Member Article

Eco-friendly students make impact

Northumbria University’s Students’ Union was celebrating last week after winning a silver award in the Sound Impact Awards. The awards act as an accreditation scheme for environmental best practice in Students’ Unions in both Further and Higher Education.

Northumbria’s Students’ Union has been involved in several initiatives over the past year in a bid to boost their ‘green’ credentials. These have included recycling of paper, mobile phones and bar waste, organising clothes Swap Shops and working with University staff to cut down on energy usage in halls of residence.

Martin Farr, President of the Students’ Union, said: “It’s absolutely fantastic to receive such a prestigious award, and coming just a couple of weeks after winning Best Bar None award for the most socially responsible club in Newcastle, it really shows that Northumbria Students’ Union is focussed on being a truly ethical organisation as students’ unions should.

“With climate change becoming an increasing problem in the world we believe that it is important for the Students’ Union to lead the way in reducing its negative impact on the environment and this award for being one of the top ten environmentally minded Students’ Unions in the country really proves we’ve done that. The award is even more special to us as the founder of the scheme, Anna Heywood, was a student at Northumbria.”

Anna, who also audits the sound impact awards, said: “Given a bit of fun competition, the evidence shows that Students’ Unions have really striven to improve and out-do each other this year which was one of the original aims of the scheme.”

Northumbria was one of just six Students’ Unions among 67 who entered to win a silver award.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .