Expanding the programme in this way is a great way to help the Environment and Ethics Department implement its five year strategy as well as helping students unions’ play a leading role in greening their local communities.
Five pilots are underway this year to help develop Green Impact in this way. We hope to be able to offer the programme to other organisations within these sectors in the 2012-13 academic year.
For more information, or if you’re interested in running a pilot, contact Jo Kemp, Green Impact Programe Manager on jo.kemp@nus.org.uk.
Local Authorities
Due to our strong links with MMU & Staffordshire University, and their strong links with their local authorities, they have been approached to investigate how a partnership could be developed to deliver Green Impact.
We think that the model would be perfect for the Local Authority sector, as there are many parallels to universities in their structure and estate.
NHS Trusts
A pilot is already underway at University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust which is being run in partnership with the University of Bristol, who initiated the pilot as many of their staff and students work within the Trust’s buildings.
The University of Sheffield are also very keen to partner with NUS on a pilot within Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Schools
Eco-schools is a very popular and successful programme. However, following preliminary work carried out in 2010 with the Swindon Ten Partnership Network, via former E&E Committee member Jim Robbins, there is an underlying agreement that Green Impact would be a brilliant programme to help schools meet their eco-schools objectives, helping them deliver practical action. We plan to partner with both primary and secondary to test this hypothesis.
Small and Medium Enterprises
Anglia Ruskin University have approached us to develop a SME pilot in their region, incorporating the programme and especially the auditing process into their Business School’s curriculum.
It is thought that certain SME types would be particularly well suited to the Green Impact model. Students will be leading on this work, via their course, in the Cambridgeshire area, with our input and strategic lead.
International Universities and Colleges
We know that the model works in the Further and Higher Education sector. Now we’re looking to work with our international union colleagues to help other students unions and academic institutions to benefit from the model as well.