Students from Leeds City College have created a ‘stunning’ sustainable fashion display for one of the city’s highest profile stores.
The striking window exhibit at John Lewis features clothes, and art pieces, that have all been created by Fashion and Textiles students out of previous garments or recycled materials.
The students produced the clothes through their Make an Impact Project which, as the text on the window display explains, is all about pursuing upcycling and sustainability in fashion.
That scheme received a major boost after refugee support charity Yorkshire Aid got in touch to offer some donated clothing that it had been unable to use.
The college then jumped at the chance to team up with John Lewis – and the students are now ‘buzzing’ at the results.
A SHOWCASE FOR CREATIVITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
Visual and Digital Arts teacher at the college’s Quarry Hill campus, Amelia Johnson, said: “The students’ brief was called Make an Impact, and they have done just that!
“They have been buzzing and are feeling very proud about seeing their work in the store’s windows on their walk into college.
“They are eager for more opportunities like this and it has clearly motivated them after what has been a very challenging time in their education.
“Some students also gained work experience through dressing the windows, and the John Lewis staff were very supportive while allowing them creative freedom.”
Leeds City College students outside their sustainable fashion display at John Lewis
Laura Prince, from the college’s Events team, said: “This has been a fantastic opportunity to showcase the Make an Impact project in our city’s John Lewis store, giving our textile learners the chance to both design and dress the windows.
“We are thankful to the John Lewis staff for helping and mentoring the learners during the window dressing, and for supporting their work from the offset. It has helped our students feel proud of their designs and accomplishments.”
Partner & Events and Marketing Coordinator at John Lewis Leeds, Natasha Whalley, was full of praise for the students’ efforts.
She said: “The team was really grateful to have the opportunity to collaborate with Leeds City College and exhibit its Make an Impact Project.
“It was a pleasure working with the students and we hope the experience they had installing their work gave them a real insight into working in a live retail environment.
“They worked in a professional manner and contributed to the creative aspect of the installation, which ultimately resulted in a well executed window.
“The sustainability message ties in with our brand vision and has gained great feedback from our customers and partners. We are excited for future opportunities to collaborate with Leeds City College.”
Yorkshire Aid collects items to send to asylum seekers, refugees and migrants in need. For more information visit https://yorkshireaid.org/
Innovations fuelled by scientific research are at the heart of the fight against the many threats facing our environment.
At University Centre Leeds (UC Leeds) increasing numbers of students have been choosing ‘green’ subjects for their dissertations in a bid to support such work.
UC Leeds, like its parent body, Luminate Education Group, acknowledges that the world is currently facing a climate emergency and is committed to taking action to improve sustainability.
The environmentally-focused research that is being carried out by Biomedical Science students chimes perfectly with that, and has been hailed by UC Leeds’s Dean of Higher Education, Janet Faulkner, as ‘amazing’.
Outstanding recent projects have included a dissertation on the impact of acid rain and another on how waste water in general, and laboratory cleaning fluid in particular, affects aquatic plants.
Spurred to act by the climate emergency
It was a recent environmental catastrophe that inspired Biomedical Science (BSc Hons) graduate, Eleanor Thomas, to explore why some green plants are much more resistant to acid rain than others.
She said: “I decided on my topic following some extreme environmental disasters, the main one being the Australian wildfires that took place in 2019/20 in which over 27 million acres of forest were burnt.
“This inspired me to begin questioning the impact on life if important ecosystems and species of plants were to become extinct, and what could be done to prevent this.
“I looked into the increasing issue of acid rain and the concerns surrounding its irreversible environmental, cultural, and medical effects, and decided to investigate to what extent acid rain damages plants.”
Her work identified which parts of plants were worst affected by acid rain, opening up a route for further studies – including how susceptible species could be genetically modified to better protect them.
Dacosta Owusu’s dissertation topic, meanwhile, was driven by the role of aqua-culture, and its importance to nutrition in his home country of Ghana.
He said: “I chose the subject having considered the way we dispose of waste water from domestic, laboratory and industrial settings and its impact on aquatic plants.
“In Africa, a lot of people throw waste water away after washing their clothes and utensils, without knowing the significant effects on the plants around them.”
Dacosta’s work involved growing water plants in four different mediums (pure water, disinfectant, a general detergent, and a treated compost) and then extracting and examining chlorophyll from each of them.
He found that organic pollution could limit plant growth, though not fatally – but that just a low concentration of cleaning agents would kill them.
Dedicated staff and a supportive learning journey
Reflecting on his experience at UC Leeds, he said: “I achieved my BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Science despite having three children, work and school.
“I must say that University Centre Leeds has the facilities, lecturers and a well-structured academic system to improve the well-being of every individual, irrespective of their background.”
Eleanor, who is hoping to study for a Masters degree in the near future, echoed those sentiments. She is currently gaining valuable laboratory experience while working in drug development as a validation analyst in immunochemistry.
She said: “Resources to support my studies were always accessible at UC Leeds, even throughout the pandemic when we had limitations, such as no access to physical books in the library.
“Staff and tutors would always ensure you were equipped with everything you needed to complete assignments and revise for exams, and dedicated staff were available to aid in areas such as researching techniques, essay writing, and referencing.
“There was never a time where I felt stuck for someone to turn to for help. At UC Leeds you are supported in all aspects of student life and staff are there to help you with wellbeing, finances, equipment or any problems.
“My experience in Biomedical Science was extremely positive and I would recommend the courses to anyone looking to pursue a qualification in science.”
Quality research with an environmental focus
Dean of Higher Education, Janet Faulkner, said: “Our students are passionate, as we all are at University Centre Leeds, about the environment and are determined to do whatever we can to help limit, or reverse, some of the damage that is being done.
“More and more of our science students have responded to the climate emergency by choosing environmental subjects, with practical applications, for their dissertation topics.
“It is research like this that will be key to us finding the best ways to innovate and change our ways so that we give our planet an urgently needed chance to recover.”
The academic and vocational quality of the science courses at UC Leeds, which place a strong emphasis on developing practical laboratory skills and industry-relevant experience, has been recognised by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC).
The RSC has named UC Leeds as one of the accredited providers of the Laboratory Technician Advanced Apprenticeship which includes a level 4 Certificate in Higher Education, Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Science. For more details on science subjects at UC Leeds, visit ucleeds.ac.uk/science-courses .
More training to support the country’s transition to electric cars will be introduced at Harrogate College this September.
Harrogate, as recently widely reported in the media*, has been revealed to be one of the ‘worst prepared areas in the UK’ in terms of supporting the shift to electric vehicles.
Those findings were mainly based on the current scarcity of public charging points, with research showing that the district has just one for every 134 electric or hybrid cars.
Harrogate College, however, is working hard to address the issue by providing technical courses to support the electric vehicle (EV) sector – and has just bought some charging units to use in training this September.
Working with businesses to fill the green skills gap
Principal Danny Wild said: “As a college committed to sustainability, we are determined to support emerging green technologies, including those that will enable our transition to greener forms of transport.
Danny Wild, Principal of Harrogate College
“We have been developing our curriculum to provide electric vehicle infrastructure courses, while tailoring our motor vehicle courses to meet the changes in car ownership.
“In doing so we have also been working closely with local firms so we can provide the appropriately skilled, work-ready students they need.
“The electric vehicle sector is a rapidly growing one that represents a fantastic opportunity for both our students and local businesses, and our ever-evolving range of courses will keep adapting to serve that.”
Harrogate district’s electric vehicle future is bright
APS, which runs a national electric vehicle charger repair and maintenance service from its Harrogate HQ, has partnered with the college to set up a training and recruitment programme to meet the growing demand for EV service engineers.
Business Development Manager John Dyson said that was one of many reasons for optimism: “It is ironic that Harrogate has been criticised so strongly for a lack of action over installing EV chargers, when there actually is so much going on behind the scenes.
“Recent announcements by Transdev, that all Harrogate buses are to be electrified, and Harrogate Borough Council, which is to install 34 charge points in local car parks, gives a taste of just what is on its way!”
The college will introduce a new course, the Level 3 Award in the Installation and Commissioning of Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment, this September.
*For example, in this Harrogate Advertiser report.
The three-week event was launched at Harrogate College on Saturday 2 October when more than 30 sustainability-focused exhibitors talked to visitors, many of whom had reached the venue by bicycle.
They were treated to everything from environmental talks by expert guest speakers to encounters with friendly therapy sheep, an electric converted campervan, a passive house and bike-powered smoothies.
Guests also enjoyed live music courtesy of Leeds Conservatoire, inspired by the theme of climate, and an array of vegan and vegetarian food prepared by Harrogate College students.
A window of opportunity
Chair of festival organisers the Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition (HDCCC), Professor Neil Coles, said: “It’s great that we’re here and all willing to take action against climate change.
“There’s a window of opportunity for us to take action collectively and it’s not just about business and government, it’s about all of us as well. Through small actions, done collectively, we can make a big difference.”
Harrogate College Principal Danny Wild, stressing the vital role that education providers have in delivering the green skills that are needed by employers to secure a greener future, said: “We need to be at the centre of providing the local economy with the right skills.”
Green skills for a green future
The college is focused on becoming a local centre of green excellence and under its Sustainability Pledge is committed to becoming net zero carbon by 2030. Mr Wild also announced that all of its full-time students will be studying a carbon literacy qualification this year.
He added: “We’re going to require people to acquire new skills at all levels of the workforce.
Danny Wild, Principal of Harrogate College
“So when we’re in conversation with businesses we’re talking to them about the skills they need for upskilling. From the college’s point of view we need to be addressing those skills needs now.”
Professor of Earth Observation at the University of Leeds, Andy Shepherd, echoed those sentiments while outlining just how urgently action is needed.
He told the audience that the Earth is currently losing a staggering one trillion tonnes of ice a year but identified several areas where action could make a difference.
Those included building earth-monitoring satellites, fixing our climate models and adapting our cities (and homes) to be more efficient and sustainable.
He said: “We need to upskill the workforce and do it now and make sure we can afford these changes and make them in a reasonable timeframe. We need to become a nation of retrofitters.”
New ways of thinking about technology and transport
Event sponsor Techbuyer – along with its sister businesses Ortial and Interact – had an eye-catching exhibit set up right beside the college’s front entrance, which gathered a lot of attention.
The display included a bicycle sculpture made out of redundant IT parts and a sandpit filled with examples of now obsolete devices.
Marketing and Design Manager at Ortial, Tiffany Mazza, said the idea was to shine a light on the high environmental cost of new technology and the drive to constantly replace it with ‘the next big thing’.
She said: “We need to start thinking about buying more sustainably and upgrading what we have, instead of throwing out and replacing.”
Another outdoor exhibitor that proved popular was eDub, which specialises in electric vehicle conversions – and has found a profitable niche focusing on converting iconic models including campervans and Vespa scooters.
Sustainable farming and housing – with a vision of the future
Cath Wilson from Corn Close Care Farm at Pateley Bridge, meanwhile, was taking part – supported by two volunteers – to promote the concept of sustainable wool and grazing.
The therapy sheep she brought along, Tiny and Dave, proved a big hit especially with younger visitors.
And James McKay from the University of Leeds attracted plenty of attention as he was putting the finishing touches to a painting of The Stray, in Harrogate, as it might look in a more sustainable future.
Visitors also enjoyed looking around a model passive house, built to be virtually carbon zero, which had been installed in the college grounds by Pure Haus.
Inspiring start to three weeks of action
Reflecting on a busy day packed with positivity, Harrogate College’s Partnerships and Development Lead, Holly Hansen-Maughan, said: “We were really busy and have had so much positive feedback from visitors.
Holly Hansen-Maughan
“We are proud to have been able to host the launch of this important festival and wish to express our sincere thanks to everyone who exhibited, contributed and came along.
“We hope some of the ideas that were shared go on to inspire lots of people to take action.”
Students at Harrogate College are set to turn March ‘green’ as they lead a month of environmentally -focused local events.
The college has set up all kinds of activities, ranging from wildflower planting and an art exhibition to a climate café and educational webinars, for its first ever Green Month.
Keen to push ahead with its commitment to environmental action (as outlined in its Sustainability Pledge), the college is also urging the local community to get involved.
The green activities will kick off with a presentation on sustainable technology, plus a litter pick, on Tuesday 8 March.
Harrogate College’s Partnerships and Development Manager, Holly Hansen-Maughan, said: “We were delighted to host the launch event for Harrogate’s first Climate Action Festival last year.
“The festival proved to be a real catalyst for environmental action both for ourselves and the wider community, and our Green Month is the latest example of that.
“We have worked hard to put together a schedule that includes something for everyone and a number of events that are open to residents as well as our students and staff.
“We hope to see lot of people taking part, both to make a difference and to find out more about how we can all work together to secure a more sustainable future.”
As part of its collaborative and employer-focused approach, the college has teamed up with several local businesses and organisations for Green Month.
They include Techbuyer and Ortial, who will be holding a discussion on Sustainable Technology and How It Affects You.
Social impact company Too Good To Go, meanwhile, will explain how they connect businesses with people in need so they can put their surplus food to good use, instead of going to waste.
The Harrogate District’s schools, colleges and sixth forms will also be involved as pupils and students are being invited to design a poster, or piece of art, that will inspire positive environmental action.
