WHEN it comes to green-living, Worcester University is letting the grass grow under its feet.
The university is a finalist for the Sustainability Initiative of the Year award at the Student Accommodation Awards.
The award celebrates initiatives that reduce environmental impact and promote greener student living. The university has a long-established reputation for sustainability, with a strong focus on empowering students to become future sustainability leaders.
It has co-created projects with its students to reduce the carbon footprint of student living spaces, enhanced biodiversity across its campuses, and supported student wellbeing through meaningful connections with nature.
Prof David Green, the university’s vice chancellor and chief executive said: “We’re very pleased to be shortlisted in the Student Accommodation Awards for our work to create a sustainable living environment for our students. We have worked hard to ensure our halls of residence, as well as our many other buildings, are as energy efficient as possible, while also working with our students to take steps to improve things like recycling rates and increasing biodiversity on site.
“By embedding sustainable practices into life on campus, we’re helping to shape our graduates to become thoughtful, responsible leaders and changemakers of the future.”
Among the initiatives for which the university is shortlisted is the development of a Campus Conservation Crew, a volunteer group of students, staff, and members of the local community working together on practical conservation, along with the creation of wildflower meadows, hedgerows, and species-rich habitats near student halls.
The university also opened a Student Sustainability Hub, which is open seven days a week, offering indoor growing spaces, nature-focused events, and even weekly visits from the Pets as Therapy group.
The news comes after Worcester University was shortlisted for University of the Year in the Times Higher Education Awards 2025 in recognition of its outstanding record of graduate employment.
The winners of both the Times Higher Education Awards and the Student Accommodation Awards will be announced later this year.
