14 | SUSTAINABILIT Y: PROJECTS | NEWS AND CURRENT AFFAIR S Read a related story: click here
Eco by Birmingham City University Students’ Union (BCUSU) aims to help students live more sustainable lives. Project Manager Harinder Matharu explains more
✥ What is the main thinking behind the project? Eco by BCUSU’s main aim is to help students to lead more sustainable lives, in turn developing our BCU community into one that is more aware and mindful of green issues and proactive in its approach to overcoming them. The project is to be as student led as possible, and the activities will promote sustainability and highlight the strong link between wellbeing, creativity and our interaction with the natural world. Our EcoFund will support creative and
innovative student and staff enterprises that are linked to sustainability and wellbeing. We will be working with similar projects in the wider Birmingham and Black Country community, collaborating ideas and providing volunteer support. At the end of our project we hope to
K E Y E C O T H EME S 1# GROW:
ENCOURAGING STUDENTS TO RECONNECT WITH THEIR FOOD
2# REUSE:
RUNNING CLOTHES AND BOOK COLLECTIONS ACROSS CAMPUS FOR OXFAM
3# UPCYCLE:
ENCOURAGE STAFF AND STUDENTS TO UPCYCLE ITEMS THEY WOULD OTHERWISE THROW AWAY
4# LEARN:
ENCOURAGING DEBATE AROUND GREEN TOPICS, RANGING FROM ETHICAL FASHION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
have engaged students who will be more sustainable, creative and employable and have a greater understanding about how their wellbeing is linked to the natural world. The project, led by Emily Thomson-
Bell, is funded by the Students’ Green Fund. Eco is part of 25 projects across the country, which will engage 50,000 students across the country and save 4,000 tonnes of CO2.
✥ Who is involved with the project? We are working with a number of partners and have many projects running including a £10,000 eco fund whereby we are funding student and staff-led projects. Examples include the Renew project where we are running upcycling furniture workshops for staff and students. We also have the BCU Bees initiative which includes seting up two apiaries at the University, one at our new allotment site and one at our city centre site. Our onsite allotment project is a
collaborative effort between our BA Landscape Architect course, headed by Russell Good, and BCU Growing Compassion, a School of Health project run by Jennifer Obbard. The allotment will be at our City South Campus and
the build is scheduled for the end of April. Designed as part of a first year BA Landscape Architecture Module, the site will support our café with fresh produce, act as an outdoor workshop area for students, be a foraging site for students and staff, encourage biodiversity on campus and students to reconnect with their food and allow them to produce it in an urban seting. We will have two electric vans that will
drive around our campuses: one will be a mobile catering van selling fairtrade and organic drinks as well as hot food made from fresh produce from our allotment. The other will be a pop-up shop that will sell our upcycled goods. We are working with a number of
societies to help with the Eco Project such as our textiles society (called the BCU Crafters) and our fashion society, running regular workshops for staff and student members.
We are also working with various partners including:
Student Eats and the Chelsea Flower Show: Student Eats help turn areas of campuses into growing spaces. This year they have a garden at the Chelsea Flower Show and
Grow, reuse, upcycle, learn...
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