In spite of representing 12,000 students, Wigan and Leigh Students’ Union was effectively inactive before Students' Green Fund.

The union is using Students’ Green Fund to reinstall substantial and proactive student leadership in the name of sustainability, forming posts for new student officers, and demonstrating the value of a students’ union through green activity.

At least one local and one global project is being launched at each of the college’s centres, funded through a student-led bidding scheme providing between £1000-1500 for effective sustainability schemes. At first, these might be led by targeted college tutors but will become increasingly student-led, and will heighten awareness of the power of students’ unions, and the importance of global sustainability.

Alongside this, staff will be encouraged to bid to begin projects which will embed sustainability into their area of the curriculum.

Engaging 500 students and 200 staff, Students’ Green Fund is helping Wigan and Leigh Students’ Union to demonstrate how valuable sustainability can be not just to the global community, but to the national student movement. With students galvanised by the green agenda and inspired to form meaningful, organised leadership within their union, the Smart Green Scheme will be a transformational demonstration of how much sustainability means to students.

Wigan and Leigh Students’ Union
£80,000