The Students’ Union’s Sustainability Strategy
As a socially conscious organisation, the Students’ Union is aiming to become a more sustainable entity. We are going to achieve this by implementing a Local Environmental Action Plan, otherwise known as LEAP, which will enable us to not only become more sustainable, but support the university's efforts to become net-zero by 2040.
How LEAP works is that each department in the Students’ Union selects a set of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that aligns within the remit of their department and implements them over the course of an academic year.
The process is currently lead by Environmental Action Coordinators, Community and Wellbeing Officer Reed James and the Volunteering and Community Coordinator Aleksej Gubka who can be reached on su-communities@leicester.ac.uk and unionvolunteering@leicester.ac.uk.
Below is the list of goals that each department has been working towards throughout the 2024/2025 academic year:
Providing more sustainable volunteering options – was achieved through collaboration with the university’s sustainability team to introduce new volunteering options such as micro-internships.
Increase student engagement with looking after local environment/green spaces – was accomplished through establishing regular litter picks throughout the latter half of 2024 and revamping them as community clean-ups in 2025.
Better empower students and staff with eco-anxiety through the development of resources to address it – The activities team and the sustainability network have been collaborating on this project. Originally, alleviating eco-anxiety started out as ‘Climate Cafes’ where students could drop in to discuss eco-anxiety and how they can get involved in climate action. However, over time this project evolved into developing resources for students to access on eco-anxiety on the Students’ Union’s Sustainability Hub which is currently ongoing.
Develop our student groups impact through the development of the Sustainable Development Goal coordinators project –This has involved all societies being encouraged to choose a sustainable development goal and achieve it throughout the undergraduate academic year. So far, over two dozen groups have not only picked a goal but demonstrated evidence of completion. This scheme will aim to be continued and expanded for the 2025/2026 academic year.
Improve the sustainability hub offering and interaction – Since the beginning of the 2024 undergraduate academic year The Sustainability Hub has undergone major development. With new blogs and recommended media being added as well as updates on the sustainability network. Improvement of the hub’s offering remains ongoing.
Improving staff health and wellbeing - Attained by investing in Medicash, an employer-sponsored healthcare plan that provides Students’ Union staff discounted medical treatment, access to a GP and specialised care and support, ensuring they can lead healthier lives.
Goal 8: Decent work and economic growth
Improving employment opportunities - Accomplished through the implementation of the Governance Review, which gives students from a variety of diverse backgrounds the chance to become more involved in the Students' Union by making Part-Time Officers paid positions rather than being voluntary.
Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Developing the Activities Department to build student communities – The Students’ Union hired a new full-time staff role, Student Communities Activator, whose primary responsibility will be to engage under-represented students.
Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Comprehensively updating all our policies for Students’ Union staff – Resulting in a more generous maternity, paternity and sickness leave.
Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
To make Students’ Union staff travel more sustainable – Introduction of a bike-to-work and electric vehicle car lease scheme. As well as exploring a potential railcard discount scheme to make purchasing them lower.
Producing research that aims to reduce inequalities on campus
Developed a disabled students survey to gauge student opinions of life in Leicester.
Conducted research on guarantor schemes throughout the UK, which was presented to university stakeholders in order to make the case for more support for students without guarantors. Currently, the university has produced a paper based on this research that is currently being implemented to ensure more support for those types of students.
Helped the Academic Representation team of the Students' Union by providing resources to facilitate the study of the extent to which students are affected by the cost of living.
2024’s LeicsChat Survey (the SU’s annual survey) was launched to learn what our students think about a variety of topics.
Goal 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Work with and provide data to support other departments achieve their goals
The results of LeicsChat are currently being analysed to aid the work of the Students’ Union.
Increase the number of people with relevant skills for financial success and eliminating discrimination
Included accessibility as a topic on the Term 1 Academic Rep Forums for discussion, which resulted in the development of a list of actions for the university, which they will be reporting back on soon.
Recruited 40 school reps and 8 college reps who are paid student staff with one-to-one support and so far, all reps have had good attendance.
Supporting Part Time Officers through a professional development review instead of scrutiny, through an accreditation checklist as well as mid-year check-ins to ensure they stay on task and receive their bursaries.
Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities
Promote universal social, economic and political inclusion, ensure equal opportunities and end discrimination and adopt fiscal and social policies that promote equality –
Putting forward policies voted on in Leicester 100. For instance, a recent motion to increase campus food access for students from various socioeconomic levels was passed. To implement this policy, the Academic and Liberation Councils established a task and finish group, which has been making great strides.
Ran elections with a high proportion of international students running, increasing the diversity of candidates compared to previous years.
Organised allyship training for all students.
Included roles on all Students’ Union councils for liberation, sustainability, community, and PGT students, which led to plans being made to support mature and part-time students next academic year.
Goal 17: Partnerships For The Goals
Encourage effective partnerships -
Created a Council Coordinators group for regular meetings to review the progress of councils and to share experiences and best practice, to learn how to make councils more effective. In the future, we will plan an SU Councils induction day to build better relationships between Councils and improve their training and structure.
Make all event advertising gender inclusive – We continue to hold events that are gender inclusive throughout the academic year and are open to all students. Promotional collateral is created inclusively using appropriate tone of voice and branding.
Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
Being conscious of energy consumption and switching to Ecosia which is a more sustainable browser – We remain conscious of our consumption of energy and electronic equipment as well as aiming to make the switch to make Ecosia our main browser by summer 2025.
Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Increase easier access to information on our website for international students by being conscious of wording – We are currently undergoing a website redesign to make it more user friendly and accessible. Additionally, AI support is now available on our website to help summarise large bits of information- via accessibility tool ReciteMe.
To be conscious about print production for the SU by using eco materials where possible and creating reusable collateral to avoid wastage – By creating printed items for annual events with limited dates to encourage re-use.
Using whiteboard lamination on signage so it can be used across De-Stress Week to advertise different daily activities, producing one sign over five individual signs. This means events could be wiped and updated to reduce print costs and consumption.
Offering a more diverse range of business activations – By reaching out and working towards building relationships with local community groups and offering the Students’ Union as a platform.
Making graduation photography more accessible – Are currently looking at offering graduation photography earlier in the year for international students who may leave before the official ceremony.
Reduce waste created through ‘freebie offering’ – We have been working with the university’s sustainability team with regards to freshers planning to organise an option for people to recycle and donate any unwanted freebie items. Such as trialled a recycling station at Freshers 2024 which was successful and will be rolled out during other Students’ Union fairs.
Working with providers such as C-Card and Mind to provide services and education around sexual health, wellbeing and mental health to students -
Partnered with Leicester Sexual Health to offer free STI testing clinic on campus. We will be running a Wellbeing Fair in March 2025, alongside the Business Development Department. We are inviting several charities and organisations to attend the event.
Held a C-Card promotion event to promote the service and sign-ups for students.
Organised January DeStress which was a week of activities for students that aimed to reduce their stress levels during the exam period.
Supported with the planning and delivery of the Movember Fundraising Launch in 2024.
Goal 4: Quality Education
Making university policies and procedures accessible through how to guides and assisting students with educational needs through case work which may include appeals and resits –
Have begun to make the Advice Service more accessible by offering a weekly Advice Drop-in for students to access one to one support from an adviser.
Organised a housing fair to offer housing advice and encourage students not to rush into signing a tenancy agreement. Which included information on tenancy Rights and a housing checklist.
Working collaboratively as a department with other departments and the Executive Officer Team to raise awareness through projects and campaigns. E.g. sexual violence awareness, mental health awareness and movember -
Provided a wellbeing event for Mental Health Awareness Day called Chai and Chat offering various herbal teas and biscuits including a chill-out zone in Gees- partnering with Mind to offer mental health support.
The first drop-in for victims of sexual abuse and violence is being facilitated by Freeva. Currently, it is being trialled twice a month.
Held an awareness event for the launch of Sexual Violence Awareness Week. Worked with Standing Together to hold an event in the SU Square with promotion on channels across the university and Students’ Union social media platforms.
Held an awareness event about Honour Based Abuse to mark the ending of 16 Days of Activism.
Goal 3 Good Health and Wellbeing and Goal 10 Reduced Inequalities
Held an event called ‘Leics Talk About Sex’ and invited externals to support with delivering the message of healthy sex and relationships. The attending externals included Standing Together, Freeva, Leicester Sexual Health, Trade and Turning Point.