Matthew Bowmer

I grew up in London, attending City of London School, before going on to graduate from the University of Bristol in 2019 with a First Class Degree in Geography with Study in Continental Europe. As part of this course I spent a year studying abroad at Sciences Po Paris.

The focus of my working roles has been charitable and community-based work, including with the SciencesPo Refugee Help Society in Paris, as a Mentor for the Forward Trust and as a Speaker for WaterAid.

As Volunteering Assistant at the University of Bristol Students' Union I helped organise volunteering for students, helping to build connections with the local community. Following a move to London during the pandemic, I managed a charity shop in Tottenham for Sense - a charity that supports people with complex disabilities. In this role I worked to maximise fundraising by ensuring high quantities of donations and sales, as well as empowering a large team of volunteers many of whom had complex disabilities.

In October 2022 I moved to Beirut, Lebanon. I worked briefly as Communications Officer for The Alsama Project, a charity which helps to transform the lives of refugee women and children living in precarious situations. I then went onto spend a further four months exploring the country, writing poems and mulling over deep philosophical questions.

Since returning from Lebanon I have published my book, Ups and Downs, an account of walking 900km through the French Pyrenees during the summer of 2022. I am now studying for a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) at UCL with the intention of becoming a primary school teacher in September this year.

There will be other books at some point...