Last year, NUS was honored to win a UNESCO award for our pioneering work Education for Sustainable Development, through Green Impact. We used part of our prize money to award microgrants to Green Impact particpants, to support their work with sustainability. Here are some of the fantastic things they've been up to. 

Making sports services sustainable at the University of Sussex 

Thanks to Green Impact microgrant support, Sussexsport has purchased an electric bike.

Duty Manager Ben Ospalak, who applied for the NUS microgrant, explained:

"Sussexsport staff regularly travel between our two sites on campus - the Sport Centre and Falmer Sports Complex - and need to transport items between facilities, but there are a lot of hills! We wanted to reduce staff car use to make sure we could model the green practices exemplified by the Green Impact Scheme. The electric bike has allowed us to create a truly green alternative to driving around campus, and the basket allows us to transport heavy items that would be difficult to walk with. We're really happy to have been awarded the grant and hope other departments may see us riding around and be inspired to do the same!"

This is part of a wider aim to find innovative ways to make the sports service sustainable, from small, tangible actions such as ensuring lights are switched off, and printing double-sided, to reducing car use around campus and encouraging environmentally-friendly ways to get active - like walking! 

Raising awareness through film at the University of Brighton

Staff at the University of Brighton held a screening of Before the Flood, a highly informative and emboldening documentary about climate change, thanks to microgrant funding. They were really pleased with the turn out - students (who could attend for free), staff and members of the public - which totalled 75 people!

Growing a community garden at the University of Strathclyde

With support from NUS (thanks to our UNESCO award!) Strathclyde have invested in their community garden. They've introduced a greater variety of crops, with more crop rotation, gotten more staff involved, focussed on biodiversity, committed to local collaboration, bought a birdfeeder and new tools, and held a workshop to make a sign (see above). Phew, well done on all the hard work! 

The University of East Anglia asked: water you doing with your water? 

UEA ran a water saving compeition, in tandem with World Water Day, and used their microgrant to fund prizes! Entrants could either use meters to measure their consumption during a month, or enter a photo competition about water saving. Evidently, some took a humorous approach...!

Welcoming bugs, bats and birds at the University of Chester 

The University of Chester wanted to use their microgrant to increase biodiversity on campus. They got students and staff on board, educating about the importance of biodiversity and holding a woodwork workshop to build bug hotels, and bird and bat boxes! We hope the critters thanked you all for your efforts.