Current Events & Campaigns
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Green Impact Aimed at Staff
September 2011 – April 2012
Event History
In 2010 14 departments took part, encompassing over 370 members of staff. In all, 15 teams were created across MMU and an incredible 234 initiatives undertaken in just six months. Find out more.
What is it?
Green Impact is a two-year project funded by The Environmental Association of Universities and Colleges (EAUC). Lots of universities are taking part across the country, and MMU has had some great results in our first year of taking part. Green Impact challenges departments to implement a number of easy practical actions that will help the environment.
In a nutshell, university departments and student unions agree to work towards an accreditation- bronze, silver or gold- based on the number of environmental actions they carry out to make their workplace greener. Find out more and how you and your team can get involved.
Here’s what some of staff said about taking part in Green Impact:
“We wanted to contribute to making the department more efficient and sustainable, whilst negating our effect on the environment. Our department had already implemented a lot of green measures so it wasn’t too much hassle to provide evidence of these and to go for a green impact award. We had a few meetings to look at the criteria to see where we needed to develop and improve, and then we just did it. It was good for everyone to be able to take stock, get involved and start to make a difference.”
— John Burgess, Director of Student Services
“The Accommodation Office team was always proactive in thinking of ways of reducing our waste and recycling more and the Green Impact provided an avenue for us to identify exactly what we did, how we could deliver and how things could be improved. Taking part in Green Impact involved recording what was currently being carried out, what improvements could be made (if any) and putting monitoring systems in place. It helped all team members to realise that collectively our efforts could make a difference and to also look at what we do ourselves within our home lives. We won Gold Award which was a bonus! However it was nice to realise that perhaps what we do could encourage others to take part.”
—Patricia Cunningham, Accommodation Officer
If you have a group of five or more, either from the same building/department or with a similar role, and would like more information about how to take part, contact us.
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Student Switch Off Aimed at Students
October 2011 – April 2012
What is it?
If you live in Cavendish, Cambridge, Broomhurst, Daisy Bank, Booth Halls, Davenport, Harley or Barlow halls you’re already a part of this major campaign.
Student Switch Off is a competition to find the most energy efficient halls across our Manchester and Crewe campuses. As if saving energy wasn’t incentive enough, the hall that saves the most energy wins a blow out end of year party - and the more energy saved, the bigger the party!
Like our facebook page, upload photos of yourself and friends and you can win more prizes.
Who won in 2010 – 2011?
The reigning champions are Daisy Bank on the Manchester campus and Acton block on the Cheshire campus.
Get involved
You can get involved by volunteering to promote the campaign across the University or within your hall. As well as helping the environment, it will help you develop your project management and marketing skills. If you’re interested email the environment team.
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MMU People & Planet Aimed at Staff & Students
Every Wednesday
What is it?
People & Planet runs a varied programme of events and campaigns all aimed at reducing our carbon footprint, and to raise awareness of environmental issues within the local community. In the past events have included clothes swap shops, flash mobs, film screenings and club nights. People & Planet meet every Wednesday at 2pm in MMUnion. Come along or find out more at www.peopleandplanetmmu.wordpress.com, or sign up for monthly updates.
MMU began its environmental revolution in 2006 with the People & Planet’s Go Green campaign. This led to the University investing in an Environment Team; installing solar panels on the roof of the students’ union; getting involved in Green Impact, the Student Switch Off and Zero Waste, and receiving national recognition for our 40 foot green graffiti mural.
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Shared Planet Aimed at Staff & Students
November 2011
What is it?
Shared Planet is the People & Planet annual conference, and the UK’s biggest gathering of students taking action on climate change and poverty.
The 2010 conference featured some high-profile key speakers including the leader of the Green Party, Caroline Lucas, and veg-growing guru Alys Fowler. It’s also a great opportunity for ideas sharing, networking and culminates in the famous Shared Planet Party. The next conference will be in November 2011.
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Education for Sustainable Living Aimed at Staff & Students
Ongoing
What is it?
It’s all well and good for MMU to act on environmental issues, but the changes in behaviour of our staff and students is having a massive impact on our ability to make significant changes.
If you’d like to get involved with helping MMU to decide what changes need to take place, and how to implement them, you can join our E4SL forum.
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Love Food Hate Waste Aimed at Students
Ongoing
What is it?
In the UK we throw away 8.3 million tonnes of food a year. Reduce the amount of food you waste by making small changes to your everyday routine with Love Food Hate Waste, the ‘waste not want not’ of the twenty-first century.
Past Events & Campaigns
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MERCI sustainability workshops at 5 Bridge Mill
February 2012
Workshops include Urban Edible Gardening, Community Microgeneration, Building Awareness Using Social Media and Save Energy, Save Money.
Download the flyer to find out more and get booking details.
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Fairtrade Fortnight 2012
28 February to 14 March
Fairtrade Fortnight 2012 is marking the 20th Anniversary since the launch of Fairtrade in the UK.
The theme in 2012 is ‘Take a Step’.
Let everyone know how you support Fairtrade by showing you ‘take a step’ for Fairtrade. It can be a small step like swapping your coffee to Fairtrade or a big step like asking everyone in your office to do it too.
Whatever you are doing get people talking and supporting Fairtrade.
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Zero Waste
June 2011
At the end of each academic year students can leave their unwanted stuff in a recycling bag. Those items that are in good condition are passed on to charitable organisations in Manchester.
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Go Green Week
7th to 14th February 2011
Go Green Week, which takes place between 7 and 14 February 2011, is a national week of student action on climate change.
People & Planet groups in schools, colleges and universities organise a week of actions, events and fundraisers to raise awareness of climate change, and to lobby their own institutions to cut carbon. If you’d like to know more, or sign up to take part contact environment@mmu.ac.uk.
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Fairtrade Fortnight 2011
28 February to 13 March
Show off your label during Fairtrade fortnight!
Feel great about the fact that you support Fairtrade by letting everyone know you use Fairtrade products. This year’s focus is on Fairtrade cotton.
How can you get involved? Why not decorate your place of study or work with an inflatable Fairtrade banana, hold a public event or start stocking and selling new Fairtrade products?
Whatever you do make sure you’re expressing your passion for Fairtrade and getting people talking.
Fairtrade your social networks and websites, parade your favourite Fairtrade products and tell people all about the stories behind them. Keep your eyes peeled for events at MMU or get involved.
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Annual Celebration of Cycling 2011
Tuesday, 21st June
During National Bike Week on Tuesday 21st June, the traditional annual celebration of all things cycling will take place for University, Hospital & College of Music staff. -
Hard Rain
November 2009
In November 2009 we hosted the internationally acclaimed Hard Rain: Your Headlong Collision with Nature exhibition by Mark Edwards. This explored the global issues of climate change, poverty, wildlife extinction and human rights and attracted over 4000 visitors.
See an interview with Mark Edwards about the exhibition
MMU’s response to Hard Rain
We produced a response to this exhibition in the form of a 40 metre banner explaining what the University intends to do next to tackle these global issues. Our response explains how we intend to create a low carbon sustainable future within the University and minimise our environmental and social impacts.
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Let’s make a sustainable planet Staff & Student forum
Tuesday 29th November 2011, 5pm – 6:30pm · 3rd floor Conference Suite MMUnion
MMUnion would like to invite you to MMUnion’s ‘Lets Make a Sustainable Planet Staff - Student Forum’.
The Staff Student Forum ‘Lets Make a Sustainable Planet’ is taking place on Tuesday 29th November, at MMUnions Conference Suite in Manchester, on the top floor, and will start at 5pm for those individuals in lectures and will continue on through to 6.30pm.
The idea of the forum is to promote ideas and discussion around Sustainability and the Environment at MMU, particularly for participants to lead their own projects and activities to create a sustainable future for MMU.
Please come along and bring with you your ideas and concerns regarding environmental and ethical issues on campus....get involved in sustainability projects & activities: learn new skills: and create a vision of a sustainable future.