University’s Week of Activities Shows How to Live More Sustainably

Students came together to bring about a week of themed activities at the University of Worcester designed to inspire people to live more sustainably.

The University’s annual Go Green Week saw students working with staff, Worcester Students’ Union and external organisations to put on a series of events, raising awareness of sustainable living practices and showing people how to implement them.

The week was a blend of in-person and online events and activities open to students, staff and the community. These included a Repair Café, allowing people to bring in items for repair so that they would not end up in landfill, a guided birdwatching walk on campus, a community litter pick and a terrarium-making workshop.

There were also a number of stands run by the students, giving visitors the chance to make bug hotels and bird feeders, learn how to make affordable nutritious recipes and about sustainable food production and how to waste less, learn more about re-using items and pick up a free plant.

A number of external companies came in to share their expertise, such as Worcestershire County Council’s Let’s Waste Less team and Worcestershire Wildlife Trust.

Students also welcomed children from Oldbury Park Primary School who took part in some of the activities. Online workshops included Sustainability in Future Careers, a Carbon Literacy Taster Session and another on climate justice, decolonising and decarbonising.

Sam Rogers, a first year Environmental Management and Sustainability student, was part of the student group running stalls with games that made people think about their everyday actions. “The week overall went well I believe; there was plenty of different activities that were available for people to do,” he said. “I learnt quite a lot with the different games that my fellow students ran and the other guests that came in as well, bringing their experience. Specifically, I learnt how to identify certain garden birds easier than before through the birdwatching session and how much food the UK wastes every day, which was quite staggering.

“It is important for the University to hold events like this as it can set the example for the community as well as influence the actions of people on campus to try and become more sustainable.”

The University’s Director of Sustainability, Katy Boom, said: "We are thrilled to see the positive impact of our sustainability initiatives on campus. The engagement and commitment of our students and staff have been instrumental in driving meaningful change. The blend of in-person activities and online events means we can reach a broader audience.

“This success is a testament to the collective effort and dedication to building a more sustainable future for our university and the wider community. We look forward to continuing this momentum and implementing further impactful sustainability projects often co-created with our students and the Students' Union."

The University of Worcester has earned an outstanding national reputation for sustainability.

In 2019 it was named Sustainability Institution of the Year in the Green Gown Awards for UK and Ireland and went on to be Globally Highly Commended at the 2020 International Green Gown Awards, at the United Nations in New York.

The University of Worcester was recently awarded First Class Honours in the latest People & Planet national rankings. It is the 14th straight year that the University, one of Britain’s most sustainable, has earned First Class Honours. People & Planet’s University League placed the University ninth out of 151 UK institutions in its latest 2023/24 table, which ranks universities by environmental and ethical performance.