Posted: 01/05/13
Students are making a Green Impact
West Nottinghamshire College’s Students’ Union has been awarded the Green Impact Students’ Unions Gold Award at the annual National Union of Students (NUS) Services Convention (4 April).
West Nottinghamshire College is one of just two colleges in the country to be awarded the gold standard – the other being Cornwall College. The award was announced during the event’s closing gala dinner and demonstrates the college’s Students’ Union dedication to sustainability.
Green Impact Students’ Unions is a behavioural change programme delivered by the NUS, helping students’ unions to improve environmental practice. Providing each students’ union with a bespoke workbook of criteria for staff to work through, the programme helps to improve practice in areas such as energy, procurement, biodiversity and waste.
The college’s learner voice co-ordinator Sue Harries said: “It’s a real honour to receive the gold award. We’ve already achieved the bronze award and we were so surprised that our efforts to improve the environment, not only in the college but out in the community, has been deemed worthy of a gold award.
“Our students have got some great plans to continue with their environmental work including nurturing the college’s wildflower meadow and sewing new varieties of seeds to help encourage more wildlife to the college field.”
Dannie Grufferty, NUS vice president of society and citizenship said: "It's so important to congratulate students' unions for their dedication to improving environmental practice - and it's wonderful to see the standards being raised each year, thanks to the innovation and commitment displayed by countless staff and students.”
Over a hundred participating students’ unions competed against one another in an effort to be recognised as the greenest during the annual awards ceremony – making the accolade of gold a true distinction.
Caption: Staff who have managed some of the recycling and environmental projects (l-r) print team leader Alan Sheppard, student involvement officer Ashleigh Trolley, learner voice co-ordinator Sue Harries and science and communication tutor Claire Kawamoto
