Moulton College hosts prestigious sustainability competition

Further education students from colleges across the South East Midlands gathered at Moulton College yesterday (Wednesday 24^th April) to battle it out in a prestigious environmental competition. 

The Green Future Challenge event is part of an initiative run by Moulton College, Milton Keynes College, Northampton College and Tresham College to educate students in the local area about the importance of sustainability. The competition was the culmination of a challenge that saw students present ideas on how the Further Education sector can become more sustainable. 

Individuals and teams of up to four students were tasked with developing ideas and pitching them Dragons Den style to a panel of leading lights in sustainability, including Steve Frampton MBE, Sustainability Consultant for the Association of Colleges; Michelle Hemmingfield, from the charity, Students organising for Sustainability; Paul Thompson of SEMLEP, which delivers sustainable economic growth in the South East Midlands, and Lauren Gallyot, Sustainability Lead at Milton Keynes College Group, who works with students, staff and local communities to coordinate College-led initiatives. 

Competitors from Northampton and Milton Keynes Colleges were crowned joint winners, receiving a prize of £150 and the coveted Eco Trophy while Moulton College’s finalist, Level 3 Construction Management student Connor Stevens, was praised for his innovative ideas and presentation skills. 

Lauren Gallyot, Milton Keynes College’s Sustainability Lead says of the event:

“The depth of knowledge and enthusiasm that the students across all colleges showed towards their sustainability projects was incredibly inspiring and I look forward to seeing their projects being brought to life.”

Matt Smith, Executive Director for Business & Skills at Moulton College, adds:

“Moulton College was delighted to host this exciting event, which is helping local Colleges and the Further Education sector shine the spotlight on the importance of sustainability. We wanted to collectively put together an initiative to help our students and their respective colleges find ways to drive down their carbon footprints and better contribute to the social and economic sustainability of their communities.

“The competition has been a tremendous experience for our own students and their peers from other colleges, enabling them to hone a range of skills, from presenting and communication to numeracy and teamwork. Most importantly, it has also helped foster an awareness of sustainability and the role we can play as individuals and as a sector.”