During Go Green Salford 2020, we encouraged you to Think Green, Live Green, Work Green and Eat Green. Over 150 of you gave us some of your time and it was great to meet you all. We hope you’ve learnt something new and had fun along the way!
Think Green
To kick
things off, we explored our connection with the physical world and our impact
on current ecological issues with the FIMS Arts & Media exhibition. The
exhibition encouraged us to question the norm and to think about how industries
such as fashion and textiles can have a huge impact on the environment.
On the
Tuesday we launched the 2020 Green Impact programme and held ‘FrED talks’. We heard
from speakers Professor Sheila Pankhurst, Dr Nick Davies, Dr Romas Malevicius and Dr Luke
Blazejewski, who gave up their time to speak to us about local initiatives and
ecological issues. Topics included the university’s current targets and goals,
our perception of local wildlife, sustainable transport options and education
for sustainability.
Following
this, on the Wednesday we got the opportunity to explore over 20 different
species of beautiful trees on our Winter Tree ID walk, with loads of
interesting facts being provided by Peel Park Keeper, Jess Britch. We were
rewarded for getting outside in the rain by a view of a rainbow over the River
Irwell and a sighting of a Greater Spotted Woodpecker!
We promoted our car share scheme on the Thursday, with Faxi sharing information about how you can Car Share with US.
Live Green
Putting thoughts
into action on ‘Live Green’ week, there was a vintage clothing fair which gave
staff and students the opportunity to shop sustainable fashion by purchasing
second-hand clothing at a reasonable price. There were loads of colourful
garments to choose from and it was great to see students really engaging with
this event.
On Tuesday,
Salford Litter Heroes came to help out with an hour-long lunchtime litter pick.
We were battling against the elements during storm Dennis, but it was great to
see 6 students turn up and help nonetheless, thanks so much to you all!
The stormy weather didn’t deter people from coming along at our tree planting events either! With 55 volunteers coming across the two sessions on Wednesday and 7 of you coming to help at the smaller session on Thursday. Alongside City of Trees we managed to plant 662 trees! Getting muddy definitely paid off, we can’t wait to see the new trees grow over the years in both David Lewis Playing Fields and Crescent Meadows.
Work Green
Recycling
was the main focal point of ‘Work Green’ week. We took our Recycling Roadshow
to Media City, Maxwell and Allerton with our Rubbish Quiz and recycling game,
with a chance to win one of our reusable mugs. Thanks to everyone that got
involved and congratulations to our winners! We hope you all took something
away from these events.
We also looked
at how you can commute to the University sustainably with our Bike Maintenance
Workshop alongside Transport for Greater Manchester teaching us how to look out
for yourself when cycling to and from the university. We all learnt some new
skills and we hope you all left feeling more confident about commuting by
cycling! If you’re nervous about cycling on the roads but would love to commute
more sustainably- check out TFGM’s confidence training – https://tfgm.com/cycling/training.
Eat Green
Our final week was the most fun-packed of them all with Salfood Plantilicious pop-ups giving us a taste of some delicious plant-based food, and even coffee cake made from re-used coffee grinds!
Wednesday
was especially exciting as Allerton opened their very own Zero-waste food shop!
This is a joint project between Salfood and the Students’ Union and their hard
work has definitely paid off because the shop looks amazing! The shop is a
great way for students and staff to easily cut down on the plastic packaging
that we so often see in supermarkets.
During Eat Green we also hosted our Fairtrade Fun in Maxwell and the Library which gave you the opportunity to cycle up a free Fairtrade smoothie and gain knowledge about the benefits of shopping Fairtrade. We collectively cycled up 75 smoothies so well done to everyone that came along!
To end Go Green 2020 there was a sustainability special of the DSAS quiz night where our knowledge was put to the test. We had great fun this evening and we hope that everyone that came along did too!
On Monday 25th November, staff and students came together to celebrate sustainability achievements at the University. This included the awards for our sustainability accreditation scheme, Green Impact. The change and engagement programme helps people understand sustainability, advises them what they can do to make a difference and supports them in achieving positive actions in a simple, fun and flexible way.
This is the fifth time we have run the Green Impact programme here at University of Salford and this year we have had 12 enthusiastic staff teams actively participate, collectively completing 732 sustainable actions! It’s estimated that 1,356 people have been reached by the messages from Green Impact teams this year. If they all took on the sustainability actions we’ve been championing, it’s estimated that we could save the carbon equivalent to 23 average households’ yearly carbon footprint!
During the event, SALFOOD provided an exciting array of vegan delights, including edible cabbage bowls, chocolate pebbles and pickled cauliflower stalks.
Lord Keith Bradley, Chair of Council, presented Green Impact teams with their awards and we also celebrated the achievements of the Estates & Facilities Division in achieving ISO 14001 and ISO 50001 certification. We also achieved Green Flag Award accreditation in July so to celebrate this we raised our Green Flag outside of The Old Fire Station.
The Green Impact 2019 winners are:
Vice-Chancellor’s Office Green Team – Bronze THINKlab – Silver The Green Crescent – Gold Peel Green Team – Platinum
School of Health and Society – Silver USSU – Silver USSU Catering – Gold SALFOOD Catering – Platinum
The Green Machine – Silver Cockcroft Labs Green Team – Gold Joule House – Platinum The Green Library – Platinum
Special awards
The special awards recognise and reward the important innovative work that teams have implemented and celebrate those individuals who are driving change and going beyond the standard toolkit actions. The winners of these awards will be entered the national Green Impact Special Awards which are announced each summer.
Innovation for Engagement – Peel Green Team
Environmental Improvement – SALFOOD Catering
Community Action – Joule House
Student Leadership – Stuart Robertson
Sustainability Hero – Manisha Patel
Thank you to all Green Impact participants and to those involved with the awards ceremony. We will be relaunching Green Impact in 2020; if you would like to set up a team in your area, whether it be your office, floor, building or whole School or department, then please get in touch with Neva: N.Mowl@Salford.ac.uk.
To view more photos from the event visit our Facebook page.
On July 16, a record number of parks and green spaces collected a Green Flag Award.
University of Salford has been recognised by the Green Flag Award Scheme as one of the very best green spaces in the world. The University is among a record-breaking 1,970 UK parks and green spaces and 131 in thirteen other countries around the world, that have received a prestigious Green Flag Award – the mark of a quality park or green space.
This international award, now into its third decade, is a sign to the public that the space boasts the highest possible environmental standards, is beautifully maintained and has excellent visitor facilities.
The Green Flag judges described the University’s Peel Park and Frederick Road campuses as an impressive, diverse collection of sites with excellent facilities and features that complement each other well, including David Lewis Playing Fields and a selection of high-quality public art.
Steve Costello, Neva Mowl and Bec Bennett collect the award.
Jason Challender, Director of Estates said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive a Green Flag Award for the first time.
“We know how much quality green spaces matter to students, staff, the local community and visitors and this award celebrates the dedication that goes into maintaining our campus to such a high standard.
The award recognises the hard work and passion of many people on campus, particularly the Grounds Maintenance and Environmental Sustainability Teams.
We are pleased with the feedback from the judges and will be taking their recommendations on board in the future management of the site.”
Environmental Management Coordinator, Neva Mowl added “We are keen to engage more people with the outside spaces on campus, so if you are a student, member of staff or from the local community we invite you to get involved with our Green Campus Group.”
The University will celebrate the achievement later in the year with a flag raising ceremony.
For more information about the University’s Green Flag Award or the Green Campus Group contact Neva: N.Mowl@Salford.ac.uk.
The Grounds Maintenance Team, Environmental Sustainability Team and Jason Challender, Director of Estates, celebrate their achievement.
From Monday 11th February – Friday 8th March a whole range of activities and events are planned for Go Green Salford.
Week one: Live Green
Week two: Work Green
Week three: Think Green
Week four: Eat Green
Working in collaboration with the Students’ Union, DSAS Events and Peel Park Rangers we will be running a series of activities to raise awareness of sustainability issues and provide opportunities for you to get involved and take action. Activities are open to all staff and students at the University and you can find all the details below.
Monday 11th February
Wildlife Conference
To kick start Go Green Salford, the Wildlife Society will be hosting an evening of wildlife. The conference will include guest speakers including Dr Paul Rees (senior lecture in wildlife), Brian Ashworth (Lancashire Wildlife Trust), Jess Britch (Salford Rangers), Harry Handford and Thomas Gascoine (Blackpool Zoo).
Along with free tea/coffee and biscuits, we are raising money by selling vegan cupcakes and there will also be donation buckets.
Location: Chapman 2
Time: 6.30pm – 10pm
Price: £2.50 for society members | £5.00 for general public
Wednesday 13th February
Green House Green Home: registration required
Paying
too much for your energy bills? Nervous about your energy costs next year?
Whether you’re currently living in rented accommodation or moving into rented accommodation next year, this training is for you! The training covers practical advice on ways to minimise your energy bills and the rights you have as a tenant. It will be a fun, interactive session with the opportunity to meet new people and share experiences and ideas.
Location: Lewis Latimer Room, University House
Time: 1-hour sessions at 12pm, 1:30pm, 3pm and 4:30pm
Register your FREE place online now on Advantage: bit.ly/2Rxk7cp
Housing Fair
Looking for accomodation for 2019/2020? The SU’s first housing fair will include accomodation and housing agencies from accross Salford to advertise their accomodation.
You can find out more at https://www.salfordstudents.com/articles/housing-fair-be6d
Location: North Side, University House
Time: 12pm – 4pm
Thursday 14th February
Dr Bike Services
TfGM are offering a FREE bike maintenance check to University of Salford students and staff. Each booking will be allocated a 15 minute session, however, spaces are limited so contact Neva to book in advance!
Location: University house
Time: 1pm – 3pm
Book your space by emailing N.Mowl@salford.ac.uk
Friday 15th February
We Strike for Climate change
Millions of young people are waking up to the fact that we have to act now to avert the worst effects of climate breakdown, from the school strikers in Australia to Greta Thunberg, they are joining their voices in protest. We will be joining up with other strikers of all ages around the UK on the 15th February in Manchester. We will stand in solidarity with young people around the world asking for climate justice.
Location: St Peters Square
Time: 12pm
Feel Good Friday
Every friday we will be out and about on campus, talking to staff and students and snapping pictures of you with your sustainable pledges for our Twitter campaign. Come and tell us your sustainable New Year’s Resolution or send us a Tweet and a lucky winner will be chosen from our Twitter uploads, winning a chocolate treat or a reusable mug. Last year we had some great pledges from both students and staff including cycling more often, reducing plastic use and eating more organic food.
Sunday 17th February
Uni-Cycle Shop
The Pop-up Shop will be on main campus everyday for 2 weeks.
Uni-Cycle is a social enterprise, non-profit organisation. Set up in 2014 and since then has reclaimed over 30 tonnes of reusable waste from both University of Manchester and University of Salford therefore diverting this all from landfill. Although the items collected are someone’s waste, there is nothing wrong with them and they are perfectly suitable for reuse. The reclaimed waste are high quality items ranging from brand new shoes and clothes, unused saucepans to larger electrical items including printers and hair straighteners. They have also donated over 0.5 tonnes of quality goods to British Heart Foundation and The Salvation Army to sell in their shops. Any items in the shop are sold to new and returning students at low and reasonable prices.
For more information, you can find Uni-Cycle on: Facebook: unicyclemcr Twitter: @uni_cycl Instagram: unicyclemcr
Monday 18th February
Pop-up Guilt Free Groceries shop
Visit the Zero Waste Shop and buy your groceries completely package free.
Location: Atmosphere Cafe, University House.
Time: 10am – 4pm
SDG Teach in
The Teach in calls upon educators across all stages of education to pledge to include the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within their teaching, learning, and assessment of their course(s)/ in their classrooms during the week of the 18-22 February 2019.
SDGs comprise of 17 goals including ‘No Poverty’, ‘Gender Equality’ and ‘Climate Action’. You can view all the goals online at https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs
Come and speak to the Environmental Sustainability Team about how you travel to the University and complete our survey to be in with a chance to win a £100 shopping voucher. Alternatively, fill in the survey below:
A unique opportunity for a behind the scenes tour around Energy House – the only fully climate controlled research facility in the world. Built in 2011, this full sized two bedroom terraced house is built inside an environmental chamber and can replicate almost any weather conditions. It is fully furnished and packed with a vast array of sensors that can monitor a wide range of variables throughout the house and chamber. Max 12 people – first come first served.
Location: meet outside Cockcroft
Time: 12pm
Tuesday 19th February
Big DSAS Tidy Up
Come along and help improve your community and the environment by helping us to tidy up Peel Park and the University. Litter pickers, gloves and bin bags will be provided.
Location: Meet outside Maxwell Building
Time: 12pm
Wednesday 20th February
DSAS Walks
Part of the regular DSAS walking groups, this event is aimed at staff and students to have a leisurely walk around peel park and surrounding area.
Location: Meet outside University House for 12pm and Maxwell at 1pm.
Hedge Laying Training
Come and learn the skills you need to lay a hedge on this training day. This training is free, to encourage people to join in with volunteering on the park. Refreshments included but please bring a packed lunch.
Location: Peel Park Base at the rear of Maxwell Building down the ramp.
A unique opportunity for a behind the scenes tour around Energy House – the only fully climate controlled research facility in the world. Built in 2011, this full sized two bedroom terraced house is built inside an environmental chamber and can replicate almost any weather conditions. It is fully furnished and packed with a vast array of sensors that can monitor a wide range of variables throughout the house and chamber. Max 12 people – first come first served.
Location: Meet outside Cockcroft
Time: 12pm
Thursday 21st February
Recycling Roadshow – Maxwell
Find us at Maxwell reception for the first leg of our Recycling Roadshow where we will be testing your knowledge on recycling with prizes to be won!
Location: Maxwell reception
Time: 10am – 4pm
Greenpower Society
This Society is taking part in the Greenpower Electric Car Challenge! The Greenpower team design and build single-seat electric cars to race in events across the UK! Come down and find out more!
Location: Front of University House
Time: TBC
Friday 22nd February
AAVT Vehicle demostration
The AAVT ‘Automotive and Autonomous Vehicle Technology’ car with Staff will to be outside the Student Union. Showing off the latest ICZ technology.
Location: Front of University House
Time: TBC
Monday 25th February
Recycling Roadshow – Media City
For our second stop, we will be quizzing the students of Media City on their recycling knowledge!
Location: Media City reception
Time: 10am – 4pm
Film @ 5: Blue Planet 2
David Attenborough returns to the world’s oceans in this sequel to the acclaimed documentary filming rare and unusual creatures of the deep, as well as documenting the problems our oceans face. Two Episodes will be shown: One Ocean and Our Blue Planet.
Location: North Side, University House
Time: 5pm
Atmosphere Quiz – Go Green edition
Test your knowledge at this fun interactive quiz!! Take part using your smart phone or tablet with our fantastic speedquizzing software and be in with a chance to win a bar voucher worth up to £20!! It’s Go Green Month so expect some themed questions! Special offers on the night include buy one get one free on all Burgers! Entry is free so why not join us!
Location: Atmosphere bar
Time: 8pm
Tuesday 26th February
Green Campus Group
We have established a Green Campus Group to share information and engage with the University community about the current and future/potential use of outside spaces at the University of Salford, as well as how they will and could be developed and enhanced.
Filmmaker Davis Guggenheim follows Al Gore on the lecture circuit, as the former presidential candidate campaigns to raise public awareness of the dangers of global warming and calls for immediate action to curb its destructive effects on the environment.
Location: North side, University House
Time: 5pm
Wednesday 27th February
Peel Park Health Walk
‘Break Out’ get away from your desk, get moving and enjoy some time out of the office or lecture theatre. Have a walk and talk, meet new people, get some fresh air and enjoy some greenspace. No need to book on, just turn up! Please wear suitable clothing for the weather and flat grippy shoes or trainers. Bring a bottle of water.
Location: Meet outside the Park Keepers base behind Maxwell
Time: 12:30pm – 1pm
Film @ 5: Planet Earth 2: Islands and Cities
David Attenborough returns in this breathtaking documentary showcasing life on Planet Earth.
Location: North Side, University House
Time: 5pm
Thursday 28th February
Bike Maintenance
TfGM have arranged a maintenance training session with an expert instructor. Bring your bike along and learn how to conduct safety checks and maintenance for free! Limited spaces therefore booking is essential.
Location: University House
Time: 10am – 12pm
Book: Contact Neva on N.Mowl@salford.ac.uk
FrED Talks/Brutally Honest Conversations
‘What is the impact universities have and what can they do about it?’
Join us for four 10min FRED Talks ‘Friendly Earth Discussions’ followed by an open ‘Brutally Honest Conversation’ about current Campus and Environmental Issues. Guest representatives will include senior Univeristy staff, Academic staff, student groups, UoM Representative, MMU Representative and student officers.
Questions for the Brutally Honest Conversation can be submitted to Evie Adams via: ussu-vpst@salford.ac.uk
Location: North Side, University House
Time: 5:30pm – 8pm
Monday 4th March
Salfood Sustainability Commitment
Meat Free Mondays
Cutting out meat for just one day a week is a great way to improve both your health and the planets health! Find out more about the Meat Free campaign at https://www.meatfreemondays.com/
Recycling Roadshow – Allerton
For the final leg of the tour we will be stopping off at Allerton where we will be testing your knowledge on recycling with prizes to be won!
Location: Allerton
Time: 10am – 4pm
Tuesday 5th March
Eat Green Cakes
As part of Eat Green week, up until Thursday 7th March Salfood are offering ‘Plant Powered Treats’
Fairtrade Fun
Fairtrade changes the way trade works through better prices for the consumers, decent working conditions and most importantly a fairer deal for farmers and workers in developing countries. Treat yourself and cycle up a delicious free smoothie using Fairtrade bananas. Make your own banana smoothie using only the power of a bike!
Location: Clifford Whitworth
Time: 10am – 4pm
Wednesday 6th March
Peel Park Health Walk
‘Break Out’ get away from your desk, get moving and enjoy some time out of the office or lecture theatre. Have a walk and talk, meet new people, get some fresh air and enjoy some greenspace. No need to book on, just turn up! Please wear suitable clothing for the weather and flat grippy shoes or trainers. Bring a bottle of water.
Location: Meet outside the Park Keepers base behind Maxwell
Time: 12:30pm – 1pm
Thursday 7th March
Veggie Thursday
As part of National Veggie Month! Come down to Atmosphere for 50% off all of our veggie options!
Fairtrade Fun
Fairtrade changes the way trade works through better prices for the consumers, decent working conditions and most importantly a fairer deal for farmers and workers in developing countries. Treat yourself and cycle up a delicious free smoothie using Fairtrade bananas. Make your own banana smoothie using only the power of a bike!
From Monday 12th February – Friday 9th March we will be running a series of free events and activities around the University for Go Green Salford.
We have planned a whole range of activities to raise awareness of sustainability issues and provide opportunities for you to get involved and take action. Activities are open to all staff and students at the University and you can find all the details below.
Monday 12th February
Meat Free Monday 11.30-1.30pm
Having less meat in your diet can improve your health and helps to reduce the negative environmental impacts of eating meat, slowing climate change and preserving natural resources.
Join Salfood for their Meat Free Monday pop up at Maxwell Foyer. They will provide range of tasty veggie dishes to sample for just £1.00 a pot along with some freebie healthy snacks.
The Green Tea 2 – 3.30pm
Come and meet the Environmental Sustainability Team and find out more about their work and how you can make an impact. Share your views on what you think we should be doing in different areas of sustainability, whilst enjoying some hot drinks and cake.
Booking is required, click here to find out more about the event and register your attendance.
Tuesday 13th February
Travel Green Tuesday
Travelling by sustainable modes reduces the impact we have on the global environment but also locally with regards to a reduction in air and noise emissions. We aim to reduce the number of single occupancy vehicle trips to and from the University, and promote sustainable modes of transport such as cycling, walking, public transport or car sharing.
Post your green journey selfie to @UoS_Sustain and be in with a chance to win a prize!
Wednesday 14th February PLEASE NOTE, THIS HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO A LATER DATE DUE TO THE BAD WEATHER, WE WILL UPDATE YOU SOON
Wildlife Wednesday 2-3pm
Come and explore the Castle Irwell Urban Wetland, a flood basin created to help reduce flood risk, but also a new habitat for urban wildlife.
Led by the Environment Agency, the Castle Irwell basin is a joint project with Salford City Council, the University of Salford and the local community, and is sited on the old student village, beside the River Irwell.
Join us for a walk around the new site and see what wildlife you can spot. Meet at the Littleton Road entrance at 2pm. Contact us for more information.
Thursday 15th February
Throw-less Thursday 11am-3pm
Here at the University of Salford we aim to get our staff and students to re-think before they throw, by reusing or recycling their waste, or even better reducing it!
Test your knowledge, get top tips on how to recycle right and improve your recycling skills with our game. Visit our stall at Maxwell Foyer and be in with a chance of winning a prize!
Friday 16th February
Feel Good Friday
Look out for the Environmental Sustainability Team on Feel Good Friday!
We will be out and about on campus, talking to staff and students and snapping pictures of you with your sustainable pledges for our Twitter campaign. Come and tell us your sustainable New Year’s Resolution or send us a Tweet and a lucky winner will be chosen from our Twitter uploads.
Peel Park Walk 12.30-2pm
The Peel Park Keeper has arranged a stroll through the park and local area, to enjoy the scenery, with refreshments provided. Come and spring into action, stretch your legs and enjoy the fresh air.
Make your pledge for the NUS SDG Teach-In week to raise awareness of why the Sustainable Development Goals should be at the heart of further and higher education. Help catalyse the change needed to make this happen. Click here to make your Teach-In pledge.
Monday 19th February
Meat Free Monday
Tweet @UoS_Sustain a photo of your #meatfreemonday lunch or dinner and you could win a prize!
Tuesday 20th February
Travel Green Tuesday 12-2pm
It is important to get your bike serviced to improve its longevity and ensure it runs effectively to keep you safe on your daily commute. Get your bike serviced free of charge by Dr. Bike, via TfGM. Book in your 15 minute slot by emailing Neva.
Wednesday 21st February
Wildlife Wednesday 12-3.30pm
Join our Environmental Sustainability Team for our Wildlife Wednesday theme and build bug hotels using reused items. You could make a home for solitary bees, lacewings or ladybirds. Join in with the fun, our stall will be located by the SU foyer area.
Thursday 22nd February
Throw-less Thursday 11am-3pm
Take part in our Throw-less Thursday quiz and recycling game to test your knowledge. Drop into our stall at Allerton, take part and you could win a sustainable themed prize!
Friday 23rd February
Feel Good Friday
The Team will be out and about again collecting sustainable pledges from you and giving out a prize at the end of the day!
Monday 26th February
Meat Free Monday 11.30am – 1.30pm
Salfood will be hosting a Meat Free Monday popup at Allerton foyer area. Come and enjoy some veggie treats for just £1.00 a pot, along with some freebie healthy snacks.
Tuesday 27th February
Travel Green Tuesday 12-2pm
We have organised a bike maintenance training session with TfGM. This session will provide a hands on experience led by an expert instructor. Bring your bike along and learn how to do safety checks and maintenance. This session is free of charge and will take place in Peel LG14, booking is required via Eventbrite.
Wednesday 28th February
Fairtrade Film screening 1-3pm
We will be hosting a film screening for Fairtrade as part of Fairtrade Fortnight. There will also be a presentation and an open discussion with refreshments provided. Join us at Newton 234 for the screening, booking required here.
Thursday 1st March
Throw-less Thursday 11-3pm
We will be hosting our Throw-less Thursday at Media City foyer. Join the team and get involved in our recycling quiz and game. You’ll be in with a chance to win a sustainability themed prize!
Friday 2nd March
Feel Good Friday
Keep an eye out for us around campus and come and share your sustainable pledge to be in with a chance of winning a prize!
Monday 5th March
Peel Park Volunteers 12:30-2:30pm
Make a difference by volunteering and join the Park Keeper in Peel Park to obtain a hands on experience with some practical tasks. Enjoy, chat and exchange skills. Equipment and refreshments will be provided. Booking is required here. Be sure to wear suitable clothing and footwear.
Tuesday 6th March
The Big DSAS Tidy Up 10-11.30am / Craft Session 2-3pm
Come and pitch in for the community and the environment by litter picking. DSAS will be hosting a litter pick session in the morning, followed by a craft session in the afternoon where you can see what you can create with waste!
Meet outside New Adelphi café.
Wednesday 7th March
Greenpower Electric Car Challenge Launch 9.30am-1pm
The University of Salford will be participating in the Greenpower Electric Car Challenge, and are holding a launch event in the New Adelphi Theatre. At the launch you will hear from the ICZ Director of Engineering & Environments and top industry professionals from Prodrive, Siemens and Jaguar Land Rover about how the scheme operates and how and why to get involved.
For further information and registration see Eventbrite.
Thursday 8th March
Fairtrade Fun 11am-3pm
Fairtrade changes the way trade works through better prices for the consumers, decent working conditions and most importantly a fairer deal for farmers and workers in developing countries.
Treat yourself and cycle up a delicious free smoothie using Fairtrade fruits. Join us at Maxwell foyer.
Friday 9th March
Feel Good Friday
Find us around the university campus, get your picture taken with your sustainable pledges for our Twitter campaign. Make your sustainable pledge for the rest of the year and a winner will be selected for a prize!
For more information about any of the events, please contact Neva Mowl.
We are very proud to annouce that the University of Salford has won two Green Gown Awards last week for community and student research projects at a prestigious ceremony in the cultural quarter of Leicester.
Established in 2004, the Green Gown Awards recognise the exceptional sustainability initiatives being undertaken by universities, colleges and the learning and skills sectors across the UK and Ireland as the education sector leads a path to efficiency, employability and better quality of life for us all.
The education sector is a critical player in ensuring the next generation is equipped with the skills and experience required to provide a sustainable future. The Green Gown Awards celebrate pioneers that are taking the bold steps that are necessary to develop resilience and adaptability and to showcase the education sector’s contribution to society.
Our Castle Irwell Flood Basin Project took home the best Community award. Floods from the River Irwell periodically devastate the lives of the families and businesses in the Lower Broughton and Kersall areas of Salford, most recently on Boxing Day 2015. The project brings together the University, local communities, the local authority and the Environment Agency in an innovative partnership to create a flood protection scheme designed to safeguard over 1400 homes and 500 businesses, provide a high quality 5.5ha wetland wildlife habitat and improve sports facilities for local and student groups. Check out a fantastic video about the scheme here.
We are also super proud of one of our students Danielle Butler, who studies in the Sustainable Housing and Urban Studies (SHUSU) unit, also won in the Student Research category for her research which explored fuel poverty among young adult households. She was one of only three student research project finalists. You can watch a video about Danielle’s research here.
Although we didn’t win, our Choose to reUSe project was also shortlisted in the Facilities and Services category for realising savings of almost £0.5m over the last five years by reusing over 600 items across the University. Go here to watch a video about the Choose to reUse project. If you are staff at the University and have any items that you no longer need that could be reused please register and list them at www.warp-it.co.uk/UniversityOfSalford We are currently listing items from the old Adelphi building so similarly if there is anything you need for your office please check the website and if you know of any local charities, community groups or small businesses, encourage them to sign up and partner with us to claim items!
The judging panel consisted of over 80 representatives from the diversity of the education sector and experts in the various fields, including Universities UK, Department of Energy and Climate Change, PwC, WWF and the United Nations Environment Programme.
Welcome back staff and students to another big year at the University of Salford! The sustainability team have a number of exciting initiatives planned for this year including the university’s involvement in Green Impact for a second year.
The team want to firstly say a big thank you to Charlie Spring for all the hard work she put in during 2013/14. Charlie spearheaded the inaugural year of Green Impact which was a huge success and a real tribute to Charlie’s work. She got eleven staff teams on board and supported them throughout the year. She also recruited and trained a number of students as Project Assistants and Auditors providing them with valuable transferrable skills and sustainability knowledge to assist them in their employment. We are lucky to be keeping Charlie within the university where she will be undertaking a PhD in food waste so we look forward to seeing her around. Thanks Charlie!
Our new Sustainable Behaviours Assistant for 2014/15 is Shaun Wykes. Shaun studied law and environmental science at the Australian National University and during his university years he was involved with sustainability on campus including organising events, working with other students on campaigns and writing case studies about the sustainable initiatives that departments were undertaking.
Shaun said, “I’m very excited to be working with the team at the University of Salford to continue the great work of Green Impact into its second year here. This programme is a unique opportunity for staff to follow defined steps to make real sustainable change within their department and for students to access invaluable work experience and knowledge.”
Green Impact is an NUS scheme which began in 2006, and has grown rapidly to now work with over 50 Universities and Colleges, over 100 Students’ Unions, and ever increasing numbers of community organisations, reaching over 44,000 employees across the country – all coming together to lessen their environmental impact.
The central team at NUS and the Environment & Sustainability Team at University will help support teams through the process, as well as providing a wealth of online resources to help make changes across the University.
Over thirty volunteer Student Project Assistants are being trained this week to provide extra support to teams and then next Thursday November 13th from 12-2pm Green Impact will be launched for 2014/15. The launch event will be held in the Students’ Union Activities Space in University House. This event is open to anyone interested in participating or wanting to find out more about the scheme. Please register your attendance by clicking here.
Bec Bennett, Environment & Sustainability Officer said, “We are very excited to be participating in Green Impact again this year. Last year saw some fantastic efforts by staff and student volunteers. We’re hoping to build on that with the development of a new workbook, more resources and we have a great team of student volunteers all ready to be trained to support the staff teams! We have even introduced a new Platinum level which we know some of last year’s teams will be striving for!”
If you have any further queries email Shaun Wykes; s.wykes@salford.ac.uk or click here for more information and stay tuned to hear about more initiatives happening throughout the year.
We are very proud to announce that two of our Green Impact Award Winners have also been recognised at the national Green Impact Awards.
Congratulations to the School of Computing, Science & Engineering’s Daniel Wadsworth, and undergraduate students Laura Reed and Callum Hill!
We are very proud to announce that two of our Green Impact Award Winners have also been recognised at the national Green Impact Awards.
Congratulations to the School of Computing, Science & Engineering’s Daniel Wadsworth, and undergraduate students Laura Reed and Callum Hill!
Programme Administrator Daniel scooped a Highly Commended prize, in the category of Environmental Hero, receiving his special award at a ceremony that took place in Manchester on Wednesday 9 July 2014.
Daniel receiving his national Green Impact Award from Jamie Agombar, NUS Environmental and Ethics ManagerLaura and Callum receiving their University Green Impact Speical Award from Vice-Chancellor, Professor Martin Hall.
Undergraduate students Laura Reed and Callum Hill won a ‘Highly Commended’ in the national Environmental Improvement Award category for their work in creating a wildlife friendly garden at their accommodation site at Salford Student Village.
The University’s Green Impact Awards encourage colleagues to make positive changes to improve the sustainability of their workplaces. These range from replacing bottle-fed water coolers to running Switch-Off campaigns and reducing paper use – small steps towards a greener working environment.
Teams have reported a number of positive outcomes, including getting to know colleagues better, greater understanding of environmental sustainability and empowerment to adopt energy-saving behaviours at home as well as work.
To find out more about taking part in Green Impact, please email Bec Bennett at r.a.bennett@salford.ac.uk.
As part of this year’s University Day celebrations, our Special Awards winners were invited onto the stage to receive their recycled slate awards, marking a year of extra efforts towards making Salford and the wider community a greener place. Our award-winners were photographed with Martin Hall (see below), and Special Mention winners were given framed certificates.
So why did they win? Read about our winners below. Looking forward to seeing next year’s entries!
Winner- Daniel Wadsworth
Daniel was nominated by his Green Impact team (Team Green CSE, based in Newton Building). He has been instrumental in promoting numerous sustainability initiatives around the University. He has shown strong leadership, inspiring his team to implement changes to their office that make it a more environmentally-friendly and pleasant place to work.
Daniel has made a positive impact in leading the School of Computing, Science and Engineering to operate more responsibly towards the environment. Daniel’s enthusiasm and encouragement led Green CSE to victory in February’s ‘Go for Gold’ challenge by completing the most Green Impact actions over one week out of 12 participating teams. A team member says: “Despite our initial reluctance, participation in the scheme has allowed us to embed the values of environmental sustainability into the way we work and create momentum for sustainability across the school.” The team is also one of only two teams to achieve a Green Impact Gold Award this year.
Daniel is also engaged with sustainability initiatives in his local community, including organising community volunteer litter picking around Trafford. He assists in the running of a community allotment growing and selling fruit and vegetables and holds local events to promote organic food growing. Daniel has also participated in a ‘free breakfast’ initiative providing meals to his community, which included providing a warm meal on Christmas Day. He helps a local scout group, teaching young people about the importance of conservation.
The team concludes: “We feel that Daniel deserves this recognition due to the outstanding environmental effort he has made and how he has acted successfully to influence change without any expectation of reward”.
Special mention- Lauren Broderick
Lauren, a Sports Centre staff member, did not previously see sustainability considerations as part of her daily work, but took to Green Impact like a duck to water and has made a great effort to engage the rest of her team in making the Sports Centre greener. She has designed posters, promoted sustainable transport to colleagues and labelled switches around the office to remind staff to use energy efficiently. She has led the team to win a Green Impact Silver Award and is looking forward to going for Gold next year!
Special mention-Bogumila Jeziorska
Bogumila is a Masters student at the School of Environment and Life Sciences. She has given many hours volunteering to assist the Green Impact and Student Switch Off schemes- visiting students, auditing Green Impact teams and participating in her own School’s team, Green ELS. Inspired by www.everycancouts.co.uk, she started to recycle cans at her work place and from February to April recycled over 1000 cans. She says “the energy saved by recycling four cans is enough to run a washing machine for one hour!”. Her workmates were inspired to follow her lead and now save cans themselves. She bought a tree to plant in Macclesfield Forest with the money earned from saving cans.
Innovation for Engagement
Winner- Team S.U.R.G.E (Salford University Response to the Green Environment: Receptions & Security) for their ‘Green Alerts’ reporting system
The team have been developing a process to enable front line Estates Security staff, handypersons and building attendants to log Green Alerts which can include: – lights left on in classrooms/offices when they are not in use, windows left open (particularly where the heating is also on), radiators set too high, waste not sorted into appropriate recycling bins and PCs left switched on out of hours. The team has produced a Green Alert card which can be left in offices as a gentle reminder to consider environmental impacts of behaviour in the workplace. ‘Green issues’ can also be logged onto the Facilities Management System (CAFM). If the issue applies to a shared space or is recurring in a particular location, the Building Manager will visit the school or department office to offer advice. The team would like to roll the system out across the University to enable student reps and other nominated staff to log Green Alerts. As incidents will be logged on CAFM, this will allow the administration team to run reports and identify any ‘hotspots’ to target and in the long term to demonstrate positive culture change across the University regarding environmental issues.
Environmental Improvement
Winner- Laura Reed and Callum Hill for: Bee-friendly wild patches
Laura and Callum, both undergraduates, have established flower beds to attract wildlife to the grounds of John Lester/ Eddie Colman Court. The beds are soon to flower for their second season and have been expanded to provide more suitable habitat for the invertebrate species that occur here, with specific interest in helping the declining bumblebee population. They say “All plants are British and bee friendly. We have done our best to choose plants that flower across the seasons to give bees the longest food source possible and also for aesthetic purposes. Last year’s flower bed was very colourful and we hope that the three new ones are just as successful.” Species include foxglove, echinacea and daffodils, allium, crocus and snowdrop, and wild flowers throughout. The herb corner includes bees’ favourite: sage, thyme, marjoram and lemon balm. Laura and Callum have been assisting the Sustainability team with the ongoing Incredible Edible Salford project, resulting in planting choices that consider wildlife as well as human food needs!
The flower beds and their overturned soil provide forage for birds, too. Laura has introduced bird feeders in the trees and has spotted tits, greenfinches, blackbirds and robins taking advantage of the new food sources. Laura says “I am so happy that the staff at John Lester/Eddie Colman Court have been 100% behind me on making these grounds a home for wildlife.”
Special mention- Centre for Sustainable Urban and Regional Futures (SURF)
SURF has always regarded sustainability as a key focus of its work. The SURF Centre is committed to reducing its environmental impact and encouraging sustainable, responsible human behaviour. The team used the Green Impact workbook to assess its working practices and realised that its sustainability credentials were already strong. However, the programme has been a way to continually seek further opportunities for positive change. Ideas discussed included lunchtime campus rubbish collections and windows boxes. New practices include the use of Fairtrade refreshment products at events and electronic pack information sent out to participants prior to attending events with the aim of reducing the need to print thus reducing waste and saving ink and paper. The Centre is a strong advocate for social and environmental sustainability and its efforts deserve to be recognised.
Special mention-University of Salford Grounds Maintenance team
Peter Proctor and his team of gardeners have provided unstinting support to the sustainability team this year, enabling staff and students to connect with the University grounds through such initiatives as Incredible Edible Salford (facilitating regular open-access food growing sessions), as well as their ongoing work to enrich and diversify our green infrastructure, despite some of this being lost to building work. They have provided ideas along the way, such as planting potatoes for students at Castle Irwell to harvest, considering the practical and ecological, as well as aesthetic, impacts of the gardens.
Community Action
Winner- Diana Baker for: Go Keen Go Green (and colleagues)
Diana, an undergraduate in the School of Environment and Life Sciences, has been involved with Green Impact since it began, taking part in regular trainings and acting as the Project Assistant for the Green ELS team. She has helped lead and motivate the team, keeping in regular contact, assessing progress and arranging meetings. She also recruited members of ELS for her community project, ‘Be Keen Go Green’. Aiming to educate community members about environmental issues, she set up a Facebook group whose members share environmental tips. She has also organised events such as a tour of Salford’s Biospheric Foundation and an information day at Longsight Library. She created promotional resources and branding to engage students and the wider community.
Special mention- Energy House Team
Engaging with communities outside the University is integral to the Energy Hub’s operation, with one of its core functions being to provide advice and experimental assistance to manufacturers and installers of energy efficiency products. The project Green Deal Go Early, based at the Energy Hub, engages with Carbon Coop to monitor the internal conditions and reduce energy use of the Coop members’ properties. The Energy House Green Impact team shares an office with CVD Technologies and has worked with them when implementing Green Impact actions such as providing recycling bins and energy efficiency advice. Several actions applied to public access areas, extending Green Impact beyond the team.
Student Leadership
Winner- Moshe C. Kinn
On behalf of the Energy Hub team, Moshe threw himself into the Green Impact project from its launch and, as the team’s trained Project Assistant, took lead in ensuring that the programme was fully implemented within and beyond the department. Moshe, A PhD student researching the use of DC electrical current in reducing energy consumption, devised and promoted a campus-wide ‘Crush and Bin It’ campaign, advocating for can-crushing stations to be installed around campus and promoting the display of posters near recycling bins to reduce waste volumes and thus carbon emissions. Moshe has engaged his team to implement a number of actions around waste, energy, ethical food and travel that go beyond the demands of Green Impact. For example, by calculating the energy and financial savings of using a timer-controlled switch for the hot water boiler in the staff kitchen and communicating this to other Green Impact teams, Moshe has contributed to the development of Green Impact as a hub of good practice and cooperative working.
Green Impact Award
Winner: Daniel Wadsworth
Winner: Team S.U.R.G.E
Winner: Laura Reed & Callum Hill
Winner: Diana Baker
Winner: Moshen Kinn
Martin Hall and Daniel Wadsworth
Martin Hall with Team S.U.R.G.E
Martin Hall, Laura Reed and Callum Hill
Martin Hall and Diana Baker
Martin Hall with Moshe Kinn
Congratulations to students living in Eddie Coleman halls of residence who have won the 2013-14 Student Switch Off competition. They saved the most electricity per person over this academic year, reducing their consumption by 7% compared to previous years!
Eddie Coleman hall will be getting a Ben and Jerry’s party as their reward. Eddie Coleman residents please keep an eye out for posters and emails with more details.
Sophia Perkins from the NUS says “Together, University of Salford halls residents have reduced their carbon emissions by 5 tonnes which is equivalent to making almost 1milion cups of tea! It just goes to show that small actions can make a real difference in the fight against climate change. Thanks to everyone for all your energy saving efforts. If you’re living outside of halls next year then chances are you’ll be paying you own bills, so keep switching the lights off, putting lids on your pans and wrapping up warm to keep your bills as low as possible!!”
There are still chances to win prizes by switching off. ‘Like’ the Facebook page ‘University of Salford Student Switch Off’ (www.facebook.com/salfordsso) to keep up to date with our regular Facebook competitions.
Eddie Colman hall is part of Salford Student Village, run by CLV. The CLV team have also been working hard this year to complete their Green Impact bronze award. As well as greening their offices, they have supported students Laura Reed and Callum Hill to create bee-friendly wild patches. Laura and Callum are now involved with widening their project to other spaces around the university, planting wildflowers for pollinators as part of the IncredibleEdible Salford food planting sessions, for example.
Anie Dearden, Village Director, gave us an insight into some of the ways her team have embraced sustainable change: “Salford Student Village staff and residents took part in a litter pick of the local area last week. The eco-warrior team put two hours of their day aside picking up rubbish from the road sides, bushes and paths that surround the premises, reversing the harmful effects that littering causes to the environment. The litter pick was very successful and over eighteen bin bags of rubbish were collected, finding various objects from umbrellas to car parts. The Salford Student Village team are very happy with the efforts of both staff and residents alike and hope that residents will take these green initiatives and live by them long after their stay at the Village.”
Come and meet the Environmental Sustainability Team and find out more about their work and how you can make an impact. Share your views on what you think we should be doing in different areas of sustainability, whilst enjoying some hot drinks and cake.
Travel Green Tuesday 12-2pm
Meat Free Monday 11.30am – 1.30pm
We are very proud to annouce that the University of Salford has won two 
who studies in the Sustainable Housing and Urban Studies (SHUSU) unit, also won in the Student Research category for her research which explored fuel poverty among young adult households. She was one of only three student research project finalists. You can watch a video about Danielle’s research 
ok, more resources and we have a great team of student volunteers all ready to be trained to support the staff teams! We have even introduced a new Platinum level which we know some of last year’s teams will be striving for!”
