Last update 06/09/10
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As
a former StudentForce Project Worker I’ve got a lot to thank the organisation
for; my first encounter with Graduate Resource was a rather scary three staged
interview with a then clean shaven Nick Goodman. 3 ½ years down the line Norfolk
County Council still can’t get rid of me! Working with rubbish (no, I’m not
referring to colleagues or past GR co-ordinators) wasn’t my first career choice,
but I’m delighted that I took the opportunity.
I’m lucky enough to be in a position where I can now recruit my own Project Workers. Over the last three years we’ve had Recycling Advisors, Recycling Centre Inspectors and now a Trade Waste Inspector. The StudentForce worker is a very different one to the classic local authority worker; the passion, knowledge, and enthusiasm of our project workers is rarely matched at County Hall! Our class of 2007 even won an award from the Norfolk Waste Partnership for their excellent work.
Thanks
to the positive attitude and efficient work ethic of our project workers we have
dramatically improved the service at our recycling centres and generated
significant cost savings on our waste disposal budget. This year we have been
cracking down on traders illegally disposing of their waste at our recycling
centres and transfer stations, which has so far been very successful. The
interesting thing is that the quality of project work just keeps improving year
on year, which must be attributed to the wider network of clients and students
that GR now works with.
So thanks to Alder, Matt, Eliane, Tom, James D, James F, Nicola, Mel, Sam and
our current recruit Emma for proving that StudentForce Project Workers are great
with rubbish!
Dan Jacobs, Household Waste Technician at Norfolk
County Council
The
Sustainable Colleges Project is going well and all the SCAs are hard at work. On
the 18th November Florian Babeau invited a variety of exciting companies and
organisations to Chesterfield College to promote recycling and sustainable
travel options.
The Derbyshire County Council’s waste exhibition vehicle was on campus
displaying an interesting array of products made from recycled materials
including fleece jackets made from plastic bottles and sturdy bags made from old
newspapers. Students also calculated their carbon footprints and chatted with
the waste exhibition crew about their habits and behaviours to help them adopt a
low-carbon lifestyle through recycling, suitable food and drink choices, energy
savings, travelling and the like.
In the students’ refectory, Chesterfield Cycle Campaign provided information on
a variety of cycle related issues including cycling paths in and around
Chesterfield. The highlight of the day was the Pedal Powered Smoothie Maker from
the local company Wheely fun Wheels. Students cycled on a stationary bicycle to
produce delicious smoothies to encourage staff and students take part in a
Travel survey. This survey is important as it will help Chesterfield College
determine how they can assist the staff and students adopt greener travel
options. In all it was a very successful day!
Cath Andersson, Further Education Sustainability
Coordinator
One
Planet DayOne Planet Day organised by Oakham School , was a sustainable event
where the whole school, including students, teachers and staff examined the idea
of sustainability.
Oakham School currently has a recycling policy but the waste produced by the
school is still huge. This day was designed to raise the students’ awareness on
all aspects of sustainable development with a special focus on climate change.
Throughout the day, the students took part in different kinds of activities to
improve their practises and change their lifestyle. They were also encouraged to
think more creatively which would hopefully inspire them to take action in their
school. Videos were watched to start the debate. Each student then
attended two workshops from a choice of 30. Four eminent speakers gave a talk to
the students explaining some of the thinking behind sustainability and
indicating some of the actions they could take. During the day, the Green Fair
was held allowing the pupils and the staff, to discover a range of alternative
technologies and to meet different organizations working in conservation,
fair-trade etc.
StudentForce's role was to interview members of staff, pupils and speakers on
their opinions about climate change and sustainable development. The One Planet
Day was a great way for the students and all the staff who seem to appreciate
and actively participate in the event.
Oakham School now hopes staff and students can further their dedication to
sustainability, through curriculum, policies and in the day to day practices of
the school.
Emilie Morin, ESD Project Development Assistant
What takes 9 graduates, 3 city councils, 6 county councils, 2 government bodies, UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP) and 2 Gemma’s from StudentForce? There must be more than one answer to this question but currently in the East Midlands it’s a region wide LCLIP. A Local Climate Impacts Profile (LCLIP) is a tool developed by UKCIP to allow Local Authorities to assess the impacts extreme weather events have on councils and the services they provide. The project has been managed and coordinated by the team at StudentForce and funded by the East Midlands Regional Assembly (EMRA) and Government Office for the East Midlands (GOEM).
The unique thing about this current project is that 9 LCLIPs are being
conducted at the same time on a regional scale. While it is important that the
local focus of this project is not lost, I feel that each of the 9 graduates
employed to do this project have benefitted from the regional element. They have
shared best practice, used peer review and possessed a strong team spirit. So
far the project is running beautifully and this is due to forward planning and
‘extreme’ coordination from the StudentForce team, not to mention the pool of
knowledge and information provided from all involved. The project will be
completed by 25th September and there will be an event to showcase the findings
of the graduates and for the Local Authorities to discuss how they will continue
on to phase 2 of the project.
For more information contact the Graduate Resource team on 01572 723419.
Gemma Hallam, Sustainable Projects Coordinator
Studentforce
Graduate wins prestigious award!This year The Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) initiated a Graduate Award scheme, designed to reward outstanding achievement by a graduate in improving or significantly influencing improvements to environmental performance and/or practices, for either their own or a client’s organisation. Three of the fourteen shortlisted applicants were StudentForce project workers. All of the applicants were of a very high quality and I believe that the judges had a hard time selecting a winner. However, StudentForce was thrilled to hear that Donna Phillips, employed through StudentForce as an Assistant Environmental Manager with the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), was chosen unanimously by the judges and awarded £2000, one year’s membership of the IEMA and an elegant trophy.
Donna started work with RBS in March 2007 and successfully managed the ISO 14001
accreditation of the 80 acre Gogarburn headquarters and two RBS document
services sites. Donna’s efforts in supplier advancement and rigorous internal
auditing have culminated in the achievement of an improved standard of EMS on
the site. Donna was overwhelmed by her achievements: I
was extremely proud to be given the IEMA award, and it made me feel like my hard
work had really paid off. I will always consider the award as a major milestone
in my career.
Gemma Astin, Graduate Resource Manager
Wasting Away!StudentForce has built up an excellent track record of project management in recent years. Having completed numerous successful projects across the country, Melton Borough Council has once again requested our services and support for another waste project. In 2006 we completed a successful project which aimed to promote recycling in the borough. This year’s scheme looks at giving the local community valuable information and solutions to dramatically reduce the amount of waste they produce, be it packaging or food waste. Conducted over 13 weeks and funded by Leicestershire County Council, the campaign has employed 4 recent graduates to make contact and communicate with over 13,000 households in the borough.
Gemma Astin, StudentForce Project Manager, is confident that the project will
be a success: As a result of the previous project, recycling rates in Melton are
very high (47%), but there is always room for improvement, particularly when it
comes to waste. Employing recent graduates with real drive and enthusiasm is
what will make this project work. This is a challenging project, engaging with
residents on a day to day basis can be very tough, but the motivation that these
four graduates have is phenomenal and they are determined to succeed.
The three graduates that completed the previous Melton project in 2006 have
all secured permanent full time jobs within the sector and I have no doubt that
the same will come of our 2008 four. This is something that StudentForce has
always been able to pride itself on; the invaluable work experience and training
that enables our graduates to move into the world of work with the skills they
need and the confidence to flourish in all that they do.
Gemma Astin, Graduate Resource Manager
Let’s do it! Young
people’s participation event Over 40 young people came along to the ‘Let’s do it!’ young people’s
participation event at De Montford University to ‘grill’ their local decision
makers. Young people from 10 youth participation groups in S.W. Leicester put
councillors, police sergeants and parks managers through their paces with a
series of testing questions about their area. The day, which was organised by
YouthCheck, Street Vibe and Leicester City Youth Service, also featured a
‘market place’, at which youth groups shared best practice with one another.
Luke Bocock YouthCheck Manager
Intergenerational
Event in Kettering Over 200 people attended YouthCheck’s superb intergenerational fun day on the
Grange estate in March. Supported by Groundwork North Northants and Northants
County Council, YouthCheck organized the event at St. John’s Church and
Community Centre to bring different generations in the community together. The
day featured a free Mongolian feast, t-shirt making, customizing clothes, mc’ing,
dance, tai chi and much more.
Luke Bocock YouthCheck Manager
Forum on
Youth ParticipationOver
50 influential decision makers and young people attended Kettering’s first ever
Forum on Youth Participation at Corn Market Hall in July. The full day event
focused on the benefits, barriers, and ways to engage young people in local
decision making, and left decision makers feeling inspired and motivated to
drive forward change in their wards, their organisations and their services.
YouthCheck worked in partnership with Northants County Council, Kettering
Borough Council and Northamptonshire YMCA, who were all proud to see Kettering
Borough Student Council and the William Knibb Users group present on the big
stage. We were also honoured to welcome four of the country’s leading voices on
youth participation, including Waheed Saleem the Commissioner for Education and
Young People for the Sustainable Development Commission UK.
Luke Bocock YouthCheck Manager
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Minister
visits StudentForceThe Minister of Marine, Landscape and Rural Affairs, Jonathan Shaw MP visited
Oakham Station on Tuesday 10 June to tour the offices of StudentForce for
Sustainability and acknowledge the founding of the Community Stations
Initiative.
During the visit The Minister presented a plaque to StudentForce on behalf of
ACoRP and Network Rail, then enjoyed a working lunch of local
produce during which he welcomed the benefits the Community Stations Initiative
can bring to local people by offering empty, disused railway premises at a
peppercorn rent.
StudentForce were the first organisation to renovate and move into a disused
railway building brought about by the Community Stations Initiative.
Sara Branch, Resources Manager
Sustainable
Colleges ProjectSustainability charity StudentForce has for the last year been running a Learning and Skills Council funded Sustainable Colleges Project, reviewing and promoting sustainability in Further Education colleges in the East Midlands. European volunteers worked in nine colleges one day a week, with the support of the EU’s Youth in Action fund.
In addition to a baseline survey of sustainability in Further Education in the East Midlands, a variety of mini-projects were developed focusing on sustainability across the colleges’ buildings and estate, curriculum, community, leadership and management and institutional culture.
The project saw the creation of sustainability policies, a cross-college student survey, international links, People & Planet groups, the introduction of sustainability elements to a variety of courses and tutorials, a number of awareness-raising events, a variety of activities auditing the presence of sustainability in partner colleges, and much more.
Much of the work undertaken is now available as free resources on the project website at www.studentforce.org.uk/sca, along with the final report which fully explains the project process and details the activities undertaken.
As the project enters it second year in 2008-09, we hope to build on the
successes of the last year and, by working closely with a further eight
colleges, develop resources and good practice to benefit the sector as a whole.
Simon Winch, Sustainable Colleges Project Manager
CommunityCheck
ToolkitStudentForce was recently invited to present its new
Toolkit to Joan Ruddock MP and Minister for Climate Change, as one of
DEFRA’s pilot projects on sustainable consumption and production. The toolkit is
freely accessible to any local authority, organisation, university or college
which wishes to encourage young people or students to check out and support the
resource efficiency of local publicly-accessible buildings.
Adam Cade, Chief Executive
StudentForce
helps RCEs communicateStudentForce has helped set up RCE East Midlands as the UK’s first UN-endorsed Regional Centre of Expertise in Education for Sustainable Development.
The United Nations University (UNU) and UNESCO have now formally approved and
supported over 60 Regional Centres of Expertise for ESD (RCEs) around the world.
They have recently invited the London South Bank University to consider
establishing such a regional network of champion organisations. Ros Wade,
Director of the Education for Sustainability Programme, has asked StudentForce
to assist her in setting up such a network. In the UK there are currently three
RCEs in the East Midlands, West Midlands and North-East regions. RCE status is
currently also being considered in all the other regions of England as well as
in Wales. Adam Cade, StudentForce’s Chief Executive, was also recently invited
to chair a conference hosted by the Welsh Assembly to consider RCE status for
Wales. As a way of encouraging effective and sustainable communication between
the 60 RCEs around the world StudentForce has also helped set up a professional
networking site
http://rcesesd.ning.com, RCE
Presentation.
Adam Cade, Chief Executive
The Centre for Excellence in Leadership (CEL) is a government agency with the
aim of improving the quality of leadership in the further and adult education
sector. StudentForce has recently helped CEL launch a Moodle website to promote
leadership in sustainable development to the Principals and senior management
teams in further and adult education colleges in England. The site aims to
encourage champions and others to communicate about leadership in sustainable
development in terms of campus management, curriculum development and community
links. This builds on StudentForce’s experience with its highly successful
Sustainable Colleges
Project.
Adam Cade, Chief Executive
New Team MemberHello everybody, my name is Jan Kronberger and as I started volunteering for
StudentForce just a couple of weeks ago I want to use this chance to introduce
myself. I am a 28-years-old graduate from Austria and finished my diploma
programme in Social Economics in November last year. As I am interested in
environmental and sustainable issues, as well as in working for
Not-for-Profit-Organisations, volunteering in the Sustainable Colleges Project
at StudentForce offers a good chance for me to start a new period of life as an
employed person.
The areas StudentForce operates in are similar to my main subjects at
University, and as I wanted to improve my skills with working abroad for a
while, I am sure the following year at StudentForce will be exactly that kind of
experience that I am looking for. As I already have had a great time so far, I
am looking forward to further challenges, interesting projects at Colleges and a
great time with many nice people and many possibilities.
Jan Kronberger, Sustainable College Assistant
Graphic
Design students encourage peers to be more eco-friendlyMatt Dalby and Robbie Ormrod, students on Rutland College’s Graphic Design course, last week showcased a series of posters they’d created promoting recycled products and waste reduction. The posters were displayed during a waste awareness event organised in the college with help from Oakham-based national charity StudentForce for Sustainability.
We created a series of posters to show to our generation that all materials are valuable and we can do cool things with products many people would just throw away, said Matt and Robbie. The posters were displayed at the college’s Let’s Talk Rubbish event, which aimed to promote new recycling facilities at the college.
Elsa Oliveira, a young French graduate, has been appointed by the college to work on sustainability projects and raise student awareness about sustainability and the environment. Elsa said of the students’ art: I’m really impressed with how Matt and Robbie have worked and thought about the environmental issues that today’s throw-away culture has created. Their work was really good - it was like working with professional designers. A new generation of eco-conscious teenagers seems to be coming along, with many students having an environmental awareness that influences their choices in their daily lives.
Matt and Robbie said: We took our inspiration mainly from looking at
the raw materials and trying to view them from a different perspective.
The posters will continue to be displayed around the college.
Elsa Oliveira, Sustainable Colleges Assistant
Let’s
Talk Rubbish!Students at Rutland College organised Let’s
Talk Rubbish!, a waste awareness event on 28th February with help
from Rutland charity StudentForce for Sustainability. The event marked the
launch of the College’s new recycling facilities and aimed to inspire students
by showing novel ways materials can be reused and recycled, encouraging them to
think creatively about their waste.
Let’s Talk Rubbish! featured trade and
awareness stalls showcasing recycled products and ethical brands, helping
students find out about more sustainable lifestyles and ethical ways of buying
products. Lots of students took part in workshops such as clothes restyling,
making purses from Tetrapak and making belts from tyres. There was also a
recycling quiz with a top prize of vouchers for ethical clothes company Howies.
Two Graphic Design students showcased a series of fun posters they’d created
promoting recycled products and waste reduction. Matt Dalby, 18, and Robbie
Ormrod, 19, wanted to show to their peers that all materials are valuable and
they can do cool things with products many people would just throw away.
Elsa Oliveira, Sustainable College Assistant
On a lovely sunny day the troops at StudentForce donned their walking boots and set off from Oakham Station towards Egleton Nature Reserve, at Rutland Water, to walk with the Warden. This team building event was a follow on from our successful cycle around Rutland Water last April. At the reserve we were met by Martin the Warden who took us for an informative walk explaining the new expansion plans, how the reserve is maintained, the types of birds that live there and how volunteers keep everything going.
After spending some time watching the birdlife we returned to the centre for a warming drink in the shop and also took a look at the excellent educational facilities. It was soon time to leave so we took in some more of the reserve before walking back to the office.
For more information on the reserve www.rutlandwater.org.uk/
Sara Branch,
Resources Manager