Walsall College’s Students' Union has been commended for its commitment to good environmental practice after being named further education union of the year at the 2016 NUS Green Impact awards. For decades, students’ unions have been at the forefront of social and environmental campaigning. Green Impact is the NUS’s flagship sustainability accreditation scheme, helping unions to green their campuses, curriculums and communities.

Walsall College has been driving positive change and improving sustainability through Green Impact initiatives for many years and this year its activities were accredited with the gold standard.

In 2013 the college set up its own Student EATS garden to enable green fingered students to grow fresh produce to sell at a low cost and distribute to other students and staff, as well as the college’s Littleton Restaurant. Students have also been involved in developing the garden by building raised beds and promoting environmental awareness across the campuses.

The NUS commended Walsall College on: “The variety of ways it is facilitating student engagement in sustainability projects and campaigns, striking a really good balance to help support and develop student ideas.

“Its partnership building with groups and organisations off campus is really impressive as well as being proactive in working alongside teaching staff who would like to explore collaborations through sustainability. The continued hard work on the Students EATS garden is bringing such as asset to the college and the local community, is was brilliant to hear all the success stories even in these early stages of the development of the growing space.”

The winners of the awards were announced at a gala dinner in London on Wednesday 6th July.

Gail Houghton, Student Engagement Co-ordinator at Walsall College, said: “This award is a result of staff and students working together to create a greener and more sustainable college environment. It is brilliant that Walsall College’s Students' Union is continuing to be recognised nationally as one of the best for our impact on the college and the local community.

“We are now looking to create even more sustainable projects for the new academic year and volunteer opportunities for students to get involved.”