We launched our first ever student prize for Sustainability during Climate Action Week in October 2021.

Students (individuals or groups) were able to compete for up to £500 by suggesting ways we can overcome our sustainability challenges and be supported by University staff to implement their proposal on our campuses.

The Sustainability Team were delighted to receive entries from students across the University with project proposals spanning Biodiversity, food waste, energy, heating and wellbeing. All of the entries were blind judged by a panel of staff from the Environmental Management team who were impressed by the standard of entries. In the end, three projects will be taken forward for implementation, with a further 4 receiving a highly commended award and a £10 Kent One Card top up.

Two projects were selected as runners up and will receive a £50 prize as well as a further £125 to implement the projects.

Plant-based loyalty card – Felicity Bennet (on behalf of the SAC Sustainability Working Group) To develop a loyalty card scheme to encourage students to chose plant-based meals in campus outlets. Felicity will be working with the Sustainability team and catering outlet staff to implement her project over the coming months.

Climate cafés – A group of students; Isabella Sabin-Dawson, Hannah-Maria Hunig, Katie Hargrave-Smith, Georgia Davidson and Lois Mitchell – on behalf of the Sustainability Working Group (SWG) Wellbeing Subgroup have proposed running a series of climate cafes to allow students to get together and talk about their fears about the climate crisis. The group will be working with the Sustainability Team and taking advice from student support and wellbeing to develop this idea.

Our overall winner was  Faye Whiley on behalf of the Conservation Society for their project aimed at measuring and improving biodiversity on campus. Faye will be working closely with the Sustainability and the Landscape & Grounds teams to carry out surveys, plant trees and install wildlife boxes. Faye will receive a £100 prize and £250 to implement her project across campus.

To find out more about sustainability projects across campus contact the sustainability team at sustainability@kent.ac.uk or visit our webpages www.kent.ac.uk/sustainability