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News | Global Citizens

UPP Foundation announces student sustainability projects funded through innovative competition

A new programme has funded groups of students at three UK universities, giving them the resources to put their sustainability related ideas into practice.

The UPP Foundation is delighted to announce the projects funded through its Student Sustainability Fund – a pilot scheme launched at Exeter, Hull and Leeds Beckett universities.

The three student-led groups, who will each receive £1,000 to deliver their projects between now and April are:

  • EKOLAY (University of Hull). This data-driven project will create a dashboard to improve flood risk management, displaying interactive maps, trends and alerts. The dashboard will give real-time insights into water flow and flooding risk, while serving as a focal point for raising awareness and engaging students in climate action. 
  • Stitch by Stitch (University of Exeter). This group of sustainable fashion enthusiasts will take on unsustainable “fast fashion”, encouraging their fellow students to reuse, repair and swap clothing to reduce the amount of cheap clothes bought and wasted. The project includes a series of talks from subject matter experts, clothing repair workshops, and clothes swap events, as the group aims to encourage long-term changes in students’ habits.
  • Reclaimed Community Post Box Space (Leeds Beckett University). This project will encourage students to get involved in local sustainability initiatives by promoting them via on-campus ‘community post boxes’ constructed using reclaimed materials. These will also serve to prompt dialogue with students as they post their own ideas about how to support the sustainability agenda.

The projects were chosen through a competitive process by a panel of experts at each location, made up of sustainability leads and subject matter experts from the university along with representatives from UPP. Applicants were required to present a detailed proposal explaining the aims, method and budget of their project, before answering questions from the expert panel.

Supported by a member of Students Organising for Sustainability’s staff team, the varied and exciting projects chosen at each location will show what a small and committed group of students can do in the field of sustainability.

After the projects are completed, one will be announced as the overall winner. The victorious team will be awarded a paid placement at the UPP Foundation, which includes free accommodation at Garden Halls, the University of London and UPP accommodation in central London.

Kay Cameron, UPP Foundation & Social Purpose Manager said:

“The UPP Foundation is excited to announce the three projects funded through our inaugural Student Sustainability Fund. Good luck to the student teams who have been selected by our expert panels. I look forward to seeing the results of their hard work and I hope the students find their projects fulfilling, rewarding and game-changing.”

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