Mar
Winners announced for University’s first Sustainability Action Awards
University of Southampton held the first Sustainability Action Awards last week, with staff and students being praised for their commitment to sustainable practices both within and outside of the institution.
More than 50 people attended the ceremony which took place on Wednesday 26 March to celebrate the initiatives being undertaken by both individuals and groups. Students’ Union President David Gilani and Chief Operating Officer Malcolm Ace were on hand to present the awards, with the event being led by the University’s Sustainability Champion, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Judith Petts CBE.
Oliver Robinson won the award for Outstanding Individual Student Contribution due to his work with a Hampshire-based Scout group. Last year, Robinson led 11, 14 to 18 year old Scouts to the Everest region of the Himalayas on a six-week expedition to Nepal. The Outstanding Individual Staff Contribution award was won by Dr Tony Curran who developed a game show to interactively educate students about responsible citizenship and the importance of reducing their carbon footprint.
Cameroon Catalyst, which aims to improve the provision of infrastructure in a village in eastern Cameroon took home the prize for Outstanding Performance by a Group of Students, having developed a medical centre, school buildings, and a sustainable electricity supply in the area in the past four years. Student volunteers who work on the project include Charlie Steer, Charlotte McCarthy, Ant Morris, Gervaise Turbervill, Katherine Morgan, Charlotte Youe, Emily Smith, Mikey Harper, Daniel Crisp and Matt Duckett.
Elsewhere, the Outstanding Sustainability Performance by a Group of Staff award was presented to Jenny Dodds, Richard Lakin, Amy Street, Kathy Tier and Gill Warner of NETSCC cycling promotion team who promoted Cycle to Work day in September. The final prize for Outstanding Partnership Between Staff and Students was won by the Sustainability Zone team, who have worked tirelessly to embed sustainability as a core value within SUSU, and promote a more sustainable student life. Team members included Beckie Thomas, Nickola Moore, Teresa Kennard, Wild Bottomley, Charlotte Hollands and Tom Gleeson.
The University’s Carbon Management fund, which aims to reduce the institution’s carbon emissions and make our campuses more sustainable, supported the event.
Words: Howell Davies
Tags: Cameroon Catalyst, Emily Smith, Jenny Dodds, Mikey Harper
