Wednesday 23-08-2023 - 14:38

Wrexham Glyndŵr Students’ Union is proud to have been awarded the score of ‘Excellent’ in this year’s Green Impact initiative.

The scheme is assessed by Students Organising for Sustainability (SOS), and is ‘designed to support environmentally and socially sustainable practice within organisations’. SOS, who’ve worked with over 500 organisations to date, has a history of working in a range of sectors including universities, students’ unions, hospitals and councils.

 

Carrie Bennett, Membership Project Coordinator, said: “We’re thrilled to have received the highest possible accreditation from the SOS-led Green Impact initiative.

 

“As a students’ union, we have worked tirelessly to achieve this award through a number of campaigns from hosting our first ever clothing exchange in February, to our most successful campaign of the year, Help Yourshelf.”

 

Help Yourshelf was introduced in October 2022 to support students in the hardship of the cost-of-living crisis. The campaign offers food and other household essentials to students in need, which they can come and collect from the Help Yourshelf cupboard in the Students’ Union building. Introduced by the Student Voice Coordinator, Katie Taffinder, there are also bundled items on offer such as meal kits, which contain ingredients to prepare a full meal at home. The campaign has received media attention, featuring on ITV news in May alongside a visit from Wrexham’s local MP, Sarah Atherton, in January.

 

As another crucial contributor to this year’s Green Impact award, Katie said: “It’s sad in a way that Help Yourshelf is so successful through the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, but we’re grateful to have gathered funding from the University to continue supporting students for the next year.

 

“We have a clear plan to continue working with FareShare and Neighbourly, and with the support of Carrie, we will help students to plan meals in an effort to reduce food waste.”

The Fare Share and Neighbourly initiatives work by redistributing surplus food from supermarkets such as Tesco, Aldi and Lidl to charities and local communities that are able to make use of it and in turn, reduce food waste.

 

The Students’ Union also has its Sustainability Working Group, which meets regularly to discuss ways that we can contribute to a more sustainable and ethical environment. Collaborating with the University’s Green Glyndwr group alongside the Students’ Union’s Sustainability Officer has been an integral part of this, and together we have been able to continue working hard to lead by example on responsible practice.

 

On the Union’s return to Green Impact, this score showcases the dedication to sustainable and ethical practices which has aided Wrexham students’ wellbeing in the last year whilst helping to take care of our environment. WGSU wants to lead by example and being able to showcase an ‘Excellent’ score will not only encourage students, but the wider community to always think green.

 

 

Written by Lauren Hole, Communications & Engagement Coordinator

 

 

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