. It was through those conversations that we started thinking about how life could be made a little easier.
When I came across the 100 Big Ideas Challenge, I decided to submit the concept of StomaShield – a simple but potentially transformative innovation to improve stoma bag care and comfort. I had no background in product design or business, but the beauty of the 100 Big Ideas is that it encourages you to just try. There was nothing to lose, and perhaps everything to gain. To my surprise and delight, I won £100, which gave me not only financial support but the belief that this idea could go somewhere.
Turning a personal experience into a tangible innovation wasn’t easy. I initially struggled to find my footing in areas outside my comfort zone, like prototyping and entrepreneurship. But then I saw two more opportunities: the Social Enterprise Fund and the Pulse for Change competition. I applied, unsure of what the outcome would be – yet again, something incredible happened. I was awarded third place in Pulse for Change, receiving £500 and received a £1,000 prize from the Social Enterprise Fund.
Now, with support from the Social Impact Lab, I’m actively prototyping StomaShield and exploring how far we can take this. Their advice, connections, and belief in my mission are giving me the tools and confidence to grow this idea into something real – something that could truly improve quality of life for stoma bag users in the future!
What began as a conversation with my dad has turned into a journey of innovation, social impact, and hope. I’m excited to see the progress of StomaShield in the years to come.
